When the school announced suspension, the oval already looked like a lake. I was even laughing not knowing that eventually I’m gonna be stuck on a horrifying situation….alone.
ang saya ko pa dito kasi akala ko makakagala na ako
Suddenly, I thought of my classmate Colleen who lives just a few blocks from school. So I stayed there the whole night until the water subsided. I even borrowed her clothes and whined when she didn’t have any briefs to lend me (haha!). So there I was, looking like a fool on an orange board shorts, a t-shirt two sizes smaller than me, partially covered by a girly jacket and had no underwear underneath. I even went to Jollibee wearing those. Waaaah!
But then, when I saw the aftermath, I immediately thanked God with what happened to me. I mean, at least we’re all safe.
I felt the need to help. I felt the need to take part in rebuilding this torn city. So first thing in the morning of September 28, I looked for my old clothes, stuffed them in my bag and me and my friends headed to the Balay Expo, Cubao to take part in the Tulong Bayan Relief Operations for the victims of the storm.
It was all hard, I worked for 8 straight hours, got dozens of paper cuts all over my hands and my back ached like it never ached before. But it’s all worth it, knowing that whatever I did will be used by those needy people who may not have just lost houses but also loved ones. I feel for them.
I whined too much about clothes and underwears while other people wept over dead bodies. I learned a lesson. A lot of them. So I helped.
What about you? What did you do? What are your plans? There’s plenty of things undone. Take part now.
What if life in the future doesn’t anymore require physical contact? Will you enjoy it?
___________________________________________________________
September 22, 2065
I would wake up when the sun is high above me, yes, I may wake up too early but this is just how I was raised by my parents and my grandpa who would do nothing but scowl on me whenever he sees me doing what he dared not do during his childhood. I never really enjoyed his company but he’s the only family I got aside from Mom and Dad who works almost nonstop at the International Space Station some 500 miles away from Earth.
“Oh, you’re up now. I thought you died in your sleep!” my Lolo greets me. He’s already up 2 hours ahead of me. Well I guess all Lolos wake up so early and sleep at 12 in the evening. Weird.
“C’mon Lolo, it’s 1PM, everyone’s still asleep! Why be up so early?”
“The sun is almost setting Matteo! I don’t get it why you young people live during the night when it’s the sun that’s more enjoyable to watch!” Lolo tells me for the nth time.
“Lolo, the time of the sun is past. Let’s at least give credit to the Moon,” I answer.
“’Wag kang pilosopo ha, kayong mga kabataan ngayon talaga,” he says in pure Tagalog, the language of the oldies.
Most of the time, my Lolo sits by his favorite La-Z-Boi chair near the glass window of the flat overlooking the once-so-majestic Manila Bay. I could see how bored he was, actually, but I think he’s too old to ever visit the gym of Central 236.
Central 236 is where we live. It is a sprawling 50 hectares of 150 gigantic towers housing over a thousand flats for the people of Megapolitan Manila. It has over 70 indoor pools, 120 gymnasiums and athletic centers, auditoriums the size of 6 Bird’s Nests and has the fastest internet connection in the region with 56 mpbs servicing its 38 million users.
Central 236 also boasts of its state-of-the-art transport system, The Zapper that moves commuters from tower to tower. The Zapper is the modern replacement to the trains and LRTs who were outmoded about 30 years ago. The Zapper is a series of interconnected glass spheres using the Wormhole Technology, a technological breakthrough in the world of Physics. The Wormhole Technology uses the propulsion system that allows people to travel from one place to another in a matter of seconds using the Zapper’s glass spheres and sucks them to a series of cables in one tiny zap! My Lolo calls this the Time Machine (though I don’t think people travel back in time with the Zapper).
“Don’t you think you’re gonna be late for school?” Lolo snaps.
“Oh, I nearly forgot! I haven’t done my homework yet!” I replied.
I took one sip of my coffee and hurried to school. My school, the Mac Super Pro is the latest of its kind. Thanks to the ISS grant, my mom and dad was able to get me the fastest and most efficient educator set in the world.
Advanced Metaphysics-206 Examination in 30 minutes.
The screen flashes in front of me as I try to remember what I had learned yesterday. I am now in my 2nd year in the university and in a few years, I’ll be getting my diploma from the Wikipedia University of Physics. In a few years, I’ll be a Physicist and work at the ISS just like my mom and dad, eventually meet girls at Facebook Dating Society and have our child delivered from the Laboratories. That’d be my goal that’s why I will study well. Metaphysics Exam now flashes in front of me.
Google cheating is strictly discouraged.
The screen tells me. I know.
After 4 hours of school, Lolo and I eat dinner from KFC’s Instant Delivery Service, the world’s largest QSR offering the healthiest food on Earth.
“So tell me, did you pass the exam?” Lolo asks as he slowly stuffs his mouth with Chicken Fillet.
“I think so. I hope so. Did mom and dad call yet?”
“Yes, they called when you were taking the exam. They’re working nonstop now that Nibiru’s near the Solar System. I can see they’re eyebags through the screen. Ugly creatures,” says Lolo, now sipping his favorite Pepsi Float.
“Ha! I’ll tell them you were mocking them when they get here!” I threaten him. He smirks.
After dinner, I go to the bar. Not to drink (they’re now banned because human beings started to be frail with continuous intake of alcohol), not to dance (nobody knows how to dance aside from my Lolo and all other Lolos and Lolas in town) but to socialize, collect friends and hopefully, girlfriends.
I turn on my HP DV9000-Ultra, puts on my favorite FH vest (while still on boxer shorts), opens the webcam and makes sure that I don’t show my boxers underneath. A series of windows start to flood my screen as my friends start to come over.
“You’re nearly late Matt, what took you so long?” says my friend Jasper from the other line.
“Sorry guys, I just had dinner. So, who’s new to the bar?”
“We got quite a few one on the second lounge. They’re from Cebu, though.” Jasper answers.
“That’s not too far, c’mon! Let’s party!”
And I bury my eyes on the screen as I socialize with my online friends at the Friendster Bar until the sun rises again in the distance.
PBA09qr7742s
So bago ako magwala sa gitna ng kalsada, I just want to share you what I did today.
Early in the morning (that means 12:00PM), I received a text message from a very very very very distant friend. (haha!)
*toot toot*
Jill: Len, may gagawin ka?
Allen: Oh, anong meron?
Jill: Magbookstore-hopping tayo.
Allen:…
Jill: Oh mag-cook tayo jan sa inyo.
Allen:…
Jill: O manood tayo ng UAAP.
Allen: Kahit ano lang, go ako. Nang mawala naman boredom ko dito.
Jill: O manood nalang tayo ng sine.
Allen: Great idea. I mean, napaka-unique nyan.
I have to admit, na-miss ko din tong si Jill. Masyado na kasing workaholic and the last time we went out to do something worth blogging is nung….di ko na matandaan. (to those who doesn’t know Jill yet, she’s my sidekick. wahaha!)
So Jill and I met at Robinsons Ermita at 4PM (as usual nauna na naman siya at na-late na naman ako. Hehe.)
We did book-hunting sa sale and we both got two books each for only 99Pesos. Great, isn’t it? Well, we have to admit, we’re nerds (kahit she always claims na ako lang daw). It took us about half an hour to finish raiding the book sale. Haha!
So after bickering over our little knowledge in the French language, we then headed to Movieworld to look for an indie film (yes, we do want to take things the unusual way. LOL). Unfortunately, entries for the LEAP Film Festival are only by block viewing (we told them we were A BLOCK but the management wouldn’t believe us judging by our physical attributes. LOL). So we watched Final Destination 4 instead.
Because the movie isn’t until 6PM, we ate at Icebergs muna. They had good food except the knife that looks like it should only be left in the kitchen.
And I don’t want to tell you what happened during the movie. I’ll give Jill the honor to embarrass me. LOL. But hey, it was scary seeing people die that way, so what if I hid my face behind the popcorn box?!
So after the movie, Jill and I headed to Quiapo to hunt for DVD’s (para ma-ease and boredom habang sira pa ang computer).
We had recorded a video earlier but I think I should post it later or better yet, wait until we’ve come up with a more relevant topic to talk about. Haha!
Thanks for reading!
eto naman si Manang Tindera, nakisama sa pic kasi baka sumikat ang tindahan nya. Di nya alam isusumbong ko sya sa OMB. hekhek
ang bigat-bigat ng bag nya ako pa ang pinagbitbit
Jill once wrote for the now-defunct blog http://chillwithjill.wordpress.com
On the phone talking to my dear mother: (not the exact conversation)
Allen: so what have you been busy with lately?
Mom: Oh, wala naman, nag-apply ako for driver’s license.
Allen: I thought you already had a license.
Mom: Sa car ‘yun. Eto naman ngayon sa motor.
Allen: Ha? Why? Magda-drive ka ng motor sa Vancouver? What for?
Mom: Eh bakit ba?
Allen: Cool! So hey lady, where’d you park that Harley? (tawa ako dito)
Mom: Ikaw din dapat kumuha ka ng student’s license.
Allen: Para sa’n pa? Wala na ‘yung motor. Di na ko makakapagdrive. Besides, di pa nga ako nakakapagparegister for the election.
Mom: Ay oo nga pala, you should register para maka-vote. Teka, sino na ba ang mga tatakbo?
Allen: Hmmm… Well there’s Noli, Noynoy, Villar and Loren.
Mom: Hindi ba tatakbo yung kay Korina?
Allen: You mean si Mar? Nope, he gave way for Noynoy na.
Mom: Ay.. he should’ve been quite a candidate.
Allen: Oo nga e. I don’t know why they don’t want someone from Wharton School of Economics. Siguro may trauma na sa mga ekonomista.
Mom: Ay nako. Then you vote for Loren na lang.
Allen: I was eyeing Noynoy.
Mom: No, you vote for Loren. Si Loren nalang.
Ikaw, boboto ka ba?
——————————————————————–
Mom: O sya, sya, tawag nalang ako later, naje-jebs ako.
Allen: O sige, ako din e.
Mom: Oh tamang-tama, sabay na tayo.
*Ugh!*
Time came that the boy had to give up whatever they had shared and left the girl so that he may enjoy the life he thought was suited for him.
The girl begged him not to leave for she cannot live life without him.
“This isn’t just the right time for us,” the boy said.
“But when is the right time? I will wait for you, even if it takes forever,” the girl begged.
“Do not wait for me, go on with your life,” ordered the boy.
And from then on, their love story ended. The boy lived his life with friends, friends and more friends. He was happy, or so he thought he was.
The girl however, hoped that they’ll be together once more. But days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months and months to years and she never got what she wanted. So eventually, she went on with her life.
Then came the time when the boy suddenly felt lonely. His friends (or so he thought they were his friends) left him one by one until he was all alone. He sought after the girl and asked her to take her back once more.
But the girl had already moved on and with that, she had met another man whom she thought could love her back and make her happy again.
The boy thought he could endure a life without her, that it couldn’t hurt him as much as it did to her. But the pain started to eat him whole. He could not bear to see her with another man. He could not bear to think that they exchanged words that only he and the girl ever said to each other before. He could not bear to think that she will kiss him, hug him or hold hands with him. He could not even bear to think that she will sleep with him.
He could not bear a life without her.
“I thought you’d wait for me? I thought there will be a right time for us?” pleaded the boy.
“There will be no more time for us,” the girl said.
“But why? I could wait for you, even if it takes forever,” said he.
“Do not wait for me anymore, go on with your life.”
But I don’t think I could.
“Do not wait for me, go on with your life.“
I don’t think I could go on writing. Please, finish this for me…
