Lady of the Misty Road

The bus ran slowly and cautiously on the damp road. There's low visibility with the mist hanging in that cold morning air. Inside the vehicle, some passengers were having a nap while others were chatting and a mother was busily rocking her baby back to sleep. At the rear there was one guy silently looking outside the window. He saw the thick and dark green foliage across a river. He saw the light of the rising sun breaking the dark sky. But when he saw the mist, he remembered someone that saddened his face. Then the bus halted at the bus stop, he disembarked and stood at the curb for a while until the bus had left. He breathed the morning air and sighed.

"I hope she'd just suddenly appear again," he said and looked at the fading mist. "I really miss you," he whispered to the air, his voice full of longing and sadness. The guy looked at his wristwatch and saw that it was six in the morning. He witnessed the place came back to life as the sun cast its rays on the tall molave tree a few meters from the bus stop. The mist was gone and he could now clearly see the road towards his village. "Perhaps not today," he said to himself and walked towards home.

Daniel has just returned from the neighboring region where he's studying in a university. It's been a year since he returned home but he's still looking for one person.

About two years ago on a cold November morning, Daniel was waiting for the bus at that same place. He was just a freshman then who took an hour's trip daily to the City College, where he was a former student. But on that early morning it started to drizzle and the mist got thicker. He had to take shelter underneath the tall and old molave tree nearby. He wished he had brought an umbrella when suddenly he saw a girl appeared out of the mist.

At first he thought she's some kind of apparition and that gave him chills. She's an absolute stranger to him but when he could see the girl much closer he realized she's a real person. A cute and innocent-looking girl who moves as fragile as her white umbrella. She also doesn't look like a student though she's about the same age as him. She was wearing a dress and a sling bag like some tourist going on a summer excursion. She stopped by the curb at the bus stop and waited. After a while she looked quickly at him, looked away then gazed at him again making sure he's real.

Can't she see me over here? Daniel thought after seeing her look at him a few times. Then, he saw the girl was now moving towards him.

"Hi there!" the girl greeted.

"Hi miss... umm... g-g-good morning!" he replied and blushed after seeing the girl's face smiling at him.

"Oh good. For a minute there I thought you were a ghost," she said and chuckled. "How silly."

"Yeah but now you see I'm not," Daniel replied with a smirk.

"Are you waiting for the bus or something?" the girl inquired.

"Yep, actually I was heading to the City College. I'm a student there," Daniel replied.

That's great! I'm going to the city too. But I'm just sightseeing. You see... I'm not from here. Oh by the way my..."

"Hold on. Look the bus is here," Daniel said pointing at the bus that just stopped. "Come on now, we might have to wait another three hours for another bus if we don't hurry."

Daniel jumped inside the bus first and as gentlemanly as he always was, he extended a hand to help the girl climb the stairs. The bus went on then.

On board, Daniel saw that the place was packed with passengers and there's only one vacant seat left so he didn't hesitate to say, "You can have that seat there miss."

The girl smiled and bowed her head a bit to signify her gratitude and took her seat. Daniel just stood at the aisle holding on the handle bar. During the journey to the city, his mind was fixated on the girl. He was thinking and wanting to know more about her. He would look back at her from time to time just to check on her. And on times when their eyes both meet, he would divert his gaze outside the window and try to keep his face from blushing. The girl would only give a cheerful smile.