Day 142 : Fragments of My Soul in Strange Encounters

* the little girl who did not take her eyes off me. I smiled at her the whole time, but she stared blankly at me until I giggled in adoration, and finally - she smiled back.

* the man in his late 60s, who was struggling to stand still despite the bumpy ride of the usual ordinary bus heading north, yet had a few seconds to smile so kindly at me upon eye contact, as if he wasn't having a hard time standing.

* the old lady at the bakery, who told me I was beautiful and it brings her joy when people smile back, and she went on talking, about how her husband usually buys bread for breakfast but today she wanted to.

* the two kids who sat beside me in the bus, who were headed to Quiapo for no reason at all. They made me feel uneasy, thinking of how dangerous it is for girls their age unaccompanied by an adult.

. . . to be continued