Visayas State University ( VISCA) On a bus again.

I once met this VISCA Professor in a bus last week. We were on the last bus trip from Ormoc to Baybay Leyte. It was 6pm and getting dark. Passengers were jampacked in the bus for fear of sleeping on the terminal if they can't get in. I was comfortably seated near the front seat and minding my own business when an argument erupted between the conductor and an elderly passenger. The argument later on gets nasty when the teenager punky conductor demanded that the decently dressed elderly passenger gets off the bus.

After hearing the conductor shouting and disrespecting the decently dressed man in his late 50's, Superman came to the rescue! I stood up with all the courage, authority and looks of a Military General and pointed to the young punky conductor and said, "Hoy! Hilum diha! Ayaw pagsukol-sukol ug naay edad! Di ka kahibalo morespeto?" That was all was needed to end the argument as the conductor retreated like a dog with his tail between his legs.

Everybody just fell silent. The bus went on as if nothing happened. I just got back my seat and pretended like it was something I do every day. I heard whipers and murmurs behind from fellow passengers expressing thier support of my actions. I was the Man! I must be some kind of goverment agent or officer, they thought. I felt really good like a hero where girls are rushing towards me for hugs and kisses after I saved the world from a nuclear terrorist! But deep inside, I regretted my foolishness. What if that conductor will suddenly thrust a knife in my neck like every vallain in every seperhero movies? I don't want to be a dead hero! I was scared.

After a 20 minute ride, I was glad I was still alive. The conductor did not thrust me the knife I feared. Instead, he came to me very polite and respectful asking for my destination and collected my fare. The decent man finally was able to seat beside me after passengers slowly gets off the bus in every barrio along the way. The man looked at me with awe and expressed his heartfelt thanks for my "heroism". I just shrug and said it was nothing. I didn't care. Maybe if he happened to be a pretty and sexy girl, it would have mattered, I thought. But the man went on like a journalist asking question to his new hero, so I obliged.

I told him I'm from Cebu and on a business trip. I thought that answer will put him into silence. I was wrong. The questions flowed like a river in the rainy days I did not know how I survived. I sounded funny telling him I'm on a business trip representing a construction company. Im glad he did not ask what I am doing in that old squeaky bus at 6pm. Where's your office? Where's your company car? What is your position in the company? OMG! I hate being his hero!

After the long interview, he looked very impressed! I did not know which of my answer delighted him. But I know I told him a lot about myself. I'm sure I told him too I'm sort of a poet or writer or something or whatever. So he paused and shifted his seating position and I was worried another wave of tsunami like questions are on the way. But he was silent. He was like a professor contemplating if I deserved to pass my defense on a difficult thesis. Did I fail?

He then looked at me in eye and extended his hands like a veteran diplomat of a European country. He speak his name formally and I instinctively reach out as we shake our hands awkwardly in that sardines like set up. A friendship was formed. He was a retired professor in VSU. He still lived inside VSU Campus and do part time teaching. He invited me to his place for a chat during weekends. I said I will visit him when I'm not busy and we exchanged numbers. Actually, I was not sure if I can visit him. Then he said, "My two daughters will be visiting me next week, I'd like to introduce you to them."

Did he said "daughters"? Superman is single! So I said, "where exactly is your address again sir?"

- THE END

By: Jun Abines