A Scene In A Jeepney
This happened two weeks ago.
The jeepney stopped. A thirtyish woman and a little girl in school uniform got in. The little girl looked five or six. They sat opposite me. Immediate after they secured the seat she politely asked the man beside her to pass some coins to the driver.
“Kulang pa ng piso,” the driver protested.
“Estudyante po.” The woman was so polite.
“Sino, ikaw?” The driver looked surprised.
“Itong hong batang kasama ko.” She maintained her politeness.
“E kayo ho, bayad nyo?” asked the driver.
At this point the woman looked irritated. “Yan nga ho. E di ba, wala naming bayad dapat itong bata, dahil karga ko naman siya?”
The man who the woman asked to pass her fare to the driver butted in: “Dapat ho 7 pesos bayad nyo. Libre na nga ho yung bata dahil karga mo naman sya.”
“E nagbayad na nga ako. Estudyante naman itong bata ah!”
“Sa tabi na lang ho,” I screamed, politely, but with disguised derision. I was supposed to get off the bus station but then I got off the jeepney at a point some 50 meters before reaching the bus station. I couldn’t hold it; I needed to laugh, or grin, at least.
It was high noon. The traffic was not moving. I had to walk the remaining distance under my umbrella.
The jeepney stopped. A thirtyish woman and a little girl in school uniform got in. The little girl looked five or six. They sat opposite me. Immediate after they secured the seat she politely asked the man beside her to pass some coins to the driver.
“Kulang pa ng piso,” the driver protested.
“Estudyante po.” The woman was so polite.
“Sino, ikaw?” The driver looked surprised.
“Itong hong batang kasama ko.” She maintained her politeness.
“E kayo ho, bayad nyo?” asked the driver.
At this point the woman looked irritated. “Yan nga ho. E di ba, wala naming bayad dapat itong bata, dahil karga ko naman siya?”
The man who the woman asked to pass her fare to the driver butted in: “Dapat ho 7 pesos bayad nyo. Libre na nga ho yung bata dahil karga mo naman sya.”
“E nagbayad na nga ako. Estudyante naman itong bata ah!”
“Sa tabi na lang ho,” I screamed, politely, but with disguised derision. I was supposed to get off the bus station but then I got off the jeepney at a point some 50 meters before reaching the bus station. I couldn’t hold it; I needed to laugh, or grin, at least.
It was high noon. The traffic was not moving. I had to walk the remaining distance under my umbrella.
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