Naliligaw sa Lisbon

Sigurado si Sofía na tatlong kalye lang ang layo ng museo. Ayon sa kanyang mapa, kailangan niya lang kumaliwa. Pero ang mga kalye sa Lisbon ay hindi tulad ng mga kalye sa ibang lungsod. Umakyat ang mga ito. Umikot-ikot. Biglang nagtatapos nang walang babala.

Sofía was sure the museum was three streets away. According to her map, all she had to do was turn left. But Lisbon's streets did not behave like streets in other cities. They climbed. They twisted. They ended without warning.

Pagkatapos ng dalawampung minuto, tumigil siya sa isang maliit na plaza na hindi niya nakita sa anumang mapa. May pusang natutulog sa upuan. May matandang babae na nagsasampay mula sa balkonahe.

After twenty minutes, she stopped on a small square she had never seen on any map. A cat was asleep on a chair. An old woman was hanging clothes from a balcony.

"Excuse me po," sigaw ni Sofía pataas. "Alam ninyo po ba ang daan papunta sa museo?" Nakunot ang noo ng matandang babae at pumasok sa loob. Akala ni Sofía ay naging bastos siya. Pero pagkatapos ng isang minuto, lumabas ang babae sa pinto ng gusali, dahan-dahan, hawak ang isang papel.

"Excuse me," Sofía called up. "Do you know the way to the museum?" The old woman frowned and disappeared inside. Sofía thought she had been rude. But a minute later, the woman came out of the front door of the building, slowly, holding a piece of paper.

Gumuhit siya ng maliit na mapa gamit ang kamay. Tatlong kalye, dalawang kanto, isang fountain. "Huwag mong pagkakatiwalaan ang telepono dito," sabi niya sa maingat na Ingles. "Nalilito ang telepono sa barrio na ito."

She had drawn a small map by hand. Three streets, two corners, a fountain. "Don't trust the phone here," she said in careful English. "The phone gets confused in this neighborhood."

Nagpasalamat si Sofía. Hindi niya nahanap ang museo noong hapon na iyon. Itinago niya ang papel na mapa buong biyahe.

Sofía thanked her. She did not find the museum that afternoon. She kept the paper map for the rest of the trip.