in between the lines

cheap ticket

tw / death

9:23 pm. It had been twenty minutes yet there were no buses bound for the place she needed to go to. Leni crossed her arms and takes a few steps forward, eyeing the road intently.

There, the bus she has been waiting for what seemed like hours finally arrived. It stopped as its door swung open right in front of her. She lets the passengers go out first, patiently waiting for her cue to enter. The bus driver was familiar, so she smiles to indicate politeness and the driver returns it back.

Leni looked around after paying the conductor. There were a lot of vacant seats, which makes it harder to pick a spot.

Her eyes ended up in the five seats at the very back. Only one was occupied, but the woman seated in the middle was sleeping so wouldn't it wake her if she decides to sit there?

She tried sitting in the one near the driver, but the passenger's music was too loud for her liking. Leni stood up and changed seats. This one's snoring would distract her. There's no other choice, really, who cares if she wakes the woman up? It's a bus ride, pretty sure she wouldn't even remember her name.

By the time she was able to sit, the woman next to her had moved in an irritated manner, stretching her limbs before fully noticing that someone was seated on her left.

"Sorry, I can't find a comfortable seat," Leni shyly apologized. "Sorry, I'm really sorry."

The woman looks at her then blinks, "You find sitting next to me comfortable, gano'n?"

Leni chuckled nervously, "Hindi ka naman nahilik so... yes?"

"Just kidding, haha. You don't have to apologize. P'wede ka naman umupo riyan, or dito sa kabila, kahit kandong ayos lang."

Leni doesn't know if she's serious or not.

"Galing ka sa terminal?" she asked, trying to divert the topic.

"Oo, ikaw? I assume napag-iwanan ka na ng last trip kaya nag-antay ka na lang sa mga dadaan."

"Paano mo nalaman eh natutulog ka," she asks her. "Uh-Leni nga pala."

"Tactic lang magtulog-tulugan para walang umupo sa tabi ko," the woman whispered.

"P'wede naman akong lumipat," Leni insisted, standing up, the woman held her arm tight. "It's fine, ano ka ba. Mukhang madaldal ka rin naman. Let's entertain each other," she glanced at her watch, "we still have ten hours to spare."

"So, Leni," the stranger adjusted her weight for extra comfort. "Cute naman ng bangs mo, nabibilang."

—

Here's everything she knows about the stranger on the bus. Maybe she should stop calling her stranger first because her name is Theresia. When she asked what her real name was, the woman just laughed and shrugged it off.

Her name was pretty. But you wouldn't expect her to believe she doesn't use some kind of shortened version. Curiosity kicked in and Leni has approximately ten hours to know her real name.

Theresia wants to be a journalist, says it's her passion to tell stories. She works in a logistics company at the moment, followed by a: 'I would rather bang my head on the wall than work for a selfish idiotic animal in the form of my boss.' Leni was startled and was about to offer her an advice when the woman added that she no longer works there as of today.

Leni introduced herself, too, including some facts like how she is currently a striving (dying) law student and how hungry she is at that moment.

Assuming from the details around them, it's likely that this Theresia person is not a frequent traveler. She had a backpack on her lap but Leni thinks that's just about everything she possesses.