So on August 6, on my way home from I cannot remember where, I rode the jeepney from Baclaran. We were along Coastal Road, when the traffic lights turn red and we had to stop. I was reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ebook on my phone and the chapter I was in was Chapter 30: Pensieve, I was also listening through my earphones to a song of ABBA. In the ebook, something was about to happen to Harry when in reality, a hand suddenly came from outside the jeepney and took hold of my phone and snatched it away. I was not holding my phone tightly but I tried to tug it from the snatcher by pulling my earphones, of course the earphones just came out of the headset socket and the perpetrator managed to run away. All I could do was to shout "F*ck, yung phone ko (F*ck, my phone!)" Which was of course did not help. I did not dare run after him because (1) the snatcher was already ahead of me by five meters, (2) the snatcher knew what he was doing, and by the looks of it, he was already a pro in snatching, (3) I am a slow runner, and (4) the jeepney I was riding will surely leave me behind when the traffic lights turn green.
And there I sat, shocked with what just happened and stared at my co-passengers dazedly. I heard them murmuring, "Marami talagang magnanakaw dito sa lugar na 'to (There are really many snatchers in this area), "Grabe, bata pa yun oh (Woah, the snatcher was still young!)" and sadly, there is nothing I can do about it. I asked the passenger on my left if I could text my mother with her phone and she let me (and ironically, my mother did not receive my text).
The rest is history, my My| Phone Rio Fun is no longer my phone. The Smurfs' Village I was playing (and had undergone reset thrice already) is gone forever. And the photos I had with celebrities were lost as well, thank goodness to Instagram I still have an Instasize copy.
The next day, our family cat (Jerbie) escaped. I was watching the preview of The Last 5 Years at CPR Auditorium in RCBC (try to get your tickets, it is a wonderful show) when my mother texted me "Wala na si Gerbie, nakatakas siya. Hindi ko makita (Gerbie's gone. She escaped and I cannot find her.)" I cannot focus on the show anymore, I was restless. I wanted to teleport home right then and there and look for her. When the production called for a break, I went home. I searched in the darkness to find her. I called out Jerbie's name while crying. The people in the neighborhood came looking for our cat as well. I looked for her for more than 30 minutes but to no avail. An old man even told me to go home and he will look for her in the morning. I grudgingly walked home.
The next day, before my 7:30AM class (which was Cinema), I could not help but sob. My friends and classmates were shocked and surrounded me asking what is wrong, consoling me, patting my back, and stuff. I could not bare the people surrounded me so I shouted "Layuan mo ako, Bryan! F*ck (Bryan, leave me alone! F*ck!)" Unfortunately, my professor was just right outside the door and heard my outburst.
The rest of the day, I was dazed. I could not easily laugh. I was even silent than usual. And I did not even joke around with my friends. At home, my mother was also morose. Every time I pass by Jerbie's cage, I could not help but feel a pang of sadness and I would feel the urge to cry.
The next day (a Saturday), I ushered for a debut. Compared to the previous day, I was more lively, but not as lively as I usually am. The debut lasted probably until two in the morning but I went home around 12 midnight. I rode a cab with my co-debut workers Kuya Marcel and Teacher Howie but I got off at Heritage Hotel to ride a jeepney.
I was sleeping during the ride but when the jeepney passed Talaba, I woke up and got off the jeepney. I got off quite a distance from the terminal so I have to walk. As I was walking, I realized that I rode the jeepney going directly to another terminal. Having no choice, I rode another jeepney passing a different route but still would lead me home. Amazingly, I was awake during the second jeepney ride. I was actually wondering why since I wasn't conscious during my first jeepney ride. Since I was awake, I stared out the window to look for signs of Jerbie. I passed this school near where I live, with its doorway lit and a black and white cat sitting. At first, I thought it was Jerbie but I noticed that the cat was bigger than ours so I ignored it. I got off the jeepney and was about to walk home when I had a second thought, maybe I should check it out, after all it was just a distance away. So instead of walking home, I walked the opposite way and headed for the school.
As I passed a wooden cart, I looked down and saw... JERBIE! She was sitting there, looking lost. I crouched in front of her and took hold of her. She squirmed at first but probably upon realizing who I was, she relaxed in my arms. She and I rode the tricycle home. I was screaming "Ma! Nakuha ko na si Jerbie (Ma! I got Jerbie!)" when I got home, waking the whole house. And well, we are living happily ever after :D.
