Salamat, Polar Bear.

Isa sa mga taong hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan ay si Manong Solis. Bahagi siya ng buhay ko noong kolehiyo. Mas maraming nakakakilala sa kanya sa pangalang "Polar Bear". Medyo may kalakihan kasi siya at may kaputian. Hindi alam ng nakararami na ang tunay nyang pangalan ay Artemio Solis. Isang taong nagbuhos ng dedikasyon at pagmamahal sa kanyang trabaho.

Sino nga ba sya? Anong papel nya sa buhay ng mga estudyante ng AB? Sa may gawing Dapitan, nandon ang gusali namin. 4 na taong labas-masok ako sa gusaling iyon. At si Manong Solis ang una kong nasisilayan, nabubungaran, nakikita. Siya ang unang karayom na kinailangan kong lusutan upang makapasok. Hindi ang mga prof o kaya si dean. Si Manong Solis, ang guwardiya ng St. Raymund's Building.

Kadalasan ay saksakan ng sungit si Manong Solis. Parang nagmemenopause na babae.

"Hoy! ID mo!"
"Bat ka nakasleeveless? Alam nyo naman na bawal yan! Sige pa rin kayo!"
"Bawal yan dito!"
"Bawal ang sandals, hindi ka pwede pumasok!"
"Bat ka nakacivilian? may klase ngayon ah!"
"Kayo, pag binagbibigyan, umaabuso!"


Ganyan kadalasan ang narinig ko dati. Pag may nakaiwan samin ng ID, iintayin nalang na magkaron ng regudon ng mga guwardiya, wag lang makabangga si Polar Bear.

"Lintek! Si Solis nagbabantay. Patay tayo jan 'tol!"
"----ina naman oh! Si Solis ang bantay. Mainit ako dyan eh!"

Minsan bumagyo. Nagkataong nakitawag ako sa payphone ng building. Walang pasok noon. Natural, baha na naman.

Ako: Manong, dito muna ako ha?
Solis: Sige, mukhang matagal pang ulan. Baka magkasakit ka pa nyan.

Ang totoo non, nangangatog ako hindi dahil sa lamig, kundi dahil sa takot ko sa kanya.

Solis: San ka ba nakatira?
Ako: Dyan lang po sa may Alfredo. Sa may Almer's. Sira kasi phone namin eh.
Solis: San probinsya mo 'ne?
Ako: Sa Mindoro po.
Solis: Talaga? Nadestino ako dun dati. Ilang taon din yun. May mga kamag-anak din ako dun. San ka sa Mindoro?
Ako: Calapan po.
Solis: Aba, talaga? May mga kakilala ako sa munisipyo dun.
Ako: Kilala nyo po ba Si Chippy Espiritu?
Solis: Yung dating governor? Oo naman.
Ako: Ninong ko po sya.

Katahimikan.

Solis: Namimiss ko na ang Mindoro. Simple lang ang buhay doon. Kelan ka huling umuwi?
Ako: Naku, matagal na po.

Nagkuwento pa sya ng mga nangyari sa kanya sa Mindoro. Tumila na ang ulan.

Ako: Manong, sige po...mauna nako. Salamat po ah.
Solis: Sige, Zara. Minsan dalawin mo naman ang Mindoro. Isabay mo ko ha?
Ako: Sige po. Babay!
Solis: Ingat sa daan!

Mula noon, kabatian ko na sya. Laging nagyayang umuwi kami sa Mindoro. Nakilala ko ang isang bahagi ng pagkatao nya. Hindi ang guwardiyang nakauniporme at maghapong nakatayo, naninita. Si Manong Artemio Solis.

2 taon ang nakalipas. Wala na kong balita sa kanya. Nakikita ko lang ang account na ginawa para sa kanya sa Friendster. Hanggang dun lang...

Nakatanggap ako ng balita noong isang araw. Pumanaw na sya noong 24 ng Mayo. Hindi ako halos nakatrabaho ng maayos. Apektado ako, maging ang mga naging kaklase at batchmates ko. Sa Friendster, sa e-mail, sa text...nagkalat. Patay na si Manong Solis. Nanlalambot ako tuwing naiisip ko. Isang tao lamang siyang dinadaan-daanan ng lahat, kinakatakutan, pinagtatawanan. Pero sa likod ni "Polar Bear" ay isang taong buong pusong naglingkod sa mga estudyante. Ginugol nya ang mga natitirang araw ng buhay nya sa mga taga-AB. Sa bawat paninita dahil walang ID, naka-sandals, naka-civilian...nagtatago dito ang kanyang pagmamalasakit at pagmamahal sa mga Artlets...

Salamat, Manong Artemio Solis...Ang nag-iisang Polar Bear ng buhay namin.

BEAUTIFUL

A close friend of mine, July, texted me last night. She just wanted to say hi and ask if Chard and I are doing OK. We have always had that special kind of bond. The three of us...Chard, July and I. This time, I want to focus more on July, the soon to be mom.

I rarely use the word beautiful to describe a person. For me, being beautiful goes beyond physical appearances. One is beautiful if she has a kind heart and a good soul. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to know one.

I've known July for more than 4 years. A petite morena lady with perfect bone structures, striking eyes, gorgeous face...I could go on and on...These, among many others, were of course noticed by talent scouts and agencies. She appeared on ads, both in TV (one of which was shown in Indonesia) and print. And it does not end here. She also is one of the smartest I know and she can win any debate with her witty remarks and arguments. Having all of these, she remains humble and simple.

We became much closer when we lived together for almost half a year in the same house, which she fondly called "The Dungeon". We spent sleepless nights talking about anything. We shared almost everything...food, clothes, shoes, make-up...We found time to laugh and enjoy even though we were both struggling from what seemed like the deepest, darkest moments of our lives. She was my ray of sunlight. We held on to each other. One depending on the other's strength.

My friend has been through a lot. I was there when she cried non-stop over a failed relationship. I saw how she was trampled upon by people who never understood her and still she did not wish ill to any of them. Life had been a big rollercoaster for her. I witnessed how she regained herself and how she bloomed into a much beautiful young lady, how she stood up once again and faced the world with newly-found strength and faith.

She fell in love with a wonderful man who looks at her with so much love and admiration. The moon of her life. The one who shed the light to bring back the light in her own eyes. They got married on their 1st anniversary. And now they live in the cutest house in Cavite named after the famous Koreanovela "Full House".

In less than a month, July will give birth to Kal-el (and yes, SUPERMAN!). He will be the very first precious baby of our barkada. He will be spoiled to the max by her ninongs and ninangs (i'm one of them!). I never thought that one can love someone the way she loves her baby.

July is a rarity. She has the kindest heart to go with her gorgeous face. She wants everyone she loves to have what she has. "Isusubo na lang nya, ibibigay pa nya sa iba.". She never fails to let you know that you are special and she loves you. She accepts the whole of you, flaws included. She can't find peace if she feels you're in a dilemma. And most importantly, she appreciates your existence and the love and care you give her.

July...ahh..she's a beauty. A rare precious stone that brightens our lives and makes it easier for us to go through everything.

Cheers to beautiful July, a soon to be super mother!!!



---at the "Full House" Chard, Josh, July and me!

Asan na kasi ang bato?

Sabi nila pag nawala na raw lahat sayo tsaka ka pa lang magkakaron ng lakas ng loob na sundin kung ano talaga ang gusto mong mangyari sa buhay mo. Ilang beses ko na narinig yan. Halos araw-araw ko na ring pinag-isipang magpatihulog at bitawan ang lahat ng meron na ako. Pero hindi ganun kadali. Walang Darna sa totoong buhay na sasalo at magliligtas sayo.

Inaalipin ako ng buhay. Patagal nang patagal sumasama ang loob ko. Nilalamon ako ng tadhana. Habang buhay ko na lang ba gagawin ang isang bagay na hindi kailanman nagdulot sakin ng saya? Ayoko namang dumating ang panahong mistulang robot na lang ako na pinapatakbo ng mga dambuhalang abusado. Walang sariling pangarap. Walang sariling personalidad.


Saan ko huhugutin ang lakas ng loob upang tuluyan nang bumitaw? Upang hayaan ko namang pagbigyan ang sarili ko? Upang maramdaman ko ulit ang nararamdaman ng mga batang unang beses pa lang nakasakay ng bisekleta? Upang lumitaw ulit ang ngiting matagal na ring hindi mahagip ng aking mga labi? Saan?

Sana totoo si Darna. Sana maraming bato. Sa mga ganitong panahon kasi masarap isubo ito..sumigaw ng "DARNA!!!" at tuluyang hindi makilala ng mundo...lumipad at maglaho ng kahit ilang minuto.

on nga-nga and putik (delayed posting)

We're going to Mindoro!!! Not to Puerto Galera. Good heavens, no! I'm starting to get sick of it. It's like the entire Manila population goes to Puerto Galera every weekend. Imagine a Malate scene..put in sand and water, then you have Puerto Galera. You go to beaches to unwind, to escape from the busy metro and you do not get that from PG. If not for their Mindoro Sling, I'd swear I'm not going back there.

Anyway, my rituals before hitting the beach include a foot spa with pedicure. I visited a parlor which was just a jeepney ride away from our place. (I choose not to mention the name for some reasons.) The place was nice, cozy, in fact. I was directed to the back and was seated on a black, leather chair which was elevated compared to the rest. Too bad, the TV was on the other side. I planned to watch Darna pa naman. So I just asked for a magazine. The woman handed me a tattered, last year's issue of Preview. OK, Not a problem. Then I flipped through the pages and what do I see? Chewing gum, cherry flavored, sticking to the face of Amanda Griffin. Is it that hard to pull up your ass, get a friggin' piece of paper, wrap your chewed-chewing gum and throw it on the waste basket? And this parlor does not even have the decency to check if their magazines are up to date or at least in good condition and do not spread some contagious disease. That was just the start of it, people. I was then asked to place my feet on the timba-looking electronic device filled with water which weirded me out coz the color reminded of the chewing gum (bright pink!). The moment I put my feet on it, I almost yelped coz the water was fuckin' cold! Isn't it the first cardinal rule of foot spa preparations that you use warm water to soften hard, calloused feet? Langya! I was about to complain but when I looked up no one was there to bear witness of my bitch fits. And I was at the far end of the room. Then I thought maybe, just maybe, that was their own version of foot spa. I let it pass. Two of them went back to check on me. One was filing her fingernails and the other one was putting on surgical gloves (which by the way was not the cleanest I've seen). With the gloves on, the woman removed my feet from the basin and scrubbed them with a funny-smelling concoction.

Then the fingernail-filing woman suddenly said, "Eh yan pala yung mabaho eh..amoy nga-nga!"

"Oo nga no. Ang baho!"

I then told them politely, "Eh mabaho pala eh, bakit yan pa ginagamit nyo?"

"Ganito lang po talaga, Ma'am, pero effective naman eh."

I shut up and gave them my infamous indifferent stare. They continued what they were doing while conversing in Ilonggo. I gave the other woman the nail polish I wanted to use. (Color brown). While she was applying the polish to my nails, the other woman piped in... "Ano kaya magandang kulay? Hay, para sa kalandian.."

"Etong nilalagay ko kay Ma'am. Maganda."

"Yuck ha. Ayoko nyan. Mukhang putik! Gusto ko yung kakaiba."

Kung hindi ako nakapagpigil malamang naibuhos ko sa kanya yung laman ng timba na pinagbabaran ng paa ko at ikiniskis ko sa mukha nya ang amoy nga-ngang scrub. Mabuti na lang maganda ang mood ko noon dahil may outing kinabukasan. Kung hindi, mararamdaman nya ang bagsik ng mga paa ko kesehodang kakapa-footspa pa lang nila. Pasensya na at hindi bagay saken ang blue, red, silver, green o orange na nail polish. Hindi naman ako mestiza para magmaganda at gumamit ng flamboyant colors. I have to stick to earth colors or else...(use thy imagination).

They should not say those things in front of their customers. If they can't think of anything good or nice to say they better shut up or they won't notice that after a while the parlor will file for bankruptcy. They will lose their jobs and they can no longer have free manicure!

Also, lesson learned...being polite does not mean you always have to keep to yourself whatever it is that is bothering you so as not to offend other people. It is your right as long as you believe you're right. Let it out. It's not being rude.

And at the back of my mind, I wanted to kick myself coz I let them use a nga-nga smelling scrub and freezing cold water on my beloved feet and made api the color I chose...this won't happen again.