Ring! Ring! The bells clashed as the creaky doors began to open. The tiny students in their adorable uniforms swiftly march out, each running to their parents to pick them up after a long day. With a bright smile etched on their faces and stamps of stars running from their hands up to their arms, they reach for the sundo they’ve been waiting for the whole day. Those were the good old days back in kindergarten and grade school—a part of childhood you slowly let go of as you step into high school.

Tracing the path as you go away and back home is a sense of independence given by guardians and parents. Being told you’re “old enough” to find your way back home is like a fledgling baby bird being prepared as it gets closer to leaving the nest. The path throughout high school is a rocky road, we’ll need guidance as we embark on our journey—more often than not, it’s not from our parents. It could even be from those you just happen to meet on the side of the road—like Ronnel Rodriguez, a jeepney driver who acts as the sundo of a group of students in Antipolo City National Science and Technology High School (ACNSTHS). 

Homey Ride Home 

After an exhausting school day, students are faced with another problem—the commute back home. It’s a sticky situation with the humid air, scorching heat, and crowded transportation. This has become the reality of most students in ACNSTHS, especially after many lost transportation services. A large group of friends in their senior year found a way to stay together and make each ride home memorable. Looking for an empty jeep for everyone to fit in, the group had an unexpected meeting with a jeepney driver, Kuya Ronnel, together with his wife Cheril—or as the group refer to, “Ate Che.”

“Parang ang bait kasi ng vibes niya e tapos sumasabay pa siya sa trip ko,” Nathaniel Villanueva, one of Kuya Ronnel’s student passenger, proclaimed as he described his first ride.  “Kung wala siya feeling ko may mauuna tas ‘di na kami makakapagbonding nang buo eh. Siya talaga ‘yung reason kaya mas masaya kaming magtropa,” he added. 

“I have someone to rant the things that ruined my day, that made it whole, or simply what happened throughout the day,” Nhielle Layaban expressed, thanking the help the couple provided. “It’s like finding solace on our way home,” she added. 

It’s not only the students that enjoy the road trip, but also the couple. “Masaya kasi bawat araw, iba’t ibang kwento naririnig ko,” Ate Che stated,  narrating the excitement and joy she and Kuya Ronnel feel every time they pick-up their students.  

Rocky Route of Life 

The sun hasn’t even opened its eyes, but at five in the morning, Kuya Ronnel is already wide awake on the road. His route is from Marikina to Paenan back-to-back, a routine that ends late at night. For almost four years, pamamasada, or jeepney driving, became his way to provide for his seven kids. It wasn’t exactly a smooth road, all throughout 39 years of his life, he encountered twists and turns of a rocky route. 

It was a long road before landing the job of jeepney driving. He worked as a construction worker, a porter, and drove other vehicles before finally driving a jeepney. His love story wasn’t also an easy path, having his wife’s family reject him for their daughter. Though they fought for their love, they were again faced with another obstacle, losing their first child and twins due to miscarriage. 

Despite the hardships they faced, Kuya Ronnel and Ate Che kept an optimistic approach to life. They kept on driving on the route they chose to take and along their journey, they came across a group of students on the side of the road. 

“Makita lang namin kayong makatapos at magkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan, masaya na kami para sa inyo, kasi parang mga anak na namin kayo,” the couple’s message for their students. 

Tsuper Father Figure 

For the group, the ride became a way to connect and bond even after school. For a couple of minutes, Kuya Ronnel and Ate Che became the parents of the students on board—helping them not only for making sure they’re safe, but also by bringing them together and listening to the non-stop stories they have after school. For that, the students will always be beyond grateful for the couple’s acts of kindness.

“Thankful talaga kami sa kanya, lalong-lalo na ako kasi dahil siguro sa kadaldalan ko kasi ako nga laging kausap kaya nagkaron kami ng isang tatay magtotropa,” Nathaniel exclaimed. 

“Kuya Ronnel and Tita Che is something that I look forward to at the end of the day, it’s as if I have both my parents waiting for me sa labas ng school like a grade school student,” Nhielle recalled. 

“Sa kanya [Kuya Ronnel] ko po naranasan ‘yung hatid-sundo ng daddy, kasi sinanay ako ng dad ko na hatid-sundo nung bata ako—dahil wala na, wala na siya [dad], masaya ako ngayon kasi because of Tito Ronnel, I get to experience it again,” another student shared. 

Kuya Ronnel and Ate Che’s hatid-sundo gesture became a way for the students to relive their childhood—for those who never got to experience it with their parents, and those nostalgic for feeling it all over again. The students in their senior year got their second chance to feel like a kid again—a chance to feel safe in their own little sanctuary, protected against the dangers of the road while narrating how their day went. 

The touching story of the students and the guardians of their ride proves that home is definitely not just a place, rather it could be a feeling and a journey with the people you love. Home could be just on the other side of the road, waiting for you to step in.