Bizarre Demise

 09165169394 

The owner of this mobile number has already died at least 20 hours ago. May his soul rest in Peace.

At 9 am in the morning, I got this text message from my dear friend Biba: “Please pray for the soul of  XXXX. He is gone.” I was not yet up and about so when I realized what the message was all about, I became uneasy and scared.

I got up from my bed and I thought to myself, “What could have been the cause of death?” Could it be that Biba was just playing jokes on me? But this is barely the type of joke that anyone would do or want. I know him back in college to be slightly on the heavyweight side, I never saw him play any sport but he’s very active in a lot of school activities. Could he have died of heart attack or diabetes?

Another text message from Biba came, stating that XXXX died of 13 stab wounds and that his remains were already in the funeral parlor. This had shocked me even more. And this was not a joke. So I called up Biba and talked to him on the phone. He was scared as hell.

Biba and XXXX were members of an association of pollution control officers and they had a series of meeting for the past few days. Biba said that he was informed by XXXX’s close friends and family that they were on their way to the funeral parlor.

XXXX was one of the best students in our batch. He graduated cum laude from the University of San Carlos and was an active force behind school activities. Biba and XXXX and some of my batch mates were PCOs (Pollution Control Officers) in their respective companies.  My dad, being a member of PCAPI (Pollution Control Association of the Philippines, Inc.) also knew  XXXX.

And he was shocked as well when I told him about what happened to my batch mate. Dad said we would go to the wake together and pray for him.

I was scheduled for a driving test today and so I told Biba that I would just drop by the funeral parlor after my appointment with A1 Driving School. At 1:00pm, I was already in front of the St. Francis Funeral Homes and I searched for the XXXX’s family members.

In one of the offices of the morgue, I met XXXX’s two brothers. I introduced myself, said my apologies and shook their hands. I asked them how this thing happened. The youngest one answered, “My brother was murdered.”

The other brother then explained to me how XXXX died. “The Scene of the Crime Officer (SOCO) reported that the body was found in a motel room near the Reclamation area with multiple stabs in the neck and stomach. The motel attendant said that there were 3 people who checked in past 10pm and they were brought in by a taxicab.”

“After his meeting with PCAPI he, along with another PCAPI member, was dropped off at the Mactan end of the old bridge. We were informed a little later by the SOCO that he’s dead.”

“So had the police got any lead?” I asked.

“They had already asked people around. They were trying to look into the angle of a hold-up involving the 2 men and the taxicab driver.”

“What had they taken from XXXX?”

“Just the cellphone and his wallet. We tried calling his number but it’s been out of reach. He is being prepared for the wake now.”

I saw a bag of yellow and tan holding XXXX’s clothes. Inside the bag was a black trouser, a blue long sleeved shirt, a coat, a tie and a bottle of Issey Miyake perfume. There was a weird type of silence and coldness in that office.

I waited for Biba at the parlor and when he arrived, XXXX was being dressed for the wake. Biba wanted to see him before he would be delivered to his house in Mactan. I tagged along. We went to the preparation room behind a couple of chapels. There were 3 tables in that section. One was being occupied by a corpse which was still covered with white linen. Passing by that corpse, I could see the feet jutting out of the linen, both dirty and blue.

When we got to the prep room, I saw XXXX lying in a white coffin already, with his pants and shirt on. The funeral personnel were cutting his coat into two. I saw his brothers at the side of the casket while Biba was behind me. Biba was trembling when he saw XXXX’s face and he broke down and cried. I got hold of his hands and comforted him.

He told me earlier on that the night before Friday, he was with XXXX as the latter was helping him find a bag for his laptop. XXXX even told him that they will have a PCAPI meeting the next day.  He was also reminded by XXXX to join the Adidas fun run on Sunday.

Biba realized that it was the last time he ever saw XXXX alive. And at that moment at the preparation room, he said that he couldn’t believe that he’s gone. He said he was shaking because the corpse looked so fresh.

When the casket was about to be closed, the youngest of the brothers sprayed Issey Miyake perfume all over the body. The perfume was said to be my dead batch mate’s favorite perfume. This brother suddenly burst into tears as the casket was being moved into the waiting van.

Biba and I said our goodbyes as the van began to move out of the funeral parlour. The wake will be at their house in Mactan until the time when his father would arrive from an assignment in Congo.

XXXX got what he wished for. He said he would never reach the age of 50. At the age of 29, I think he just got his wish too soon.     

The Pink Flick Connection

Back in college, there used to be a cable channel that aired pink films every Friday night. No, it’s not WOWOW nor TV5 (French Channel). If my memory was right I think it was the HOLLYWOOD channel.

I remember now that I always looked forward to late Friday nights. I would often refer to this as the AWARENESS Stage. It was at this point that I had become conscious about the existence of such films about men falling in love with men. After my class, I would hurry home, sleep a bit and then wake up for dinner and then wait for the time when the pink film is on.

The WOWOW channel was also very popular that time because this Japanese channel was always the first to show films that were newly released.  WOWOW also had some late night shows where Japanese women were filmed in bullet trains with somebody’s finger(s) probing underneath their underwear. The women in the film wore skirts and it was really sad seeing their expressions while the men behind them would ran their fingers through their nether regions and invade their private properties. It was disgusting to watch women being violated. How I wished it were men rather than women. Then I would have had the best Late Night Fridays ever.

But Dad was also looking forward to Friday nights also because of TV5. The French cable channel also featured films with frontal nudity and other exposures, usually French films with no English subtitles. Dad would often wait for that time slot to watch French thespians walk to and fro while acting naked.

I had to compete with my father for that time slot. At one point, the Hollywood Channel had a pink film on while over at the WOWOW Channel, “Henry and June” was also being shown. During gaps at WOWOW, Dad would leave the room to get something from the fridge or to puff some cigarette sticks. I would then switch the channel to #75 and watch the scenes from the movie involving a Dutch soldier and the local white boy.

Of course I would watch the film with caution because Dad would always come back to the room after a minute or two. And before he could even sit down again, the channels had already been switched back.

So this had been the scenario every Friday night. Until I moved out of the house and worked in Cavite for 5 years. Dad had the cable all to himself.

In Cavite, I got myself a television set and had a cable connected to it. I got myself connected again to the pink films. This was what I called the IMMERSION Stage. Some of the titles are found hereafter.

Grand Ecole

The Conrad Boys

Slutty Summer

OZ

Segunda Piel

Comme un Frère

Another Gay Movie

The Book of Daniel

Adam and Steve

QAF

Straight Jacket

Six Feet Under

Goldfish Memory

Brokeback Mountain

Happy Endings

Before Night Falls

Broadway Damage

The Most Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green

Poster Boy

Angels in America

World and Time Enough

The Broken Hearts Club

RENT

Desperate Housewives

Gone but not Forgotten

Plata Quemada

Latter Days

Home at the end of the World

Eating Out

Brothers and Sisters

Not all of these films were shown in Cable. Movies shown in the cable channels had already been regulated. Any nude scenes or objectionable parts of the film were cut.

I had to be thankful though to the pirates of the pacific. Copies of some of the pink films were available in Quiapo or at the Makati Cinema Square at very affordable prices. It was during this stage that I had become fascinated with the homosexual works of art, errrrrr, films with gay undertones. So from cable, I moved on to pirated VCDs and DVDs.

From Cavite, I changed bases again and this time, I’m back to the comforts of home. Much has evolved since I returned here. Cable TV is no longer a hot commodity. Internet Broadband is. And so, the access to the pink films has moved on to another phase: the APPRECIATION Stage.

I left some of the VCDs and DVDs at the apartment in Cavite. Some of those discs I lend to my friends. But i didn’t bring any movie discs back home.

But I could watch film clips at Youtube or download flicks from some unsecured sites. This is the enjoyment phase. I could access all the films just by clicking on the mouse or tinkering with the keypad. The net is but one of the best things invented by HOMO sapiens.

So I may no longer have to compete with Daddy every Late Night Friday. I have access to the pink flicks 24/7 without having to worry about Dad coming back to the room after a cigarette puff or commercial gap.

Of course he caught me surfing a porn site once. I may have to be careful next time.

     

Caught Watching Porn

The sun was not yet down and out when I came home from work today. I was about to drop my things in my room when I heard the sound of the gates opening. Dad has come home early from work too. My sister Ellen was in the house with Mom and she was forced to stay at home since she’s done with school and that she’s waiting for the results of the nursing board exam.

In other words, she has stopped receiving allowances from my parents. And now, she’s thinking of ways to earn money so that she could at least see her boyfriend or go out and meet her friends. I suggested to her yesterday that I may give her some money on the condition that she must kill any mosquito or cockroach in sight, ten pesos per dead bloodsucker and 20 pesos per flattened roach.

Well, she was very serious and desperate to earn money and so she decided to go on a killing spree today. First, she drove us out of the house and she closed all doors and windows. She got her mask on started spraying the living room with an insecticide. All the dark corners and those spaces under the furniture, she sprayed them all.

Mom, Dad and I were made to wait on the lawn and so mom decided to cut the grasses while dad chased a cat on the house’s gray roof. I just played with Frodo the dog.  We waited for a few minutes more before my sister let us in.

I went back straight to my room and switched on the personal computer. The internet was so slow but I patiently waited for the webpage to flash. I didn’t know where dad went. And so I closed the room door but i didnt lock it. I must have completely forgotten what he was up to. So I proceeded opening some links.

First I opened my blog account and checked if there were comments made on my entries. I typed-in my multiply link and found out that the site is temporarily unavailable. Then I opened Starrfucker.com in another page and saw that Jeremy Joseph Lucido (Starrfucker blogwriter) posted his list of Top Ten Blog Sites. Well I’m an avid reader of his web log and I have clicked on some of the links in his page. I clicked on the SKIN FLICK link and the Waybig blog. These are journals laden with adult porn materials that cater to the Adonis-loving males. There were no new entries in Waybig and so I closed the site and clicked on the yahoo messenger icon.

My bro bear informed me earlier that he wanted to be notified whenever I get online. I clicked on his name and waited for another window to pop up. The internet was slow and so I checked the SKIN FLICK Site again. In my monitor, the sites I opened were: SKIN FLICK, StarrFucker, My blogsite, and Yahoo Messenger. These were the windows that were opened when somebody barged in and entered my room.

It was DAD!

I went on a panic mode. When I panic, my locomotive skills freeze. I could not move my arms to cover the computer screen with the palms of my hand. My brain could not send signals to my fingers to minimize all the screens. My butt was glued to my seat. I could not even move my head to see dad’s facial expression.

Dad barged in and stopped at the corner of the computer table. There’s a phone in my room which is an extension line of the one in the living room and he wanted to use it to call my grandmom. But he stopped in his steps and looked at the monitor screen. The SKIN FLICK site was on.

He must have seen pictures of the glory hole scene involving a college dude in curly blond locks and a naked fratman jock. It was a BJ scene and I don’t know if dad caught an image of the man devouring on a banana. In my panic state, I tried to click the X on the upper right part of the page but the slow internet process had kept the Glory Hole pictures in full view.

I clicked a button at the bottom site bar and the STARRFUCKER site came up. I panicked even more. Good thing that the web page contained no images of naked men. And I don’t think dad read the list of the top ten gay blog sites either. Sites such as Roids and Rants or GayoVision or Tom in Paris. Beads of sweat formed in my forehead as I closed the site before dad could say anything.

The phone was just beside the computer and so Dad sat on the edge of my bed and began to dial my grandmom’s number. The other line was busy. From where he’s sitting, he could still see what’s on the monitor. And at that time, I have already closed the Starrfucker site and opened my blog site.

My wordpress site has an interesting header image. And I continued to panic when I saw the header with the picture of two bears posing against a wooden panel. Several seconds must have passed by before I realized that it was me and my bro bear Chong in a not so tight embrace.

At that time, I didn’t know if Dad was able to read the line “I do not seek for anything else… but happiness.” And I don’t know if I should be happy that I got caught watching porn. It’s not even straight porn but a man-on-man porn-of-a-site.

I did not expect this to happen. It never occurred to me to even lock the door.

Dad was not able to make a call. He stood up and walk past me to the door. But before he went out of the room he glanced again at the monitor screen. And at that time, I began chatting with Bro Bear. Dad even noticed my picture in the yahoo messenger. He pointed at it and said, “You were not so big in that picture.” I did not turn my head up to look at his face. The smell of the insecticide had already intoxicated me.

Then he left my room. I told Bro Bear about it, through YM. I told him that I was no longer scared to talk about it whenever dad would bring up the matter to me. I may have started dropping hints. I hope dad will pick up the leads and unscramble the mystery of my identity.

Dad has a pretty keen sense of smell. He’s like a great white shark that could smell blood thousands of miles away. I have no doubts that he has already smell the blood in me. The shark is very near. I hope he wont tear me to pieces.     

I Blame Kris and Juday

I bought a pack of instant Quaker oats and a few sachets of Sweet Corn flavored Nesvita, thinking that I would start my health regimen today. But at dinner time, I completely forgot to launch such course of therapy because my mom cooked a fine meal complete with ripe mangoes for dessert. I caved in to such a tasteful temptation. I could not resist mom’s cooking. And so I was very full. Oats and fiber-rich instant food must have to take a backseat, even just for tonight.

After dinner, I went to the living room and sat on a couch across the boob tube. The local news was on and the hosts were just about to end their show. Dad was at the other end of the sofa and he was trying to convince me to send my credentials to a company in Dumaguete City. I told my father that I would have to think about it.

After the local news, a new tv series was on. It was a new drama series starring Judy Ann Santos, and an ex-child actress turned actor in the person of Aiza Seguerra. I was a bit surprised when my dad fed me with info about the show. He said that the new teleserye just started last week and that it started with some actresses like Rosanna Roces, Gardo Versoza and Maricel Laxa.

I had a poker face and I tried to understand why my dad was feeding me such useless information. I was trying to avoid watching the show and so I talked to dad and asked him about the repair works to be done on his car. He said that he could get the car on Saturday yet.

The assessment was that the hood must have to be taken off from the body and must be dismantled so that the dent could be worked upon. Dad had instructed the repairman to repaint not only the hood but the entire car as well, thus the entire repair work would take about four days.

While we were still discussing about it, Juday was angry at Coney Reyes for brushing her off as she was applying for the position of a chef in Coney Reyes’s restaurant: the Victoria’s Chicken. Mom was done with the dishes and so she sat in another couch beside ours and she watched the next couple of scenes.

I never realized how completely glued my parents were to the local television shows. Dad was slowly transforming into a local TV show geek. Ask him about the Pinoy version of Big Brother and he could quickly answer you on the latest housemate to be booted out of the Bahay ni Kuya. Ask him about the latest showbiz intrigues and he can give you answers like Ruffa’s failed marriage and Gretchen’s fling with John Estrada.

Well these were not the kind of information overload that I want. I sure am not interested to process these kinds of data in my mind. But then, I was seated in front of the tube with the show currently airing so I had no choice but to sit back and wait for the show to end so that I could turn it off and then concentrate on how to start my diet regimen. I could not go up to my room because my brother Lester was using the computer.

But mom and dad decided to watch the next show. Kris Aquino’s game show was up next and so I had no option but to endure the DEAL or No DEAL show until the last briefcase was opened. What’s interesting about this episode was that Kris Aquino was awarded with a gold record for her album entitled “Songs of Love and Healing”.

Wow, I never knew Kris to be a singer. My last recollection of her was that she had a bad accident in the GMA Supershow when she was singing something while walking towards a portion of the stage. I remembered how she looked after that incident. She looked good with braces on her neck and with Tita Cory at her side as she was trying to answer questions from the press.

And now, she’s being given a gold record award for some songs she recommended for pregnant women and the heartbroken. It was something new. I never thought that non-singers could have an album of their own and get an award too. But she was never known to be a good singer. She’s only good in failed relationships and sexually transmitted diseases and hosting a game show. Of course this is only my opinion, and I think I am entitled to air my views on Kris.

Well after her show, we turned the TV off. Mom and Dad and my sister Ellen went to the worship area and prayed the rosary for my late Lolo Mining.  There was silence and there was a time for me to concentrate on how to start my dieting process. Of course several moments were wasted just by watching the tv shows of Juday and Kris. I knew they’re just for entertainment and that they were paid so much for it.

But I blame them nevertheless for the useless information. Now if only I could veer away from the songs that Kris is promoting.      

I need a Break… Where’s my tight Shirt?

I’m taking a break from the hustle and bustle of my job as a sales and marketing person. Even just for a day, I wanted to free my mind first of office functions, client calls and product promotions. I just want to have a break.

One more month and I’ll be up for appraisal. My immediate boss would be discussing her evaluation on me and I will be explaining to her my own assessment of my performance for the past few months. But I don’t want to be concerned about it now. At least not yet. Maybe later.

So I woke up with a feeling of heaviness. I had a difficulty of rising from slumber and out of my bed today. I have already planned to stay at home and just check my mails in my Yahoo account. I’m not burning out. It’s just that I had a ton-full of work to do but I don’t want to do them. I want to exercise my talent of procrastination.

To dampen my spirits, I may not be able to hit my target for this month. One of my clients cancelled out a very huge order and that the item was edited and reflected this June. It’s not mathematically possible for me to even reach half of my target this month. The monthly sales performance is but one of the aspects that my boss will be considering. And again, I wanted to free my mind from my job. Even just for today.

On to some concerns. Dad finally brought the car to the repair shop. I over-estimated the cost of the hood repair by two thousand. Dad said that the person manning the shop had also noticed a dent in the grill and so he would want to have it repaired as well. I told dad to haggle a bit because 3k is a little bit high for such a small repair work. My freak minor accident cost me that much. But whom am I to complain.

On the health note. I had mangoes for breakfast. I’m trying to trim down my waist and lower down my weight not for vanity’s sake but because my clothes wont fit me anymore. I grew tired of explaining to my friends that my clothes just shrunk all of a sudden.

The truth is, I could barely close the button of my pants and that I could only pull the zipper halfway. My clothes are now snug-fit. They’re too tight and I could not even move freely. I fear that there might be a time that my pants would tear apart because it could no longer support vastness of my butt.

For health reasons, I do want to go back to a fiber-enriched meal. I did it in the past and I was successful that time. I want to do it again so that my clothes may not be put to waste and so that I need not have to buy new sets of clothes. I fear additional expenses.

Ampalaya with egg, half cup of rice every meal time, Nesvita, fruits and plain water. These may work for me this time. 

But months have passed since the time I set foot in a work-out gym. I have become lethargic and less driven about it. My brother frequents the gym in my town and I felt so insecure about my built compared to his. He would always invite me to join him in his work-out but I always gave him an excuse. I always said I’m busy. But the truth is I don’t want him to catch me ogling at the toned bodies of the gym bunnies there.

So I ended up bloated and unhealthy. The plan of action now is to cut down on carbohydrates and fats, and more on fibers and exercise. Easier said than done. It might take a hell-of-a-drive to make this happen. But it’s worth a try.

And so I’ll try to work out today. A few sets of crunches and twists, a few sit-ups and dips for a start. I could also fuse in a couple of household chores such as ironing my clothes or cleaning up my room. I need to burn calories but I also want to lie down and rest.  I’m torn but I still long for the time that I could wear my tight-fit shirts again.   

Left Behind

I’ve got 4 sisters and a brother.

The eldest left the Philippines for Canada in 1998. Since then, she had decided to live in Alberta and raised a family of her own. Well she had no choice but to live near the Canadian Rockies because she ran away from us.

I am the eldest son. And next to me is my sister who got married 2 years ago, right after she took the CGFNS exams. This sister of mine is a registered nurse and she’s staying now with her mother-in-law together with her husband and her kid. She has already applied for a work in central USA. But right now, she’s working full time as an instructor in an old university while taking up graduate studies and some part-time teaching. And with the lifting of the recession, chances are, she would be moving on to live in Minnesota with her family.

Next to her is my sister who works in a microprocessor plant in Cavite. She relocated to Luzon for almost two years now and has since decided to become independent. With her line of work, this sister of mine may someday apply for a job in the Middle East or anywhere abroad.

The fifth of the sibling is a nursing graduate. She has already taken the nursing board exam last June and is now anxious about the results of the licensure exam. Plans have already been made for her to take the CGFNS. She has a boyfriend now, also a graduate of nursing. So they would soon be planning to work in the United States, perhaps near my other sister and stay there for good.

The youngest in the brood of six is my brother. He is in his junior years in a nursing school. He’s doing really well in his class. And just like the rest of my siblings, he is expected to become an OFW.

The prospect is bright for my siblings. What about mine? I had a crack to become an OFW last year but it got busted. I applied for an overseas job for a national oil and gas company in Abu Dhabi but it never materialized. I waited so long for the working visa to arrive but it never came. I spent so much time, money and effort to complete the requirements but I never get to ride an Emirates Aircraft. I never had the chance to ride an international aircraft again.

The door had shut close for me. And if it opens again, I may have to decide on not to come in and undergo the same application process again. Putting out the flame of elevated hopes in the past had left me devastated and helpless.

It is most likely that I will be left behind. While my brother and sisters may soon become immigrants or naturalized citizens of foreign countries, I would be living my life as a Filipino, doing my duties and obligations as a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines.

I had no other choice. I have recently transferred base. From Cavite, I have moved back to Cebu and have been staying with my folks for about half of the year already. My recent job requires me to work in Visayas and Mindanao, making me more visible to my family, most especially to mom and dad.

Last night, when we headed down to the I.T. Park for a cup of coffee, my dad mentioned about that my sister and her family will be leaving the Philippines soon.  And when that time comes, dad said he wished my other sister and my brother would also get a job in the US so that they could all live together under the same house and take turns raising my little pamangkin.

I did not react. I knew what’s in my dad’s mind. I just waited for him to say it.

At the junction of Salinas Drive and the old Banilad Road, the red traffic light was on. Out of the mouth of my father, he uttered, “I hope you would stay behind and live with us and take care of me and your mom when we grow older.”

In my mind I said that I will never have another chance to be an OFW and I have already resigned to the possibility that I would be the only child left in the country. And since I have chosen to live a homosexual life, I have accepted, by default, the responsibility to look after my mom and dad.

I have decided not to raise a family of my own, nor raise any kid or sire a child. These are not the responsibilities I want to own up. What if I’ll tell them that I’m gay, would they still want me to take care of them?

My thoughts went deeper. Dad noticed my silence. He was waiting for me to say something. I realized that my parents had this fear that none of their children will take care of them when they grew old and dying. They feared the day when their children will decide to send them up to a home for the aged and the dying.

Even though they could not say it straight to my face, I know that they longed for me to live with them and to keep them company as they wait for their time to go.

Have I been a good son to Mom and Dad? Have I done something great to merit their consideration? It’s such an emotional moment. I didn’t know how to respond or to react. But the things that he said had knocked on my heart and it made my eyes water.

It was such a simple yet profound request that I couldn’t contain myself from crying. If this is what the future holds for me then who am I to reject it? I took a deep breath and told Dad that I’ll stay behind and take care of them for as long as they want.

The traffic light went green. Dad revved up the car and sped up to San Jose dela Montaña Street. Heading home, I knew Dad was relieved that his request will be granted. And I am more than happy and willing to be of service to them soon.

It’s a Learning Experience

I learned my lessons today in a very expensive way.

Dad went to work and left his car behind. An hour after, he called from his office and asked me if I wanted to use his car. And I said yes without even thinking twice.

I left the house at about 9am. I got home at about 12 hours after, with the car still okay except for a LITTLE DENT on the front side of the hood. Yes, I returned the car with some minor damage. And my dad did not notice it until we went out again to visit my grandmom at the Capitol site.

It didn’t scare the hell out of me because I somehow knew what to do if I made a little mistake. In this case, I just panicked when the car alarm went off at the intersection somewhere near DSWD and the Calamba Cemetery. The green light was on, I shifted the gear from a neutral position to 1st gear. The car was moving forward, it was drizzling that time.

I was distracted by the raindrops on the wind shield, got distracted by the sounds of the alarm, I got pissed and panicked because I didn’t know how to shut the thing off.

And then the BUMP.

Okay. I hit the rear part of the multicab. That little van which was assembled locally, I did not see it stop. Or maybe I was just very distracted.

The multicab driver went down and checked his vehicle. He also checked my car and saw that there was a damage. I got out of the car and saw the dent. Nothing happened to the rear part of the multicab.

The driver was a member of the coast guard. I gave him my calling card and told him that it’s my fault. I got his number just in case there would be problems.

He asked if there’s a need to call the police or the traffic enforcers to sketch the accident. I said it wont be necessary. I would be paying for the repairs anyways. I dont want to rely on the insurance. It might just take so long if I let the insurance company do it.

So I shook hands with Jongjong, the coast guard man and then I went back to the car and drove home.

I need to be at home because that would be visiting my grandmom. She’s due for her physical exam tomorrow and she would be needing some extra money to pay the lab tests.

I went with my dad. I told him that I needed to withdraw money from an atm machine. I did not tell him then that I had an accident.

When we reached my grandma’s place, I gave dad the money and explained to him what happened. He then got off the car and checked the damage.

He was not at all angry. He asked why it happened. I told him everything. Then he smiled.

“Most beginners had experienced minor accidents while driving. It’s a learning experience,” dite ma père.

Soon after we left lola’s place, we dropped by the I.T. Park for a cup of coffee. To make up for the DENT of his Toyota Corolla, I treated him at The Coffee Bean.

And over the cups of coffee, we talked about how and when it is going to be repaired. I thought I would be grounded for days but then he said that he wanted me to use the car tomorrow.

But he reminded me not to add more dent to his car when I would come home from work. 

Silhouettes of Cagayan de Oro

 

Saturday, June 23, 2007  3:00pm

Here at Taza Coffee at ‘THE SITE’ across the Limketkai Center, I’m patiently waiting for my time to leave Cagayan de Oro for an overnight ferry ride back to Cebu.

There were not so many instances that I get to visit this so-called ‘City of Golden Friendship. And of the 4 or 5 times that I was here, I never had the chance to explore its character and soul. For this particular coverage of Mindanao, I made it a point to expose myself a bit more on the city’s character.

And I’m here in one of its local coffee shop, thinking of some unique description that this city has compared to other urban areas in the Philippines. Should I say that Cagayan de Oro means Limketkai Center or The Whitewater Rafting? Or is CDO equal to Del Monte or Xavier University alone? Or maybe yet CDO is the overlooking Pryce Hotel and the clan of Pimentel as well? Yes these are some immediate items that people can associate with CDO. But is there anything else that we could describe this city with?

I have some observations about this Northern Mindanao city. From the moment I arrived here last Thursday and even until today, I could say that CDO has the following uniqueness:

Most of the taxicabs here are TOYOTA Altis. In Philippine standards, the Altis is a higher model of the TOYOTA Vios or the old Corolla. In simple analogy, ALTIS is like the balcony of any moviehouse while the COROLLA or VIOS is the orchestra. But in Cagayan de Oro, a lot of white TOYOTA Altis taxis pass the major streets. Locals here prefer to take taxis with aircon units that function extremely well.

There are Motorellas or tricycles that are as big as those in Dumaguete but are far different in terms of structure and form. Tricycles are the next option when there are no Altis Taxis in sight. The city jeepneys are equipped with stereos or radio. People will not take a ride if jeepneys don’t have such feature.

There are a lot of Maximo Oliveroses here. In Limketkai alone, I counted at least 30 baklitas stolling with friends.

I don’t know if it’s the time of the year or it’s just that in Cagayan de Oro, it rains in the afternoon and at night.

On my second night in Cagayan de Oro, I visited the San Agustin Metropolitan Cathedral.

The view of the cathedral from Gaston Park

It was at the present location of Gaston Park that Fray Agustin de San Pedro in 1622, persuaded Datu Salangsang to transfer. Datu Salangsang was the leader of the Bukidnons who settled near  Kalambaguhan River. It was at that time that Maguindanaoans led by Sultan Kudarat raided the settlement. But Fray Agustin was able to help the Bukidnons escape from the raids of the tribes from the southwest.

 

 

 

And on weekends, some street sections are closed from traffic so that people could peddle in the streets and that everyone could dine and party under the canopy of the sky. Well Cagayan de Oro City, the former town of Kalambaguhan is Patchada!!!!

In Northern Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro is the biggest city in terms of commerce and industry. CDO rivals Davao City in the aspect of tourism, convention or seminar location and trade. CDO is also the center for Region X and there are a lot of government and administrative offices located near the city proper.

One of my industrial dealers has a liaison office here in Cagayan de Oro. My boss and I visited their office near Capistrano and Mabini Streets and set up a meeting to address their concerns and problems. I met them again today to discuss the particular plan of actions on their clients in Iligan and Misamis Occidental. I made a little exploration of the city then after.

Foremost of the city section that I explored was the Plaza Divisoria. This park is situated at the old section of Cagayan de Oro that starts with Xavier University on one end and a mini-amphitheater on the other. Plaza Divisoria is like a big concrete isle at the center of A. Velez St. It was built in 1901 as a divider of the town that serves as a breaker from a fire that almost burned down the entire town.

From Xavier University, I walked past the obelisk of Ramon Magsaysay, the ‘Champion of the Masses’.

 

Then to the ‘Hero of the Masses’ Andres Bonifacio.

 

Then to Mayor Borja

    

Before I took pictures of the tall sculpture of the mayor, I walked inside an air-conditioned kiosk of the CDO Tourism and History and read about Apolinar Velez and some early political figures of Cagayan de Oro.

Apolinar Velez, to which the busy street was called, was the commanding officer of the Western Division of the Mindanao Battalion during the Philippine-American War of 1901. He became a governor of Misamis and a then a mayor of Cagayan in the 1920’s.

Just across Mayor Borja’s monument was the small statue of the National Hero Rizal.

Every Friday and Saturday, at about 5pm, Velez Street will be closed to traffic for the Divisoria Night Café and Market. This event is being organized by the local government to draw tourist and locals to Plaza Divisoria to dine and buy. Half of Velez Street hosts the peddlers and the other half hosts the barbecue operators.

This activity extends deep into the night, ending at about 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning. The bands perform at a stage to provide entertainment to the crowd who are mostly students, foreigners and young professionals.

And so it’s almost 4:30pm. I am already packed. I’m going back to the hotel now to pick up my luggage and proceed to the city pier. I’ll be leaving the hotel at 6 pm, in time for A. Velez Street to be closed from traffic. Divisoria will be alive again until the wee hours. It’s starting to rain again.

But now, I’m leaving this city not knowing why it’s the place of golden friendship.

 

I’m leaving CDO and its silhouette. I’ll explore its character and soul more on my next visit.      

Happy Father’s Day

Now is the chance to greet my Dad and celebrate ‘Happy Father’s Day.’ I’m very lucky that my Dad is still around, alive, strong so that we could still spend several moments together.

Dad will be 54 next month. In my standards, he’s still very young. So we would still have a long time to bond and do father-son activities.  And since I am based already in Cebu, I would have quite an opportunity to be with Dad and Mom. This would also mean that I have more than a handful of opportunity to tell Dad who I really am.

Today is Sunday. My uncle and his family came to visit us. They brought along my grandmom. They just visited my Lolo’s grave at the Manila Memorial Park, a few kilometers from our place. They would be proceeding to Carcar after so they left my grand-mère with us.

Grand-mère Gabina is my Dad’s mom. She was seated at our patio when I approached her. I noticed that she’s not as sickly as before. I thought that she was stronger now. Dad asked her if she’s still taking her meds. Grandma said that she’s due for another check-up and she needs to visit her doctor this week.

I asked Lola Gabina if she’s still on the look-out for a partner. Of course I said it as a joke. But she answered that Lolo Pio wouldn’t want her to. She said she had a great respect for my lolo and that she just want to remain loyal to him.

Then lola asked me if I already have a girlfriend. I was sitting opposite Daddy so he saw me blush. I didn’t answer her question. She followed it up with “When are you going to get married?”

Still I said nothing. She asked again, “How old are you now?” I said I was fourteen. My grandma just smiled. Dad was quick to correct me and said “He’s 29 years old na.” I blushed even further.

My grandmom wanted me to become a father and it scared the hell out of me.

My grandfathers from both sides were already dead. But I still am lucky that dad is still around. I’ll spend this Sunday with him.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

Au Revoir ma Grand Père

I will never forget Boracay. It was in that island Paradise that I got the news that my grand father passed away.

Just about the moment when the Summer Sun was setting in, I got a deluge of text messages from relatives. I was so shocked when I read my sister Ken’s message. I was with Bro Bear that time and I told him about the news that my lolo passed away.

Lolo Mining was my mom’s father. He died at the age of 84.

I had a blog entry about him last April when I paid him a visit after the holy week. I realized now that it was my last time to see him alive. I was somehow happy that I get to see him before he passed away. I knew then that my Lolo was just biding his time to return to his maker.

The Last Monday of May, I called all my dealers and told them that I wouldn’t be in town because I would be visiting my grandfather in Negros. It was the excuse I used so that I could go to Boracay to be with Bro Bear.

And before I even left the house, my mom mentioned to me that my lolo’s condition was not getting any better. She got a call from Negros several days before and my lola’s said that LOLO MINING was no longer eating.  Mom thought that Lolo may pass away anytime soon.

I was saddened by it because when I last visited Lolo in April, he promised to eat and drink his meds so he would be stronger and be able to walk with me to the “crossing”. The crossing was the little barrio corner that served as a loading/unloading point for buses as well as the busy area for merchandising and gossiping. I told mom that I would try to visit him in Negros if I had the time.

Monday of May 28, in Boracay, we were just about done with snorkeling. We decided to take a dip in the water off Poca Beach. After several moments of picture taking and frolicking, I decided to sit at a corner of the beach to rest and watch my friends swimming at a distance.

Just when I was called to go back to the pump boat we hired, I pulled myself up by pushing my hand against the sand. I felt a sudden pain in my fingers. Something bit my index finger. It bit me hard. I didn’t see what bit me but i thought it was from a pincer of a crab.

I looked at my finger and  saw streams of blood from two points. I was bleeding and I called on my friends to look at it. It was midday when it happened. It took some time to stop the bleeding. I just dipped the finger in seawater and waited for the blood to clot. We headed back to Station 3 thereafter.

In the afternoon, after I received the sad news from Ken, I could not hold myself together. I  couldnt quite explain how I felt but I remembered that I stood still and stared blankly at a horizon and cried. In silence, I said a prayer for Lolo and wept.

Death in the family is something I do not want to experience. But it was something I do not have control of. So I was reduced to silence and sadness. Brother Bear approched me and told me that we should be going back to the resort to rest.

I dropped my stuff in the room and carried myself to the shores of Boracay. The sun was already gone. I watched the sea and saw the stars above it. Everything was dark except from the rows of hotels at the station.

I sat on the beach and contemplated about my grandfather’s death. I was affected by his death. It caused sadness that I could barely manage. Lolo died in bed. No one was at his side when he passed away. He was already cold when my Lola and a househelp found him. The last thing that my lola recalled was that she and Lolo Mining prayed the rosary together and they were able to say the mysteries completely.

I knew my Lolo was prepared to die. And he may had been watching me up in the sky as I reflect on his death on the shores of Boracay.

I sat on the beach thinking, and praying, and crying. My hands were busy digging holes on the sand. If only I could let out the sadness from my heart and pour it on the holes that I made. I sat there for hours. Until Bro Bear approached me.

Bro Bear was concerned about me. He made me understand how hard it was to have a death in the family. He recalled the time when his father died and he knew the certain feeling that I was experiencing that time.

He told me that what happened in Poca Beach a few moments ago was the time that my grandfather died. He sensed that something bad had happened when my finger got bitten by something and bled profusely.

Maybe it was Lolo. He wanted to say good bye to me.

I told Bro Bear about my last visit to Negros. The last time i was in Lolo’s house he asked me to take pictures of him and I did. I sort of promised to have his photos printed in size 8R and have them framed and hung on the wall. It made me sad that it wouldn’t be possible for him to see the pictures again.

Bro Bear sat beside me for sometime. We looked straight to the sea and stared at the dark horizon in silence.

And I mourn for the passing of Lolo Mining. Au revoir ma grand-père! I’ll miss you.