Her Words

Nonfiction by | November 30, 2014

It was two days before Christmas last year when I received a text message saying “Hi” with a smiley. The phone number was not in my contact list so it took me a few minutes before I finally replied and asked who it was.

I was surprised when she revealed she was “Dee…UPMin Arki.” I had met her in school. Someone might have introduced us and since then, every time we saw each other, we would exchange greetings and smiles. But that was all. I never remembered conversing with her or anything. She was that pretty chinita girl who was a member of the Dance Ensemble. I clearly remember that she was the frontliner in their number during our Freshmen Convocation Program.

She just wanted to confirm whom she was texting because my number was registered as “UP LitSoc” in her contact list. I told her that it was me and she apologized for causing any inconvenience. I said she wasn’t causing any. And from then, we exchanged text messages. We would text each other in the morning when we woke up, remind each other to eat meals, ask what each was doing, and late at night, we would say good night to each other.

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The Human Heart Has No Measure: Davao Writers Workshop 2014

Nonfiction by | November 23, 2014

Davao Writers Workshop 2014There are three things I’m pretty sure writers will want at one point or another in their lives: to travel, to better themselves in their craft, and to create something worthwhile. The three are interconnected, if you really think about it. In the short time we spend on this world, it is with great skill (or with great luck) that we acquire the opportunity to gain all three at once. As for me, being accepted into this year’s Davao Writers Workshop was one of those opportunities.

Wanderlust
I had learned of my acceptance into the workshop on the eve of September 27th, exactly a month before the workshop would begin. It seemed so near and so far at the time. A lot can happen in a month. Specifically for me, it was finishing final grades for the first semester and organizing Poetry Night, a poetry reading program that our group NAGMAC (Nagkahiusang Mambabalak sa Cagayan de Oro) held every other month. The latter happened just two nights before I and co-fellow Vel Marie “Mai” Santillan, were to get on an all-night bus ride to Davao for the workshop.

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Pangposas Nga Panyo

Play by | November 9, 2014

Sa istasyon sa pulis. Hapon.

Miduol si Liling, usa ka kwarintay-singko nga babayi, sa lamisa kung asa adunay babayi nga pulis. Sa iyang atubangan, adunay usa ka lalaki nga naka-polo. Gihiktan ang mga kamot sa lalaki gamit ang usa ka pink nga panyo. Gisenyasan ni Liling ang lalaki nga muingkod tapad sa ubang mga pulis nga nangape. Nipuwesto siya sa tunga sa istasyon nga nakatindog.

Liling: O, maayong adlaw mga Chief! Maayong adlaw kaninyong tanan! Siguro katingalahan para ninyo nga ania ko diri karon, nagdala ug usa ka lalaki nga giposasan nako ug panyo. Pink pa gyud nga adunay mga gagmay’ng bulak-bulak sa kilid. Mga Chief, ako siyang gipabantay sa inyo karon. Pero sa kadako sa iyang sala, dili siguro ni siya mudagan samtang ania pa ko.

Ako si Liling, usa ka labandera lang intawon didto sa Sampaguita. Dili ako ang kanang maong panyo. Kanang akong gipangposas kay gipalaba sa akong silingan, pero dili gyud nako mabalik sa tag-iya. Ang kanang lalaki sa inyong tapad kay akong ipakulong tungod sa hastang pagkapangit nga pagkapa sa piano didto sa Mintal, ug sa pag-undang ug tugtog sa tunga-tunga sa kantang “Amahan Namo”.

Pasensya, Chief. Basin abi ninyo bugal-bugal lang ni akoa ba. Pero dili. Wala nay mas ikaseryoso nga akong himuon sa akong tibuok kinabuhi. Gusto gyud nako siya ipakulong diri nga istasyon sa pulis. Bisag mga pipila lang intawon ka adlaw.

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