Commercial Break (Part 2)

I shut my eyes and pressed my thumb on my temple. I was tempted to shout at the top of my voice or bang my fist on the table, kick the trash bin beside my left foot, and hurl the pile of papers in front of me.

The phone rang.

“Hello! Blah, blah, blah, blah office, good morning!” The way I greeted the person on the other line astonished me. There was no hint of annoyance in it.

“I can still be courteous even I am raging with anger,” I thought.

The owner of the voice on the other line was jovial. It drowned my ranging anger.

He wanted to speak to Mr. Blah-blah. Mr. Blah-blah made a sign that he could not take the call.

“Mr. Blah-blah can’t come to the phone now. May I have your name and number. He will call you back as soon as possible.” I replied.

I jotted down his name and number then said goodbye. When I put down the receiver, Mr. Blah-blah called me to give another set of paperwork. I did not stir on my seat.

I had an urge to shout at the top of my voice again.

I bowed down my head, shut my eyes, and pressed my thumb on my temple.

Mr. Blah-blah called me again to hand the paperwork. I lifted my head, tried to smile, walked towards him, and extended my right hand to get the other set of papers.

I took a deep breath before burying myself to work.

“These papers are a relief anyway”, I thought, “I can forget everything once I am occupied with them.”


(Yup, folks, I'm changing my genre. I am writing prose now. I tried to write poetry these past days but to no avail. The muse of my poetry escaped again. Actually, I chose three poems that I will translate or adapt in Filipino but... I couldn't find any drive to write a new poem. So, enjoy my very first short story.)

Manong Tsuper ng Traysikel

Manong Tsuper ng Traysikel

Ito ang kwento ng isang damsel

na sumakay ng traysikel:

Minsan may pumarang damsel

na may dalang mabigat na bundle

kay Manong Tsuper ng Traysikel.

"Manong, d'yan lang po sa may chapel,"

ani damsel, "magtitirik lang po ng candle."

"Brrrrrroooooommmmm!" ang brattle ng makina ng traysikel

habang umiikot ang wheel at axle.

Hindi pa nakakalayo ang kanilang travel

nang "Prrrrrrrrrtttttttt!" ang tunong ng whistle.

Pinahinto ng pulis si Manong Tsuper ng Traysikel.

"Asa'n ang lagay mong nickle?"

pangongotong ng pulis na sobrang cruel.

Para maiwasan ang quarrel at hassle,

binawasan ng kawawang tsuper ng traysikel

ang kinita niyang nickle.

Pagkatapos ng scene sa pulis na sobrang cruel,

tumuloy na ang damsel sa kanyang pagtatravel.

Biglang bumuhos ang drizzle

at nagpawobble-wobble ang traysikel.

Lumusot ang gulong sa mga puddles

kaya kailangang humawak nang mabuti sa handle.

"Saan na ba napunta ang pondong pambili ng gravel?"

bulong ni Manong Tsuper ng Traysikel.

Huminto ang drizzle,

nagpatuloy ang kanilang travel.

Pagkatapos ng lahat ng hassle,

dumating din sila sa chapel in fine fettle.

"Magdarasal na rin ako at magtitirik ng candle,"

sabi ni Manong Tsuper ng Traysikel.

Sa loob ng chapel,

buong taimtim na nagdasal si Manong Tsuper ng Traysikel:

"Diyos ko, wag namang tumaas pa

ang presyo ng isang barrel ng diesel.

Dahil kung tataas pa,

sa sobrang little ng kinikita kong nickle

ang maipapakain ko sa pamilya ko ay puro na lang noodles."

Ang dasal naman ni damsel:

"Pakinggan N'yo po sana ang dasal

ni Manong Tsuper ng Traysikel.

Tapat siyang nagbabanat ng muscle

sa kabila ng kita niyang very little.

Takatak Boy

Takatakatakatak!

Ang lagatak ng kahong hawak-hawak

laman ay yosi at kending sangkatutak.

Ialok sa lahat nang may buong galak.

Takatakatakatak!

Tatak ng tunong na humahatak

upang may barya namang pumatak

sa loob ng kahong putak nang putak.

Takatakatakatak!

Palakpak ng kahong pumapalatak

kapit ng bisig na sa pawis ay tagaktak

sa gitna ng kalye, ang init ay sumusulak.

Takatakatakatak!

Iyak ng kanina pang talak nang talak.

Bumili na ang lahat ng may balak

pampasak sa sikmurang nagnanaknak.

Takatakatakatak!

Ibigay na ang inyong baryang latak

upang ang hamak na kahon ay humalakhak

at makapagpahinga na, sa gilid ay sumalampak.

Rear-View Mirror

... and everything is coming back to me: PNU, Normal Hell (ehem! Hall), LSC, CLLL, catwalk, BSE English, IV-11, French class, Monsieur James, Mademoiselle Gaelle, bunny holding a cookie in the moon, Reading Society, ‘bloody’, Vincent Van Gogh, Starry, Starry Nights, Vincent – Don Mclean, Sonnet 116, CTL (hatred… more hatred… forget everything)

… LET, MHCS, Ma’am Damples, Hezekiah room, GBC (enlightenment), English Department, mommies and singles, Elaine, Spongebob Squarepants, Patrick Starfish, Anakin, Tuldok (a.k.a Duke), Journalism Club, Ma’am Arlene, Sway, Phantom of the Opera, Memoirs of Geisha, Jungle Pen (a.k.a Candle Pen), hipon, manggang hilaw, bagoong, Shekinah’s Anniversary, Glorietta, Pizza Hut, bell, wasabi peas, MRT, Guadalupe Station (5 phases to acceptance: 1st: denial, 2nd: anger, 3rd: bargaining, 4th: depression, 5th: acceptance – but in every phase, there is always HOPE), Remedial Reading Program, summer classes, biometric, TOS, LOI, warehouse, Sterling, Country Style, Pancake House, granny goose, 4:00 PM, ACELT, Professor Marian, sure (high pitch), Chinese New Year, Spring Concert, ‘TeJheng, 8th April 2006, Laundromat, resignation letter (>end<)

Remembering the past is like driving your car very fast and looking at the rear-view mirror. You can see the area behind the vehicle through the back window. You can have a glimpse of where you have been to and all the things that you have passed through yet you cannot stop and go back because the car must continue to run forward for you to reach the final stop. (>end<)

... and I looked again at my rear-view mirror: passport, visa, telephone calls, my 23rd birthday, October 3, 2007, Emirates Airlines, apple juice, red wine, Panadol, Toni Gonzaga’s movie: ‘You Got Me’, Dubai, Al Madar Engineering, Al Lootah Company, Gulf Newspaper, RTA buses, Al Rais Travel, conference room, business development office, work… work… work… (then I keep driving and looking at my rear-view mirror.)