mood:  aggravated
music: Lacuna Coil - Angel’s Punishment
|
the witching hour is the best time for
ruminating on the events of the day, especially the little foibles
characteristic of human nature.
first,
was my uncanny ability to magnetize dregs of society while riding
public transportation. around 3am, I was accosted by a gregariously
drunk asshole (who wasn’t really bad-looking but he sure as hell was
pesky) who suddenly fancied a conversation of sorts:
Asshole: Anong course mo?
Vida: (silence)
Asshole: Miss, anong course mo?
Vida: (pulls out a book and peers intently at the shaky sentences)
Asshole: taga-UP ka, ano? ako, Criminology sa TIP, ikaw?
Vida: (looks up and returns to book)
Asshole:
Alam mo, natutuwa ako sa iyo, basa ka ng basa! Ako rin, maraming libro
sa amin. Ayan na nga bahay ko, o (points to obscure apartment). Saan ka
ba bababa? Sa dulo ka ba?
Vida: (looks at direction of alleged house) O, bakit hindi ka bumaba?
Asshole: Kasi hahatid kita. Babantayan kita, miss. Anong name mo?
Vida: (reads book again, then goes down at J.P. Rizal cor. P.Tuazon, heading to drugstore)
Asshole: (alights jeepney and follows doggedly)
Vida:
(calls father on payphone for sundo and whispers to pharmacist) Ate,
kapag sinundan ako ng mamang iyan, tumawag kayo ng pulis, ha?
Pharmacist: Boypren mo ba ‘yan? Mukhang lasing, ah?
Vida: Hindi, ‘ no! Sumunod lang sa akin pagbaba ko sa jeep! Ewan ko ba!
Pharmacist and Yosi Vendor: (laughs) eh, hindi talaga aalis yan.
Vida: (calls on payphone again to be preoccupied)
Asshole:
Ganda, huy, ganda! Huy! Huy! Bakit hindi ka namamansin? Huy, ganda!
(puts on shades) Sungit mo naman! (burps) Yan, o, nadidighay na nga ako
dahil sa iyo. huy, ganda, can we talk?
Vida: (pretends to ignore Asshole, talks to Pharmacist)
Asshole: Ganda, saan ba bahay mo? May boyfriend ka na? Can we talk? (moves closer, swaggers a bit)
Vida: (saunters to other side of sidewalk)
Asshole:
Huy, ganda, can we talk? hindi ako uuwi kung hindi mo ako kausapin
(motions to little bench near sidewalk) sige na, dito na tayo, ganda.
Vida: (calls on payphone again)
Asshole: Ganda, sinong hinihintay mo? Sige na, please? Please? Can we talk? (leers and sits on parked car)
Vida:
PWEDE BA? UNA SA LAHAT, HINDI KITA KILALA, LASING NA LASING KA, BUMABA
KA SA JEEP AT SINUNDAN MO AKO, SA TINGIN MO, ANONG DAPAT GAWIN KO?
KARAPATAN KONG MANAHIMIK! NAKAKA-FREAK OUT KA! UMUWI KA NA NGA!
Asshole: Ay, ganun? (sits on sidewalk and looks nauseated) Basta, aabangan kita.
Vida: (runs to approaching vehicle of parent) Papa, bilis, this drunk guy has been pestering me kanina pa! Tara na, bilis!
Papa: Where?! Bugbugin ko o kausapin ko?!
Vida: Ayan, naka-shades at black shirt. Yuck! Basta, tara na!
Papa: (drives by Asshole and raises a fist, threatens him)
Asshole: (looks scared and surprised)
as
we drove away, I looked at the rearview mirror and voila: the asshole
was waving goodbye! Sicko! I’m gonna have to arm myself with pepper
spray again.
*****************
after my ECON101 class,
texted Irene Amatorio for lunch. I was, after all, broke and hungry. I
could feel four cold 5-peso coins in my pocket, my sole treasure for
the day, since my parents forgot about me again when they left early
for work. went to the Advanced Science and Technology Institute in
front of the Math building. talked about all things wise and wonderful
about being a working student (Ryne goes to Law School at night; I have
a part time project). talked about a revolution of the heart and a
heart for the revolution.
*****************
dinner at
Oysterboy Araneta Center, home of the P28 beer and fresh oysters from
the Visayas. was with my former Perspective editor/ resident poet,
Christopher Nuyles. i think i’ve been touching base with so many relics
from the past that it just makes me think of precisely how transitory
things are. |
