"Walk," he said.
He didn't even bother to tell us where to go or when to stop. "Just walk," he insisted. And so we walked...
Around the academic oval... He kept on texting all the while, or was otherwise silent, keeping to himself. He's always like that. You never know what's going on inside his head. And he'd go to great lengths to hide his thoughts and emotions from other people, confuse you with cunningly constructed statements and put on faces to make you think the exact opposite... I never did understand him. I guess no one really does.
Walk.
And walk we did... Outside the campus, towards Balara and eventually Katipunan... We were getting tired and sore from all the walking, but he kept right on. "Take me as far as you can go. Wherever that is." Putting away his cellphone, he retreated back into his thoughts, gathering his wits about him every now and then to casually survey the area. We traversed the entire length of Katipunan, up until the flyover. He motioned for us to turn left, but soon decided against it. It was getting dark. The streets and nearby neighborhoods were taking on a more sinister character.
Walk.
We crossed to the other side of Aurora and mingled with the unruly mass of people desperate to get a ride home. Where was he taking us now? Silence. Minutes pass by when he suddenly drags into a jeep headed for Montalban. "Manong, SM lang," handing over a 10 peso coin. It was a short trip and before we knew it, we were disembarking with the rest of the passengers. He walked towards the bridge, but soon realized it wasn't going to take him to SM. So he told us we were going under the bridge and see if there was another way to get acros. We followed the length of the road going under the bridge and soon realized we were at the Riverbanks area. After taking a look at a few shops, we finally decide to eat at Mang Inasal. He says he misses chicken inasal back home. "Pwede na," he mutters as he rises to leave.
Walk.
We found our way to another bridge, but this time it was the right one. Arriving at SM Marikina for the first time, I couldn't help but think of an airport terminal with the typical flyover going right in front of the building's modern glass facade and people milling about. He took us inside... Up all the way into the third floor and going through the shops, working our way downward, one floor at a time. The place was small, but it was spanking new. Evrything was bright and shiny, free from the dullness and dirt that leaves its mark over the course of time. He spent quite some time at the bookstore and made to sure to check out the restrooms At last it was time to go home. Or so we thought.
Walk.
Two jeepney rides later and we still weren't home. Where is he taking us? "Walking," he says with a grin. Oh boy, we're in for another long night. And it's as if we have a choice. Labels: inside the self |
