Disclaimer: this isn’t an erotic story. It’s wholesome but relatable. Still juicy tho (I think)

Have you guys ever had that one person who made you look forward to another work week? Where you’d actually wish the weekend was over and made you forget about the hassles of travel and traffic just so you could see them again? Well, lemme tell you about this girl who made the daily EDSA commute (yep you read right) super bearable.

I used to live in Pasig near Santolan station before I moved down south, and my office was in Makati at the time. I’m not originally from Manila so as you can imagine, I’m a super noob when it comes to knowing the time it takes to get to one place to another, I often forget about adding Manila traffic in any equation (esp EDSA traffic) when it comes to traveling, I’m not even sure which times of the day are considered “maluwag periods”. And there’s so much more pa. So as you can see, the daily commute was really hell for me. Haggard pagpasok, mas haggard paguwi ganun.

It was a constant struggle everyday especially that my shift was from 7am-4pm and I’m not a morning pa. Always nalang late which also meant late uuwi cause bawi bawi sa time. Ganun! Sadnu?

My usual route was straightforward naman but not as simple. From my place I travel to the LRT station, since first station naman you’d expect maluwag diba? NOPE! guess again tolparechong. I get off at Cubao and make my way to the bus stop downstairs that goes to Makati. Now since choke-me-daddy point yun, all the busses and people are congested in that area which means agawan, tulakan, murahan, siksikan, at iba pa. From there I ride the bus going to Makati and tada! office na. Madali lang diba? Hahaha. Stay with me folks.

It took me a while to hit my stride and know exactly what to do, what time to wake up, and when I need to get here and there. Overtime I was able to calculate everything like clockwork, and it lessened the unwanted discomforts but not really eliminate them cause d talaga yan mawala unlike mga ex natin. 😂✌️

Sooo yeah, hell pa din. Until one day, in a disturbing sea of people, I saw her. I did my usual daily shrug and tug(not the dirty kind ha) just to get into a freakin bus and hopefully get a seat. Since first pa naman yun ko siya nakita I didn’t think any of it and just went about my business. Then, as fate would have it, an open aisle seat on the bus, and who was sitting on the window seat next to me? Some dude na clearly did not shower that morning and had a few cigarettes haha tangina. But as I settled in and looked to my side, it was her, ate girl was sitting on the row across me. I caught a good glimpse of her before the rush of commuters na nakatayo na blocked my view. But there she was. I didn’t even notice her getting in the bus before me.

As the bus ride went on and the standing commuters were slowly either getting off on their stops or taking somebody else’s place, I started to see her again and this time I got a good look at her na(but discreet and chill sneak glances, not the creepy stare at somebody kind). Her short, guy cut, slightly colored hair brushed to the side exposing the side that was shaved off. Double pierced ears one on the lobe the other on the pointy curve on the top, nose ring(?), arm tattoo(honestly can’t remember na if she had an arm tattoo ba). Kinda like Christy Mack but thinner and had short hair (yeah, boys, you guys know who I’m talking about wag deny 😂). Sleeveless blouse with a collar and maxi pants. Definitely professional but astig/punk/artsy at the same time. And a resting bitch face was not scary but actually hot. I didn’t know where she was gonna get off so I just enjoyed every minute of her presence and for the first time in a while during a commute, I was smiling the whole trip. Just seeing her made me say “it’s gonna be a good day”.

So as I was nearing Makati na I noticed that she was still there so I thought to myself, “is she getting off at Makati din?” So every stop the bus makes, I glance to see if she gets off but naaww she didn’t until it was about to be my stop. When the bus finally pulled over to my stop and I start getting up to get off, she also stood up cause it just so happened that it was her stop as well. Praise Jesus hallelujah! Being the gentleman that I am I let her go on first and I followed right behind her. Petite si ate girl! She was what, 5’ - 5’2” maybe? Maybe shorter? She was such a type and I started having a bit of a crush on her. We get off the bus but sadly walked in different directions. She goes right I go left and I thought that was that. She made my day that morning.

The following day I go about my routine and still saw her same place same time. Only this time she got on a different bus than I did. Was too slow and was not ready to punch my way through that crowd but sige lang at least I got to see her that day. But as days go by, I kept seeing more and more of her. Same time, same place. It wasn’t just coincidence at that point; we had the same route and schedule and if I stuck to my schedule(which I have never done my entire life) I would keep seeing her. I have never been more excited to go to work. I may not go home smiling but at least I go to work with a perky attitude. There were times where I intentionally choose the bus she chooses bahala na if full and I’m left standing, sometimes I get lucky and she just happens to ride the same bus I get on first. I don’t even know if she ever noticed me glancing at times. But hey I wasn’t being a creep ha, I was just inspired and crushing over her. She was a waaay better morning pick-me-up than coffee. There were even a couple of times where nagkasabay din kami ng bus going home - now those days were just amazing.

At this point you’d think I should’ve made a move and strike up a convo or at least introduced myself, but no, I was too torpe to do anything. Just left things the way there were cause I thought it’d last longer but no, life isn’t like that. Life concludes your contract with a company and send you on your way to another “adventure”. Mine just so happened to be moving to the South. Welp, It was fun while it lasted. Huge “what if” on my book. Mornings haven’t been that perky and routine just felt like routine. Hope you’re doing well out there, ate girl! If you’re here maybe mabasa mo to and I don’t know, tbh. Mabasa mo lang hahaha.

Even tho we haven’t met officially, I Hope you know that you made some random, slightly miserable, non-morning person type of guy’s day by just existing. Maybe one day I’ll bump in to you again somewhere and I’ll definitely say “hi” this time. But until then, take care! 😊