In Every Bus Stops

Chapter 4: He's different

CYZIE

My mind wonders. It's almost 6 years when I get to come with a total stranger after that happened. A little part of me is saying that I should not go with him but a part of me is saying, why I shouldn't? I'm healed. I've already get over from that past. My parents are not that worried about me anymore because they trust me. They trust that I can protect my self and my safety. Thus I continue to wonder.

And that wondering led me here.

Eyes blinking, heart beating, and blood running to my cheeks. My hands are tightly wrapped around his arm as I sat beside him on the floor of this cubicle.

"Is this... Okay?"

His low voice lingered in my ear together with his warm breath. He's too close and this distance is enough to send me a feeling of something I can't point out. All I know is that it's comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. It's cold but my cheeeks are burning. My breath is hinged and my heart is hammering fast. Napahigpit ang kapit ko sa braso niya. I hope he doesn't mind my grip.

"...It's fine." I whispered.

Sa tanang buhay ko, ni isang beses ay hindi ko inisip na mapupunta ako sa sitwasyon na 'to. And why were we in this situation? Well, it happened when we have finally ride one cubicle of this ferris wheel. He was sitting in front of me. To me, it was a dream come true. I get to ride the ferris wheel that I can only see in the TV and magazines.

Halos hindi ako magkandamayaw sa pagtingin sa baba habang unti-unti kaming gumagalaw pataas. I was expecting that I would be afraid but I'm not. I was thrilled instead. The excitement earlier was suddenly filled with amusement dahil sa sobrang ganda ng tanawin. It's my first time and I almost cry because of the gorgeousness before my eyes.

Pero ang ini-expect kong luha dahil sa saya ay napalitan nang luha dahil sa takot, sa kaba. The ferris wheel stopped and we're stranded. At first, I was hysterical. Who wouldn't be when you're this faraway from the ground and our means of going down is suddenly not working. I even cried when I realized that all of those acts of maintaining my safety will just go to waste if I die here. Pero hindi ako hinayaan ng kasama ko na umiyak lang sa gilid at hintayin na balutin ng lamig.  .

"W-what if... What if it collapse. All of those— All of those things I did to get here—"

"Shhh... No, no, It won't collapse."

"B-but what if those engineers didn't look at some things. It's possible for a building to collapse without an earthquake. How... How much  does this differs from that?  I..."

He assured me that the engineers of this ferris wheel isn't dumb to create a failure and put people's life at risk.

"Listen to me. If this collapse, I'll be with you, okay? If you die, I'll die—"

"Oh my god, we're dying...! We're going to die?!"

"Oh shit no— that's not what I'm trying to say—"

"We're gonna die.."

"No, we're not. We won't. God. Stop crying. The lights just gone off. The power just gone off. It won't collapse just because there's no electricity. We will get out of this after the power came back. So calm down, okay?"