three males on a jeepney ride.

I twisted my wrist and checked the time. 10:03 p.m. says the watch. I secretly looked at everybody. I don’t know why. Every passenger exuded an aura of desire to lie in their beds to rest. I sat still with the intrusive light shining just above my face. The only thing keeping me awake is that song whispering from my earphones. I also desire rest. The kid in front of me demanded attention without doing anything. So I tried to watch him move or should I say sit still for a while.

I am not good with guessing age. He looks young enough to be in elementary. And yet, he was like a miniature man. He wore a seemingly oversized pair of pants, a white shirt, and a pair of dirty slippers. A small towel was adorning his shoulder. He didn’t allow his back to relax. He sat with his arms leaning on his legs, with both arms clasping each other. His glance was fixed on the jeepney’s floor, but I caught it inspecting the kid beside me a couple of times. He was serious and detached from his mother. The features of his face tried hard to look innocent, but his eyes were trying to tell a different story. He was tired. I don’t know why.

Beside the kid was a man who brags a huge frame. He is larger than my father, or any average sized father I know. But he wasn’t fat. He looked like as if he just finished jogging or finished a session in the gym. He is brawny. He wore a black shirt, a pair of shorts, and a pair of running shoes. He carries three bags: a big black backpack, a white bag from a grocery, and a red and white striped bag with a variety of things in it. He looks strong. But he didn’t sit still. His head kept on swinging as he slept. I don’t know why.

At the far end of the jeepney was a guy. He was still wearing a uniform. It looks familiar. He looked like he’s from Marist. He carries with him a beige back pack. His hair was the typical two by three slash high school haircut. He was wearing glasses and never kept his cellphone even for a moment. He kept on texting. I saw myself in him. A version of me not too long ago. It felt weird. Should I know why?