Jerold

I saw an ex-colleague this afternoon. We immediately engaged in conversation, I am leaving out the boring part.

J: Buntis ka pala (So, you are pregnant.)
T: Actually, hindi. Busog lang. (Actually, I'm just very full.)
J: Hindi nga? Ilang months ka na? (No, really? How many months is the baby?)
T: Taon na ito, on and off kase. (Oh, for years. On an off.)
J: Seryoso? Sinong asawa mo? (Seriously, so who's your husband?)
T: Wala pa akong asawa. (I'm not yet married.)
J: Totoo nga? (For real?)

back in the day (for a day)

I had the longest happy hour in a loooong time last Wednesday, it lasted from 530 till 1100 --alfrecso. After more drinks than I could count, I find that I was buzzed but very much okay. Pacing.

My hair was not doing well though, I had sweat through my scalp and they were "hanging out in groups". Clumps.

As I was walking in my 4-inch-heels to the taxi stand, to my convenience, I saw an ex-boyfriend whom I haven't seen since we broke up.

Wednesday reminded me of after office hours when I was on my first job (overdressed but underpaid), when 5thirsty was as real as blind dates, slips due to piano playing, straight men dressing like me (Aa, this means you!), opaque stockings and playing mind games with ninjas.

Empty Seat

I heard an old song today and it made me laugh out loud. It was Passenger's Seat.

I was suddenly reminded of the time where commuting home meant, zigzag-ing South Super Highway on my Mom's old ride.

I especially remember, absent-mindedly looking at the empty seat beside me, thinking of my crush. Imaging how it would be like if he was actually sitting there.

Maris (whom I fondly call MS), in fact even watched Stephen Speaks (or was it Steven Speaks? I forget!) perform in Ateneo.

LESUDS (PEYUPS kunyari para sa Lasalista)

I have never written anything in tagalog. Today, just because I feel like it, I will write in my native language.

Nakaugalian ko lang na dapat malinis parati, maayos parati, (okay, sige aaminin ko na na nung nasa manila pa ako, yung mga pantulog ko sobrang panget talaga, semi-yagit-look, mga lumang t-shirt ng kuya at daddy ko na naluma ko na rin) hindi naman yung parang magsasantacruzan ha, pero kung baga presentable.

Nung Sabado na yun, "prepared" ako, binibiro pa ako ng barkada ko na wala naman daw press dun sa party, bakit ko daw ginagalingan. Hindi naman masyado. Although bago yung pang-taas ko nun, ecru na linen. Simple lang naman ako nun eh, jean with camel jacket, bag and shoes. Tapos sobrang liit ng bag na yun kaya ang laman nalang pera, dalawang kaha na yosi, susi ng bahay tsaka cel. Ang bait bait ni Big Jay, nag volunteer siya na sunduin ako sa bahay, ang laking tuwa ko rin kase ang layo talaga ng party, North, sa Quezon City.

May mga nagsabi sa akin dati na ang mga taga south lang daw ang nagsimula ng north-south thing, dati daw kung taga-saan ka, simpleng ganun lang ang tawag, halimbawa, taga QC, taga Parañaque, taga Greenhills, taga Antipolo, etc. Isang araw daw yung mga taga-south nag-initiate ng North, South, East, West (hindi ko alam kung ano ang meron sa west, roxas blvd? reclamation?) categories, so nagtuloy tuloy na.

So pasok kami sa bar, pinaclose ni Gold para sa birthday party niya. Ang daming sumasayaw, may mga umiinom, ang saya ng lahat. So syempre hinanap ko yung celebrant, bumati, konting small talk, tapos diretcho sa bar. Mestizo ang bar tender, okay, good for him, hindi siya makwekwentohan ng mga problematic na malalasing kase mahihirapan mag-english. Double Kahlua on the rocks, si Jay, beer.

Akyat kami sa second floor.

Nandun na si Rain tsaka si Dionette. May kausap din silang someone na hindi ko kilala, medyo mukang D.I. Lapit kami ni Jay, pinakilala sa amin si Tonton, kwentuhan kami. Si Tonton nakatingin sakin, medyo creepy. Dating si Maris, usapang Accenture na. Si Tonton biglang kinausap ako "Tama! Oo nga! Magka-volleyball tayo sa AVL!", sabi ko "Yup", sabay banat siya ng english "Yeah, that's why you looked so familiar... so... you play a lot?". Eye roll.

Tuloy tuloy lang ang inom, yosi tsaka kwentuhan. Shifting ang mga kausap namin ni Jay, kung sino ang napagod na sumayaw, aakyat, iinom sandali, yosi break, baba, tapos next group na ulit.

Sa kabilang table may lasing na lalaki and babae na nagaalaga, randomly gumigising yung lalaki, sasabihin "Could you please look at my forehead?" minsan naman "Do I have a gash on my forehead?". Iba ibang phrases pero parepareho lang ang idea.

Si Janis dumating, tumabi sa akin, lasing, pulang pula. Uminom daw siya ng Adios Mother F*cker (AMF), adios daw talaga. Aalis na siya bukas, puntang Shanghai, sabi ni Aa "On her way to be a Rich B*tch". Rich B*tch tawag naman sa kanya, oo daw, rich b*tch daw siya.

Maya maya dumating si Jaisa, may ka holding hands na lalaking lasing, pagod sila galing dancing-dancing. Umupo si lalaking lasing sa pagitan namin ni Janis, si Jaisa bumaba ulit sa dance floor. Si Janis napasandal sa katabi namin, hindi na talaga kaya. AMF.

Dumating si TJ, may dalang Faust! Tuloy ang party!

Kinakausap ako ng katabi ko, nagkwekwento tungkol sa mom niya tsaka sa kung ano ano pa. Nag AMF din daw siya. Si Rain hiniram ang camera ko. Bago lang, maliit na maliit. Masmaliit pa sa cellphone, masmaliit pa sa deck of cards, mga kasing laki ng gamot pang asthma. Picture picuture si Rain. Si Janis pinicturan na patulog na. Kami ng katabi ko, na-picturan na parang nagliligawan.

Nilabas ng katabi ko ang cel niya, parang nairita ako kase yung screensaver niya playboy bunny. Sabi ko "Nice logo", sabi niya "It is not my phone". Pahiya ako, pero okay lang, lasing na siya, ako hindi. Hindi niya na alam ano ang flow ng conversation. Hiningi niya ang number ko. Hindi ako nagbibigay ng number sa kakakilala palang. Never. Sabi ko "ummm 0 9 1 7 5 3 3... ask TJ".

Tumayo na siya, balik sa baba, dancing dancing siguro.

Akyat si Jaisa ang Chuch. Malungkot si Jaisa, nalaman niya na may GF na si Tonton. (Hindi ko ma-get kung bakit to begin with, hindi niya alam na may gf na si Tonton eh madalas niya naman kasama sila TJ, ako nga alam ko na may GF si Tonton eh first time ko lang siya ma-meet)

Madaming madaming Faust later, uwi na kami ni Jay, sabay daw si Chuch and Jaisa. Tuloy tuloy and sob story ni Jaisa about Tonton, si Chuch, patiently na kino-console siya. Sabi sa iba nalang daw, madami naman daw single dun sa party.

Nahatid na namin ang dalawa, sabi ko kay Big Jay "O, go, kanina ko pa to hinihintay, patugtog mo na ang favorite please". Binuksan niya ang glove compartment, kinuha ang case logic, naglabas ng recordable cd, pinlay.

"Jealous of the girl who caught your eye, they say it's a perfect match...".

Tawa kami pareho, sabay kanta.

Nag-windows na rin kami, para makapagyosi kami. Kanta parin.

After nung song, sabi ko "Ulit kaya?". Inulit namin.

After nung song, sabi niya "Ulit kaya?". Tawa kami. Inulit namin.

After nung song, sabi niya "I-de-dare mo ba ako? I-repeat lang natin hanggan bahay niyo?".

"Dare"

Pababa nako ng car, "Thank Big Jay ha, text moko pag nakauwi ka na", sabi niya "Dare hanggan bahay ko, i-repeat ko lang".

"Dare"

Three Years Today

It was January 17, 2004, Big Jay picked me up to go to Gold's party at Big Sky Mind. I was wearing my then new, now favorite linen-halter-wrap-top in the lightest-possible-pink-shade with jeans. We were pretty sure it would be a fun night, it was, after all, a very small party, 30 people tops; I didn't however, expect it to have such an impact in my life. That night, I met THE one, of course I didn't realize it then. I took him for the Stifler, no thanks to Tonton.

Here is one of the pictures from that night.

The guy in light blue polo is Big Jay; he is now Big Daddy Jay, married with one baby Enzo.

Right beside him, wearing a black polo with a velvet dragon inlay is Aa, Mr. Commitment, he is now based in Canada, he is, I understand still overdressed most of the time, but no longer underpaid.

I am sitting right beside Aa.

The girl beside me is Janis, she left for Shanghai the day after party to work; she is now also married with one baby Basti.

TJ is the guy with his back on the camera, although he is still the best martial artist I know personally, I'm not sure if his new workplace allows him to wear Hawaiian shirts on Fridays.

10th Floor Tower 2 (A Tribute) by Aa Martinez

Monday. 8:30am. The elevator stops on the 7th floor. Aa and TJ step out, looking uninspiringly sluggish as they half-heartedly drag themselves to their respective cubicles.

"Akyat ka? "

"Yeah."

They deposit their bags, turn on their pentium I's, and head off to Chuchay's cube. Aa unceremoniously grabs her mouse and closes the web browser before she can even protest.

"Ang aga aga friendster."

Chu puts on an annoyed expression, but decides its not worth the exasperation. Being the nice person that she is, she lets it pass. Like she always does =). At the far end of the floor, a pretty girl with a curious pair of black-rimmed glasses peek out of her cube. Tracy manages a demure smile, grabs two sticks of smokes from her pack and makes her way to join them.

The 4 friends share the short elevator ride 3 floors up. Known simply as 10th, the place is a makeshift coffee shop with a carinderia atmosphere. The food selection is terrible, background music from the sexbomb dancers, and the staff albeit friendly, is a mildly retarded bunch with a collective IQ of about 50.

The gang walks in and finds two more friends waiting, huddled in the corner table at the back. Raine a.k.a Mr. Swabe, is the resident cool geek. He's having his morning supply of Winston. Jay, the gentle giant (and badminton monster), is enjoying his hot cup of 3-in-1.

This is how they get through Monday mornings. The six of them goes on and share a collective groan of exhaustion of having to be there. For the next 30 minutes, they talk and laugh about everything and nothing in particular.

Aa talks about his recent weekend adventure

Chu talks about her rich but oh so kuripot fake-gucci-bag toting boss

Tracy talks about her all-pink Britney Spears outfit

Jay talks about his baby civic's new accesories

TJ talks about getting drunk-plastered on the weekend, meeting new women, and staying a one-woman-man.

Raine talks about smelling his customer's underwear in his laundromat.

9:00am. Time pulls them back to reality, just as Aa's computer finishes booting up.

Cheers to the people of 10th, a place of bad food and good memories.