Conch Key chain

He did not have to wait long in the lone and empty waiting shed. Soon, a jeepney came and stopped where he was, saving him the gesture of raising his hand to halt the vehicle. Choosing a seat at the rear, he paid the fare and settled himself, observing his fellow passengers.

There, at the front, was a young mother with her month-old baby, shielding the infant from the dust and smoke. Opposite to her was a man of composure, head always held high, back always straight, clothed in fine, clean clothes seemingly of high education, maybe a businessman. To his side was a high school student, burdened with books and a heavy bag sporting an interesting keychain, she was facing another man with a baseball cap, calming his nervous and fidgeting red rooster, obviously a 'mananabong'. And finally, seated next to the gambler was the most beautiful girl the world has to offer.

She has the shiniest, shoulder-length black hair, the prettiest, heart-shaped, pinkish lips, the perfect, pointed nose, the fairest complexion, the smoothest, spotless skin and the most beautiful and expressive of all the eyes created, which was now looking at him, already showing doubts.

Patay. He said to himself, abruptly checking his cell phone for received messages, though he very much knew he had none. Suddenly, the jeepney stopped and he dropped his phone, hitting the floor with a thunderous, metal THWANG!! waking the poor dozing baby into indignant, loud crying. The entire passenger's eyes turned to him as he pocketed the scandalous object, even the rooster's.

Anu ba namang preno yan? Wrong timing! He muttered while wiping the telltale beads of instantly formed sweat in his forehead. He risked a quick glance at the girl from a dream, and as he guessed, she was looking at him, with those sparkling eyes now evident with uncertainty...and something more.

They could have stared at each other longer had it not been for the young mother's distracting, sharp call; "Ma, para! Dyan na lang po sa waiting shade."

Waiting shed. His mind instantly corrected and could've added more but the young mother gave him a cold, vengeful look as she exited which gave him a strong, uneasy feeling called guilt.

The engines hummed alive again, and soon they were traversing the long, level asphalt highway once more. Unconsciously, he found himself inspecting the student's key chain; it was a conch, too big for a key chain, but shiny enough to cover for its unfit size and to attract devoted attention. It swung and dangled and shined and lulled him to stupidity before he could notice the baseball capped commuter's knocking on their conveyance's roof, signifying he had reached his destination. The vehicle's cruel brakes, forceful and instant, hardly spared him an ounce of dignity as his unprepared, still key chain-mesmerized self, toppled forward, face flat on the seats.

"Boss, konti pa po. Dun pa sa waiting shade."

Waiting shed. His mind checked for the second time, as forceful and instant as the jeepney's decelerator, but that offered little consolation, seeing everyone's eyes pasted on him as he rose from the seats. The composed businessman suppressing a smile, the two girls covering their muffled giggles with hankies and the 'mananabong' with a wide, plain grin he did not care to hide. Even the rooster clucked appreciatively for the unexpected entertainment.

Cheeks burning red, heart pounding hard and thoughts racing fast, he wondered if it would be best to step down after chicken and chicken-grin to save himself from further embarrassment.

Bababa na ba 'ko? Kaso mas obvious na napahiya ako pag ganun ginawa ko. Malapit na naman, sasakay na lang ako sa susunod na jeep. Kaso kasya pa ba ang pamasahe 'ko?

And before he knew it, they were rolling along the road anew, lancing against the rush of the fervent wind.

Now that it was too late, he considered faking sleep as the final refuge in this merciless ride. That would not seem odd, since the mounting heat and the monotonous house-tree-house scene could drag anyone to slumber.

So he bowed his head, closed his eyes and relaxed his body, quite yet alert for the next call to stop. The drowsy drone of the engine and the feel of the warm breeze on his skin felt calming and heavy.

While in his false slumber, he pictured how grand it would be if he's beside this lovely and nameless passenger. How pleasing would her perfume and hair smell? How charming would those heart-shaped lips look if they openly smiled? How soothing would her laughter sound if they laugh not at him but for him? How brilliant would those eyes shine if they would see not his mistakes, but the longing he has for her? How stunning would it be if, "Ma, para na ho dyan sa waiting shade, sa harap nung kotse!"

"Wah!" He shouted surprised and rather loudly, startling the others. Okay lang. He thought, at least ready na 'ko sa prenong yan!

So with both hands he grabbed the iron railings on the jeepney roof, eyes wide open and mouth agape, he waited for that brief but violent pause. Malapit na. He added.

But what he was waiting for never came. There was no sudden stop, instead, the vehicle slowed down into a long, gentle halt. It rested easy in front of the small...

Waiting shed. An inside voice spoke, as if reassuring him that though he messed up for the third time, it was not time to curse the world yet. Not just yet.

"Okay ka lang?" The god-like beauty inquired from the opposite seat. He was shocked with the sudden concern from an unexpected source, and then, reluctantly, he tried to visualize how he appeared in the previous event.

He could see himself very stiff, tensed as if waiting for a bomb to drop. With bulging eyes and a gaping mouth, he seemed as if in a comic trance. Summing it all up, he might have looked like a person suffering from asthma and constipation at the same time.

There was the cue. Now was the time to curse the world.

All he could reply was a weak smile and a curt nod, but her guise was satisfied with his answer and asked nothing more. Probably for the best, he decided.

It was only after their conveyance had moved a few feet that he regained a piece of himself, starting to recover. A quick survey of his surroundings revealed his near-ending, unfortunate journey. He should rest easy. Soon, it would all be over.

But there was something left unchecked, he perceived. A possible dilemma that swims at the surface of the situation, waiting to be noticed. He tried to think what was this thing that foils his peace of mind, because knowing it might lead to its prevention. But he could not recall or even guess what it was. He was running out of time and this dilemma would not wait. It rang out loud in a short but diverting call.

"Manong, dyan na lang po sa tabi ng waiting shade." The businessman said, quite in a hurry. The jeepney made an abrupt stop to let this passenger out, leaving him and the beautiful girl alone, at last. But that hardly caught his interest for he finally understood what was bothering him.

None of the four previous passengers gave the correct name for the place we all sit and wait for a jeepney. A place that shields us from the heat of the sun or the showers of rain. A place called waiting shed. This was where his destination would end. Would he go with the crowd and say 'waiting shade' too? Or would he say the right term 'waiting shed'?

The former was tempting. Since he had looked stupid throughout the ride, it seems he would look much stupid in front of this girl if he did not say the publicly accepted word. Given that we live in a world where pronouncing a word or doing a thing, however wrong would be right as long as it's openly received. A world that approves of mistakes and mockingly laughs at what is right.

He could simply say; "Manong, para na po." Avoiding the words 'waiting shed' altogether. But that's running from the issue, he assumed. He had to choose.

The waiting shed he uses as a landmark can now be seen. It grows closer every second. At length he took a deep breath and prepared for the inevitable. Bahala na kung mag mukha akong mali sa harap nya. He thought.

"Manong, para na po dyan sa waiting shed." They both said, his words were in chorus of hers. Their eyes fell upon each other's. He gave a triumphant smile, which she answered with a shy one. Their conveyance made a careful stop, he stepped down after her, and the vehicle continued on its way, leaving them in the lone and empty waiting shed.

And from the jeepney's mirror, the two could be seen engaged in a lively conversation.