Minsan nakakatakot na talagang maglakad sa kalye kahit maaga pa.

Pagbaba ng bus, nilalakad ko na lang papunta sa bahay namin. Sayang kasi ang pamasahe, P8.50 din yun; may libreng exercise na, pwede ka pang magmuni-muni. At meron ngang pagmumuni-muning naganap kaninang nasa kanto na ako ng P Noval at SH Loyola (Lepanto), mga alas-8 ng gabi. Bitbit ko ang pizza na tira nung tanghalian. Nakasabit lang sa hintuturo ko ang manipis na taling nakapalibot sa kahon nito. Akin ang mundo habang naka-headset pang nakikinig ng mp3. Nang biglang...!

Mula sa aking likuran ay may humablot ng kahon. Medyo nasaktan ako kasi biglang hatak, plastik na straw pa yung tali. Pero napalitan ito ng takot nang mapatingin ako sa salarin!

Ilang taon lang ang tanda sa akin ng lalaking palaboy. Madumi ang kanyang suot, nakayapak, madumi ang mga paa. Nakatagilid pa lamang sya paglingon ko kaya nakita ko ang profile nya. Sa isang kamay ay hawak nya ang kahon, tinititigan ang mga larawan ng pagkaing nakaimprenta doon. Sa kabilang kamay...

Hawak nya ang isang misteryosong supot na hindi nya matanggal-tanggal sa kanyang ilong!

Naglakad sya palayo sa akin na parang walang nangyari. Hindi ko na sya inabala pa, ayoko namang magkaroon ng gripo sa tagiliran o anumang parte ng aking katawan. Kinapa ko na lamang ang bag ko para matiyak na walang ibang nakuha sa akin. Paranoid na ako kasi kakanakaw lang (ulit) ng telepono ko nung September. Ewan ko ba kung bakit ako laging napagdidiskitahan eh mukha din naman akong busabos

Pero hindi naman ako mukhang tatanga-tanga! Sa di malamang dahilan, nitong 2008 lagi akong nananakawan. (Defensive mode) Wag na sanang madagdagan!

Hindi ko na matandaan kung saan ko nabasa pero galing sa gobyerno ito eh: A WALKABLE CITY IS A HEALTHY CITY. Kung ganoon pala, ano na ang lagay dito sa amin? Kanser ito! Stage 4!

May mga pulis naman pero sa Morayta nakaistasyon (mas marami kasing kababalaghang nangyayari sa banda doon eh... hehehe). Sana lagyan din dito sa may Lepanto kahit may pagka-residential area. Parte pa rin naman ng University Belt ito. Maraming mga kabataan na pwedeng maging biktima, lalo't nandito ang boarding houses nila.

Ano, bahala na lang si Batman? Sige, tawagin natin... o, eto na pala eh: BATMAN! Ninu-ninu-ninu-ninu, ninu-ninu-ninu-ninu...

Or Aga Muhlach and Aiko Melendez in their 1993 movie May Minamahal. This song is part of the official soundtrack; if I remember it right this was the background music when the couple went to Tagaytay with friends and can't stop smiling to each other (parang ganito itsura nila o, inlababo mode )

Yada, yada, yada... but truth be told I am only posting this because the other day, Christsuper and Nicolehiyala sang this on-air as pang-asar to one of their texters: Hopeless romantic ka pala eh! <sings> You're a hopeless romantic is what they say... <laughs>

I have loved you only in my mind
But I know that there will come a time
To feel this feeling I have inside
You're a hopeless romantic is what they say
Falling in and out of love just like a play
Memorizing each line, I still don't know what to say
What to say...
Don't know what to do whenever you are near
Don't know what to say, my heart is floating in tears
When you pass by I could fly
Every minute, every second of the day
I dream of you in the most special way
You're beside me all the time
All the time...

I have loved you and I always will
Call it crazy but I know someday you'll feel
This feeling I have for you inside
I'm a hopeless romantic I know I am
Memorized all the lines and here I am
Struggling for words I still don't know what to say
What to say...

Don't know what to do whenever you are near
Don't know what to say, my heart is floating in tears
When you pass by I could fly
Every minute, every second of the day
I dream of you in the most special way
You're beside me all the time
All the time... all the time... all the time...

I heard the TAMBALAN's second album is on the way. Included is a love song. Talaga naman. Haha.

I've met her only twice and I can remember nothing but kindness and laughter from this woman. I can still hear her now, tormenting the boy I loved for most of my teenage years (erm, her brother) during our phone conversations years ago. "Uuy, uuy... kinikilig! Bakit ka namumula?"

There was an event at school the first time we met. I was a gawky highschool freshman standing at the hallway and she was an attractive girl - woman - asking me where 1-Pilot's classroom was, and if I knew her brother. I think my mouth dropped open and I can only nod. I was that smitten with her brother, and now, with her. 

Seven years later we were in a hospital room, her brother recovering from surgery. It was getting late (those days 8:00pm was tagged as already "late") and she wanted to go back home to her "babies". Her brother pouted, not wanting her to leave, and she said mischievously, her eyes twinkling, "Nandyan naman si Chat." This brought snickers out of their other family members who were present at the time.

I've met her only twice and never really knew her the way sisters or even friends do, but it brings me extreme sadness knowing that the next time I'll see her, I won't hear her laugh or see the light in her eyes. But I hope to see her smiling, so I'd know she found a more lasting happiness in heaven.

R.I.P.