the Life i live.

“Tikling is hot as hell when pissed off.”

Yesterday, I decided to visit my sister at talisay (a barangay in Dapitan) to watch Marimar. Since I had no motorcycle I went there by “sikad-sikad” (it’s an old means of transportation here in our hometown.) It was already dark then and on the way to their house are creepy acacia and balete trees that gave me Goosebumps. I could only imagine myself, after watching the telenovelas, walking alone in the dark road where the only lights I could see are those coming from houses distantly situated from it. And I have to pass by an elementary school where stories of ghost have been told by old people in the small community.

Creepy I thought.

Marimar is about to end, that is why I can’t miss the few more days. Actually, I’m not really a fan but somehow there’s something in it that interest me and the rest of the Filipinos who watches it. That’s why I had to watch. When it was about to end, my niece asked me “to unsa imu sakyan pagpa-uli” “maglakaw” I answered. She then tried to scare me about the “wak-wak”(a human eating human – hehehe e.g mananggal and the likes).

It was already past eleven o’clock and I have to go home. I bid good bye to my sister and my niece who was still watching TV when I left. The road was very dark. Everything was so quiet except the creepy noises the insects are making indistinctly. My heart was starting to beat faster as I walked faster. I just prayed our father the whole time I walked, especially when I passed by the elementary school and when my hairs started to react in horror “literally nanindog ako buhok.” Then the second thing that scared the hell out of me was the thought that someone might be following me or might be behind the trees hiding, preparing to attack me anytime. These thoughts almost made me faint. Laughs. It was a long walk, I tell you. And every step I make was as big as a galloping horse. I only found relief when I finally saw a light at the intersection and heard people talking at the small payag.

I will never walk alone at night in that street ever again in my entire life, I swore to my grave. Laughs.

But the night never ended there, in fact it was just starting.

Since no sikad-sikad was available at that late a night, nor where there pedicabs, I continued my walk. I was about to pass by young lads and gals who were sitting at the sidewalk near the bridge when I heard them mocking me. At first, one girl said “bayot.” (a cebuano term/word for gay or homosexual). I didn’t really bothered them. But when I passed by them, only a few meters away from them, they started to sing in chorus the song “hindi ako bakla” (I AM NOT GAY).

THIS TIME I DIDNT LET IT PASS.

I went back and introduced myself. This is how it went. TSU here refers to tanga! Stupid! Uneducated.

Tikling: Hi, I heard you were having fun? My name is tikling. (Of course I gave them my real nickname.) And you are?

TSU: No comment.

Tikling: Oh by the way, where are you guys studying?

TSU: State College (referring to Jose Rizal Memorial State College).

Tikling: Oh, I thought you were high school students. You were acting like one kasi eh. Even if you won’t ask, I’d like to let you know who I am so that you won’t only judge me by the way I walk.

TSU: Silent and stupid. They or she made no comment at all after my straight forward introduction..

Tikling: By the way, I am a graduate of BBA-Management in a prestigious university in Dumaguete, Silliman University. Have you heard of it? And right now, I’m a third year law student in ABC. I’m already working too and earning money for myself.

TSU: aw.

Tikling: You see, when I was in elementary my teachers already thought me respect. Respect for oneself and respect for other people and their differences. I’ve learned not to judge people by the way they look nor by the way they act or move.

TSU: still silent. perhaps Thinking. (And I hoped they understood me).

Tikling: Hey, if you want me to think the way you do, which is judging people by the way they look or act, then I believe you wouldn’t mind me calling you BORIKAT! (a whore) because you really look like one in my own opinion. You’re staying outside this late with these boys, when you should be studying and praying that someday you’d pass your course and find a job.

TSU: Flushed. Embarrassed and confused. Said nothing the whole time. I was so fast kasi.

Tikling: My professors at the college of law never showed disrespect to me, nor have they insulted me because of who I am. If they did judge me, I believe they kept it to themselves. And that is what you should have done. You should have kept your judgment to yourself because you have no right at all, at this point in your life to judge me or other people at that. You have not achieved anything yet compared to me. If I’m like this (describing the my status) your just as small as this (showing her, her status with the use of my fingers.)

TSU: no words coming from her mouth, nothing at all.

Tikling: Then before I left I told them I pity you and your parents and the school where you are studying. If you haven’t learned the moral values of life, you have learned nothing at all. You should go back to your homes and your elementary schools where everything started. And the next time you look at other people, think twice before judging them because you just don’t know who you’re dealing with. When you see me walking these streets, call me by my name and I will, with a great smile, respond.

I don’t know if she or they did understand everything that I have said. At that point, I don’t care.

Then I left. However, a few meters away from them I heard them laugh. But I thought it was an act of hiding the embarrassment that they felt because I am sure, I engraved in their minds the lessons which they will never forget. If ever they did, their just garbage in this society which my father (the chief of office in the General Services Office) will gladly sweep up and dump them somewhere where trash and garbage belong. Good luck to them and god bless.

“Problems are part of life, that I believe. And surprisingly, it comes to you when you least expect it.”

iTS almost time, i Was just finishing the cases i was digesting for our Evidence class when I got a call from MS. J informing me that the NMYL t-shirts, which were sent in Cebu, have long been at the airport for pick-up. In fact it when we called up the airport, the shirts arrived last february 23, 2008 and have been incurring storage fees amounting to a sum sum amount.

“OH MY GOD!”  

Well you see my boss is running as National President of the National Movement of young Legislators (NMYL, above). THe election was held at the waterfront hotel in cebu city. Ofcourse, since this is a national election preparations have been done to ensure success during the election. T-shirts have been printed, baller bands made and other campaign materials gathered.  I was somehow tasked to take charge in the t-shirts, making sure that the t-shirts will be in cebu weeks before the election. thus, the initial communication with ms. J. (who by the way is somehow the step mom of my boss, that’s if he considers her his step-mom considering that his mom is still alive and kicking) anyway, this is another story which unfortunately i cant divulge. sorry. going back, first two shipments were made. We encountered no problem. I was properly informed and I relayed it to our counterparts in cebu (since at that time we were still in dplg). But the last package (this is the PROBLEM) iM sure I WAS NOT INFORMED. and THat started it all.

When i got the call, me and my officemates thought that there was a problem with the communication. HOWEVER, at the end of the day, i felt I AM THE PERSON TO BE BLAMED. SHEEEEET! hehehehe

my text to MS J.

me: mam, confirmed po. t-shirts are still at the airport.pero man la man ko na inform gud bout the last package, la man ko na recieve airway bill no.

ms. j: gi txt man nako ang airway bill no. ni reply pa man gani ka OK, and i said this is the last cargo (somehow mu ni ya g txt)

me: mam ru referring to the third package? (coz the last was the second package, at least thats what i know, had no idea there was a third)

ms j: NO REPLY.

SO….what now?im so bothered coz my final exams is next week. I was expecting a lil support from my officemates on how to solve the problem but i think i got their message “solve it! on your own” (well thats wat i felt) A lil group effort. But i believe they’re there for me, at that time i just didnt felt it (sorry).

My baboi, ever supportive called up and somehow helped. I was EMOTIONALLY DOWN. My head was aching and i felt like banging it in the wall.hehehe (thank god i didnt) BUT while i was in bed thinking (playing at the same time, just to channel my frustrations) i got a txt frm my officemate amalou asking me to personally talk to my boss about the problem ( my baboi said this to me also, but I think i needed my officemates to tell me this coz basta, i felt they should be with me in this).

“I WENT AND SEE HIM”

Sir: O ano pian?

ME: problem sir eh, with the TSHIRTS.

Sir: o wat about it?

ME: narrated the whole story (TEARY EYES, I ALMOST CRIED) sheeeeeeeeeeet.

but i told my tears to BACK OFF! but i know sir noticed.

“OK LANG PIAN!”

thats the words i wanted to hear from him and I heard it. Well, its a relief. BUt i get to shoulder the sum sum but its ok, thats just money. At least this problem is solved already.

after drinking a bottle of sml, im in this cafe and wrote this.hehehe

just a thot after all this, every problem has a solution. But it takes courage to face it. and its good when you have people around to help you out. ITS CRAZY solving problems of life alone. BE ONE WITH GOD AND YOUR FRIENDS (and my baboi) hehehe.

 p.s a lot of thanks to my officemates and my baboi (i forgot to ask god’s guidance on this but i know he was working his ways through the people i just mentioned)

till next time