Strangers

The ray of the early morning sun feels good on my skin. I squint my eyes to hide from the sunlight. A slight breeze blows, playing with the skirt of the woman in front of me. Today seems to be different. I woke up with a feeling that something good will happen today. I do not remember any special occasion, no forgotten birthdays or anniversaries. And yet, I feel like today is meant to be celebrated. A smile plays on my lips and it brought a glow on my face. I feel good, light hearted and generally content.

I waited at the bus stop for several minutes. When my bus did arrive, it was full and I had to wait for another one. I shifted on my feet, eager to get to where I am going. Minutes pass by, cars moving swiftly before my eyes. My mind is engaged on thoughts that refuse to be formed, result of a mind that is still half-asleep. As I look up I saw my bus arriving. This time it was not so full and I was able to board ahead of the others.

The variety of faces and expressions one can see is part of the things I like in a crowd. Someone yawning, a woman trying to look indifferent but managing to look bored. A man is nodding his head in sleep. Three teenagers chatting loudly about nothing and everything. A grandmother reads newspaper, a guy listening to rock music. Bland expressions, not a single smile on a passenger’s face.

Suddenly, I met the eyes of a stranger. Eyes peering at me in a way that brought chills down my spine. A familiar face? Somehow, I knew I have seen him before but I cannot place him in my memory. I broke the eye contact and tried to look unaffected. When I look back at him again, he is still staring at me with an intensity that I find disturbing. Do I know this man? I am sure I would not have forgotten him. He has a good face, not one you will forget so easily. Slightly long brown hair, curling lazily at his shoulder. He has the look of a confident man who has no care in the world. He sports a smile that puts a glint in his brown eyes, red lips and a proud nose. This is a man who is self assured, good looking and he knows it. But not arrogant. He has a warm smile that invites conversation or a smile back. I find myself reciprocating his smile.

A woman in front of me is alighting so I am able to take her seat. Although our stare is broken, I can still feel his eyes behind my back. I closed my tired eyes to give them a short rest. Lost between the plane of sleep and wakefulness, I allowed myself to close out the crowd. Now, their sound is like a distant noise, still there but no longer in focus. My mind still refuses to give coherent thoughts. The strong espresso I had did not really help in waking up my senses.

The strong sensation of being watched made me open my eyes. The stranger is now sitting in front of me. Again, he gave me that devastating smile that brings butterflies to my stomach and a flutter in my heart. We stare at each other like lovers returning in each other’s arms, speaking to one another through our eyes.

Dismay filled my whole body when I saw that I have almost reached my destination. I look up at him and he realised that we will be parting soon. He tried to speak but he was interrupted by the woman beside him who was intent on alighting from the bus. I look at him again, my eyes beseeching him to do something. He held one of my hands, silently asking me to stay. I gave him a sweet, sad smile already regretting his loss. But he tugged my hand again insisting that I stay.

-0-

The sky is full of stars tonight. The moon hides behind a group of clouds. There is a warm breeze blowing my hair and refreshing my face. The streetlights and the lights from surrounding skyscrapers illuminate the night. Sweet music coming from a distant place hinting of love lost and yearnings. Muted conversations add a friendly tone to the night.
My hand is laced with my lover’s hand, not wanting to let go even for a minute. Staring into his eyes, I again feel the love that he has given me freely. He still brings butterflies to my stomach and fills my whole being with excitement. We complete each other and fill the void in each other’s lives. Lovers and friends, we have long ago ceased to be strangers.


I posted this entry in Friendster on May 2005. Saw it again today and I thought I'd post it here. Nope, it is not a personal story but the work of a creative mind. =)