I had a wonderful time at the workshop. It was a confidence booster
for me.
But throughout the day, fear lingers. How will I get home? I don’t want
to take the Guadalupe route. It’s a long way and time consuming.
And I am expecting heavy traffic.
The workshop will end at 5:00pm. I estimated I can leave by 5:30pm.
I know I can always take the FTI jeep I took in the morning. Get down
at FTI, take another jeep to Bicutan and from there I can take the bus
to Alabang. But I don’t like to try out this route knowing it will be dark
soon. And traffic is always heavy at the service road. I told myself,
if nobody can tell me the exact way to Alabang, I will just take the
Guadalupe route again. Never mind if I get home late.
I was prepared for heavy traffic going home. I forced myself to use
the restroom after the workshop. Brought with me the mineral water,
2 pieces of garlic bread and 2 chicken lollipops provided for snacks.
I left together with the other participants. Everybody was telling me
to take the Guadalupe route. I even ask the guard at the gate,
the Guadalupe route, he said. I was resigned to take the Guadalupe route.
A good Samaritan came to the rescue. Manong tricycle driver
heard me asked the guard. Halleluiah! He knows. I followed
his instructions. He let me off at Petron gas station with these words,
Ingat, Mam!
I took the overpass to get to the other side of the C5 road.
I had to lean forward going up the stairs. Otherwise, a whiff of air
will push me backward and I will be tumbling down. I was carrying
a very heavy laptop computer. A wide screen 15 inch HP Pavilion
DV6200 which weighs a ton! I feel like carrying 2 UPS
(uninterruptible power supply) in my backpack. On the other side
of the overpass, I felt like I shrunk an inch.
I took the FTI-Taguig jeep. But didn’t reach FTI. Instead, Manong
told me to get off at Tenement. Fare was P8. At Tenement,
below an overpass, there are jeeps going straight to Alabang via
the expressway. There’s a table with the sign Alabang Express,
you have to pay P21 for the fare. You will be given a used baraha
(gambling card) as ticket. These will be collected before the jeep leaves.
The only traffic we encountered was when the jeep cross above
the expressway in Bicutan. We were in Alabang by 6:30pm.
The jeep made a U-turn in front of Sunstar Mall. I got off
with the other passengers, took the overpass to get to the other
side going to Festival Mall. There’s a bus terminal before reaching
Festival Mall. I looked at the buses. Batangas, Lucena, Sta. Cruz.
I exhaled deeply. Sta. Cruz passes by College, my destination.
The fear was gone. I bought Siopao at Henlin’s.
Traffic was heavy in Real, Calamba. But I was home before 9:00pm.
Dad ate the Siopao. Mom, one chicken lollipop. Our cat, Labay,
one chicken lollipop. I had the garlic bread and shared it with the
other cat, Taba.
It was a fulfilling day.
