Dahil sa isang request… eto na sya.
“Really? you’re going near here tomorrow?” I typed, on the chat program.
“Yes, I’m going to church tomorrow, why?” she replied.
“Well, my shift ends tomorrow, if you’re interested we can meet up, I can go with you to church.” I typed as soon as I got her reply.
“I don’t know, it’s going to be at 10:30 in the morning. What time are you going out of the office anyway?”
“Well I’m out at six but we do have a sleeping quarters here, so since I’m planning on sleeping here, might as well meet up with you. I just have to wake up later than usual.” I insisted.
“Let’s meet at the convenience store just behind the mall.” she instructed.
I thought for a second, ”Where the heck is that store? I’m not familiar with it.” then typed. ”Sure, I’ll be there.”
“Well o.k. just give me your number and I’ll tell you the details, I still don’t know what to wear tomorrow, so you’ll know it’s me.”
“Okay, It’s already start of my shift, I’m just using the PC here in the lobby. I better go, I’ll wait for your text message.”
My shift started that night, but my mind is still not on my job, I’m still thinking about the engagement for the next day. ”Wow! I really can’t believe it, I’m going to meet someone from the website. Really cool.” I thought. ”But she said that she’s fat! almost close to being obese? seriously? well anyway, it’s just a meeting, nothing really gonna happen anyway, at least I got a new friend.” I was speaking to myself. I didn’t notice the beep on my headset, a woman on the other line said ”Who are you calling fat?!” It got me by surprise. ”Oh! I’m sorry ma’am I was just speaking to myself, by the way, Thank you for…” I started my opening spiel. The night went by, and it’s already the end of my shift. I went downstairs to grab some smoke, while I was smoking, my phone beeped. It was a quoted text message. “Shit! I forgot, I don’t have any credits to reply! I’ll just wait for her message later, I’ll see her anyway.” After smoking I went back up the sleeping quarters and try to get some shuteye.
10:00a.m. I woke up the beep of my phone. ”Hi Miggy, I’ll be there earlier than what we’ve agreed on, I’m wearing denim jeans, dark blue top, and an orange shawl. Be there in twenty minutes.” End of message.
“Holy Fuck, it’s too early!” I jumped off the bed and went straight to the reception area to exchange my pass for my ID. Went inside the elevator to go down the building. ”Darn it, I didn’t have time to take a shower, let alone, brushed my teeth!” I was thinking aloud. As soon as the elevator doors open, I sprinted towards the door, and out the building. I went to one of the takatak boys outside the building and bought myself a Marlboro Black and a piece of menthol gum. ”This will probably do, I checked my breath. ”Doesn’t smell funky, this will be fine… I guess.” With all the mind blowing thoughts racing on my mind, I didn’t realize I was already crossing the street.
BEEP!!!!!
The horn of a jeepney in front of me, made me go back to reality, I almost got ran over while crossing the street to the mall in front. I walked briskly, trying to assess the time frame that she will be arriving at the place we both agreed on. I was already at the back of the mall and saw the convenience store that she was talking about, when I noticed a cab stop in front of it. A woman got of the cab, wearing the exact same thing the she described on her message. “Is that her?” I thought to myself. ”I thought she said she was fat? That’s not the definition of fat! That’s just well, sexy.” Thoughts came racing on my mind. ”Now what would she think if she sees me? I didn’t take a bath, brush my teeth, and thank god I don’t have hair! or else, it’s just a mess.”
I crossed the street going to the store, she’s already waiting inside. I smiled consciously, – I don’t want her seeing my teeth, it might have some of the noodles I ate on my lunch break. — to let her know that it’s me, and that I know it’s her. She smiled back, my heart raced, ”My god! she looks angelic.” my thoughts again. ”There are parts of her that really shows that she gained weight. But it’s nothing to be ashamed of anyway, for someone working in the food industry, she’s petite, or at least compared to my friends in the same industry, which I might describe as humongous.
I walked towards her but she went outside the store to meet me. ”So where to now?” I asked.
“Like I told you last night, I’m going to the church.”
“But we’re walking towards the opposite way of the church.” I said.
“But I’m not a catholic.” She cleared.
“Oh! really? And here I thought we’re going to the church in front.”
“Well, what’s the point of us meeting on the other side.” she said sarcastically.
“Oh yeah, right, you got me there.” I joked, scratching my head. ”Ouch! feisty!” I thought to myself.
Walking along the streets, below the towering buildings. I started looking at her, trying to assess everything that’s happening, what what might happen next. ”Seriously? Is this woman really past her thirties?” I thought again. “She looks more like in her late twenties.” She’s probably just trying to pull my leg.”
“Just for the record, my real name’s Mika, and Yhum asked me to say Hi!” she broke my thoughts.
“Huh? Why?” I was stunned. ”How’d Yhum knew about our meeting?” I thought again.
“Well, I told her that we’re going to meet up today, so she told me to relay her regards to you.” she said smiling.
I looked at her and again my heartbeats raced. I looked back at the street we were walking on. ”So if you’re not a catholic then what religion are you? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“I’m a born again Christian.”
“Hmm.. born again? well actually most of my relatives in Pampanga are born again Christians.”
“Really, so you’re already familiar with it?” she asked.
”Not really, I attended a couple of bible studies back then, but that’s all about it. Nothing more that I know of.” I explained.
“We’re here.” she directed, pointing at a nearby building.
“This is a church?” I thought. ”I never heard of a church inside a building.”
We went inside, and walked towards the elevator. ”Where do you want to go? the balcony? or..”
“It’s your call, you’re my tour guide. You said you know this place like the back of your hand right? And I’m fairly new here, roughly around three months. So you better guide me here” I laughed.
“Are you joking, but you said you grew up in manila.”
“But I’m not familiar with this place.” I said, going inside the elevator.
“Here! let’s take a seat here.” she offered a seat for me. We were on the second floor of what seemed to be a stage. I’ve never really been into an opera house, but at that time, I felt like I was in one.
“So this is your church?” I tried clarifying.
“Yes, why?” she replied.
“Nothing, It’s just that I haven’t been in one before.”
“First time?”
I didn’t answer, I silently nodded, feeling like an innocent kid who doesn’t know the difference between his right and left hand.
She smiled. ”Will you stand up later, for the welcoming of the first time visitors?” she said.
“Well sure, after all the humiliating stuff that happened today? I think I can do anything.” I said with confidence.
After minutes of waiting a man in a black vest and red necktie went on the stage, said stuff that I really didn’t understand, something about god and everything about their religion. I wasn’t really paying any attention because my mind is still focused on the woman beside me. I looked at the stage, then I look back at her just trying to make her think that I am not checking her out. After the man spoke a group of people in blue and white garments went in place of him, songs of praises started to fill the air, one after the other. I don’t know the songs but listening to it somehow gave me the urge to sing with it, I sang softly, like whispering, while looking at the lyrics at the screen behind the choir members. Until now, I still don’t know why and what I sang. But all throughout, I was staring at the Mika. Seeing her sing together with the choir, hearing her voice, it was heavenly. It’s like melting the devil in me. ”With her being this way, who’d ever think of taking advantage of her? that’s just wrong.” I said to myself, still staring at her. She noticed me staring and she smiled, softly pinched me by the arm. ”What? I was just admiring your voice?” I exclaimed.
“I’m part of the choir that’s why.” she clarified.
“Really? so that’s why.” then I smiled.
”What are you smiling about?”
I didn’t answer, I looked back at the stage and a new set of choir members are on stage. And again songs of praise started to linger on my head. After the choir, a guy went on the stage, not that old, but he’s almost balding, he’s also wearing a black suit. He started preaching in front of the audience, and in the middle of preaching, he instructed us to look at the bible, and read a passage. Mika took her bible and placed it between us, musing for me to read it together with her. I was aloof about the idea but what the heck, it’s our first meeting and I don’t want her getting any bad impressions about me. I read the passage, but I didn’t really understand or even cared to know what it means.
“You do realized that you just made me read a bible.” I exclaimed, after reading the passage.
“Well, why? any problems about reading the bible?”
“It’s been a long time that I read it. This was actually the first in seven years.” I explained.
“Really? here want to read it again?” She teased.
After the preacher, more songs were sang by the choir, then the man with the red necktie came back to end today’s agenda.
“Before we end the day, we have to welcome our first time visitors.” Said the man. ”Please stand up if this is the first time that you came here.” he instructed.
Mika looked at me with excited eyes. I got her point. I stood up and people started clapping.
“So we got one up there.” And the man pointed at me, then people started singing again, with lyrics I haven’t heard before. Then a bald man wearing white polo approached me, shook my hand. ”Can you please follow me downstairs?” he said.
“Huh?” I was boggled. ”What the heck, have I got myself into?” I said in my mind, then looked at Mika, she stood up.
“Can you please follow me downstairs?” the man repeated, still not letting go of my hand.
“Okay sure.” I obliged. I followed him and went downstairs — quite a couple of flight — into a room where most newcomers go, and get interviewed. A man walked towards me and shook my hand. The usherette introduced me. ”This is Miggy, it’s his first time here.”
“Hi, Miggy?” he’s trying to make sure he got my name right.
“Hello, uhm, what am I doing here again?” I asked.
“Oh you don’t have to worry, I’m Elmer, and I just need to ask you some questions, are you pressed for time?” he asked.
“No, not really.”
“So are you here alone?” he said then offered me a seat.
“No, I went here together with Mika. She said she’s part of the choir here.” I explained.
“Oh really, do you happen to know her last name?”
”I forgot to ask her, want me to go and ask her?” I was planning on going out and probably not come back. ”What have I got myself into? this isn’t part of the deal Mika.” I thought on my head.
“You don’t really have to. By the way…” Elmer continued on speaking and talking about their religion, it was more like an orientation about the church and its teachings. Things I didn’t really paid any attention to. I just don’t know if the person infront of me sensed that I am really not interested, but I kept on conversing anyhow, just to not offend him.
“Have you ever read the bible Miggy?”
“Uhm, probably twice or three times in my lifetime.” I answered.
“But you do know how to?” he assured.
“Yes I see my mom and my relatives using and reading the bible, so I probably do.” I replied.
“Well I have a bible here and I want to share with you some verses, can you read it please.” he instructed.
“What the fuck!” I cursed on my mind.
Elmer proceeded on taking out a bible from his bag. Placed it on the table. ”Here can you read this part right here?” he said.
I read the passage, tried to understand it, but apparently no word really stay stuck on my head. After a few more passages and a prayer — a sinners prayer — he said “Could you come with me to the other room please.”
I nodded, and followed, still planning on getting away, but I don’t want to get him offended for my actions, so I quietly obliged. On the other room I met another old lady, grey hair and all. ”Why are most of the officers part of the senior citizens?” I said on my mind. The old lady interviewed me some more, in the middle of the conversation, Mika opened the door, I looked at her, asking for some rescue, but she closed the door back as soon as she saw me being interviewed. The old lady gave me a form about some time line and schedules for the membership qualification. I still didn’t understand what all of it was for but I don’t care. ”If this is what it takes for me to go here together with Mika, then so be it.” I took the form and filled it out with my information, answered all the questions to the interviewers liking so I can be approved. After the interview, the old lady gave me another set of papers, a booklet and a pen. Then we said our goodbyes.
I went out of the room, a booklet on my right and a pen on my left, I checked the room for the choir members, and there she was talking with the others, I was staring at her from outside the mirrored door. ”Goodness, she really doesn’t look like her age!” I told myself. She noticed me waiting outside, she walked towards the door and went out to go with me. ”So where to now?” I asked her again, just like back at the store.
“I’m hungry, wanna go and eat at the mall?” she asked.
“Holy Fuck!!! I still haven’t got my salary yet, I don’t have money. I didn’t saw this coming.” I thought to myself. We were already walking towards the door of the building. ”Let’s go.” I just replied.
Walking towards the mall, I was still thinking about my budget. ”Shit where will my money take me now. I only have enough to make me survive until next payday.” I was talking to myself, careful enough so that Mika wouldn’t hear me in one of my monologues. We were already inside the mall when I noticed her walking towards the restaurant parts of the mall. ”Are we going to eat here?” I asked her.
“Why got any ideas?” she asked.
“I don’t really know, I usually eat at the food court. So I’m not really familiar here.” I said.
“Well that’s fine too. It’s been a long time since I last eaten at the food court.” And we headed for the food court instead. “That’s a relief, I thought I would really go bankrupt.” Arriving there, I decided to eat at the nearby noodle store while she chose the Filipino food stand. ”So how was the experience so far?” She asked me.
“You didn’t really tell me about the welcoming part, I was forced to sign up for the membership thingy.” I answered.
“You don’t have to force yourself to sign up for it if you don’t like to. You know.” she said.
“I’d like to give it a try, maybe it can change my mind towards religion and such.” i replied. ”Besides, I don’t really have anything to do next Sunday.”
“Well then, I’d probably go with you there anyway.”
“To the Discovery thing?” I clarified. ”I really don’t know yet, with my nature of work, I’ll just be glad that I’ll have Saturday for my rest day.”
We talked a lot while eating, or at least while she was eating, I finished my food right after she got her order. We talked about her experiences, why she went and sign up for the website, my reasons for writing and why I ended up on the same site. We ended up talking about the stories that we’ve written.
“I really can’t believe the twists that you made, I didn’t expect the guy to fall in love with Mel.” She said.
“Remember my other story?”
“What? the tagalog one?”
“Yeah, that.” I said, “Yzza and Mel are the same person, or at least that’s how I like to put it.” I continued.
“So you mean both of them were true stories?”
“No, not really, The english one is partly a pigment of my imagination, but most of the characters were taken from real people that I’ve been with, I like it that way, I get to visualize how my character would be while I’m writing the stories.” I explained.
“So meaning, the main character is really you?”
“Yeah, why?”
“So, you and Mel are really together? How about the kids?” She asked eagerly.
We spent the afternoon talking a lot about our stories, and sharing our real life experiences.
“Let’s go, it’s already passed three. Do you wanna come with me? I’m meeting up a friend from the church.”
“Where?”
“At a coffee shop near here.” she directed.
We went to the coffee shop, it was quite a long walk but we were talking, or at least she was talking. “Woo, thank god, she talks a lot, she never runs out of stories, I can’t think of anything to talk about.” I thought to myself. “She’s so full of stories, that it’s not getting me bored.” I debated with myself. “I want to make a move on her, but she might misunderstood, I want to somehow get close, but what if she thinks I’m just like the other guys who would just want to get inside her pants.” Too many what if’s came into my mind the whole time that we were walking, then I didn’t notice, we were already walking on the coffee shop’s facade. “Let’s go in.” she pushed me.
“What the heck? I don’t have enough for this.” I was talking to myself.
We went inside the shop and grabbed a seat near the windows to clearly see the people passing by.
“So what do you want?” she offered.
I was shocked. “What is she planning on?” i thought on my head.
“Hey! what do you want to have.” she insisted.
I felt somehow ashamed, I don’t like the feeling of a girl buying for me, although I use to do it back when I was still studying, but I don’t like the idea of it now that I am working. “What’s the cheapest that they have here?” I finally said. “How about you what are you having?” I asked back.
“Oh, I’m just grabbing some tea.” she said.
“I’ll just have the Americano then.” the cheapest I could find but then again, I like my coffee strong.
We sat back as soon as she got her order, I was brushing through the booklet that I got from her church. “They’ll be here soon, we just have to wait a bit.” she said.
“It’s alright, it’s my rest day anyway and I don’t have anything to do until tomorrow.”
“But you only had two hours of sleep right?” she was concerned.
“Thanks for the concern, but I’m already on a caffeine high, so I’ll be awake till later in the evening.” I assured.
Then we went back with our earlier conversations, talking about our stories on the website and a bit more. “So how long have you been together?” she asked.
“About seven years now.” I replied honestly. “We started out as friends, with benefits, then ended up together after a year or so.” I explained.
“How about you? have you ever met a man other than him?” I clarified.
Then she looked by the mirrored window, “Here they are.” then pointed at two ladies walking our way. I wouldn’t dare describe them anymore as what Mika said, “You brutally describe people that it could kill them.” and I don’t want to get in her bad side.
When the two ladies went inside the shop and greeted Mika, they looked at me, wondering who the heck I am. I offered my seat to one of them, and I transferred to the seat with my back facing the window.
The three of them continued to talk, I just sat there, observing, and stared at them thinking about how I could write a story about our meeting but I was still groggy with everything that happened that day and my lack of sleep and my caffeine high to boot.
“We better go, it’s already five in the afternoon.” she told to ladies.
“What? but we just got here.” they said in chorus.
“Our scheduled meeting was three remember, you arrived late.” she said jokingly.
“Okay fine.” they let her go, then I noticed them glanced at me. I got embarrassed and avoided their glances.
We went outside the coffee shop, I didn’t even dared to look back.
“Can you write a story about today?” Mika said while we were walking on the street towards the train station.
“Why not, sure let me think of something. But don’t get your hopes up, I’m not that good a writer after all.” I blushed.
Arriving at the train station. We quickly rode the first train that came to the platform. “So how was the experience so far?” I asked her.
“It was nice, I actually enjoyed it.” she assured me.
There was a long silence between us.
“You’re really quiet aren’t you?” she broke out.
“Not really, I just lack sleep and I don’t want to assume that we’re that close, that I can freely joke and be myself. You might not like me.”
“Magallanes station, arriving at Magallanes station.” The train speakers sounded.
“This is my stop.” she said standing up to approach the door.
“Take care and ’till next time.” I said, still wondering if she did hear what I said. “I wonder how she thinks, I wonder if I left a good impression, I wonder…” I wasn’t able to finish my thoughts as I was already on my stop and went off the Train.
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Hayz natapos din… hope you guys like it. And I hope the one who requested this would like it too…