We
were in a dark crowded alley holding hands, with people rushing back and forth
around us. He smiled at me, and as always, I smiled back; he kissed my
forehead, my nose, my lips. The words ‘I love you too’ hang suspended in my
tongue and in the air – I wish I’ve said it- for someone groped me; I
turned around sharply and saw it was a guy in his early twenties, with eyes as
dark as a moonless night and a poisonous smile on his lips. Michael stepped
forward- always my knight and savior- I knew he would make him pay, and dread
came over me, for at what price? The guy ran and Michael chased after him, me
shortly after them, but I found my legs were getting heavier, and when I reached
a seemingly endless flight of stairs, I was stone. When I finally reached the
end, I saw Michael follow the devil inside a fenced room with twenty or more
armed guys with the same malicious smiles. He turned around and looked at me
one last time, before someone hit him with a bat from behind; punched him,
kicked him, stabbed him. He was my angel, vomiting blood, oozing blood, blood
everywhere; and all I could do was cry for help that never came.
The Tallest Person in My Life
Author: Margareth Dane Febrero /
She is, in many
ways, a giant. I’ve looked up at her my whole life.
We would walk hand
in hand on the street, and our neighbors would stare at us. They, too, look up
at her. She would walk back straight, eyes looking forward, with a strut models
would kill for.
My dad looked up
too, though I believe he had no choice. When they fight, he had to look up to
her face in rage, and he knew who has the upper hand. We both know who’s the
boss.
Even now that we
are almost on the same eye level, I still look up at her.
Some things never
change.
Moonlit Lovers
Author: Margareth Dane Febrero /
It
was a full moon. The night smelled of dew and of tuberoses. He climbed through
the vines outside her window; agile, swift. He stepped foot into the room
effortlessly. Not a sound could be heard, not even his breath. The moonlight
accentuated his curly hair, his deep set eyes, his pointed nose, his muscular
body, his horns, and his tail. He saw his love underneath the covers. He was
shining, almost glittering; the shadows could not reach him. You could almost
touch the magic and romance dripping in the air. He knelt beside her bed. He
held his breath in anticipation, and then delicately removed the covers on his
beloved. And there she was, in all her naked glory, sleeping peacefully before
his eyes. And for this faun, there would never be a more enchanting moment such
as this. And I thought, nor for me. Numerous wonderful paintings have been made
in the history of man, but Picasso’s Faun Uncovering a Woman unfolds a tale
that never fails to speak to the heart.
Financial Freedom
Author: Margareth Dane Febrero /
I
stared at my old Oral-B toothbrush, its once blue handle now black, which I
have yet to wonder how. I just got my
two thousand peso allowance for the month, so I decided to ask my mom to come
with me to SM North and finally buy myself a new one. Once we got there I
decided to look at the shops first; it would be a waste of the trip to just go
grab a toothbrush and leave, and I headed straight to Cinderella because it has
the nicest dresses and it was near the entrance. I tried on a pretty blue
checkered polo and it looked so good on me, it would be a sin not to buy it,
which I did. And in every boutique after that I told myself I would just try
them on, no harm done, and the cycle repeats. After an hour I have in pretty
paper bags an adorable pair of shorts and pink shades from Pink Soda, an underwear from Bench Body, a blush-on and stationery set from SM Department
Store, and an empty wallet. My mom was real big on independence and handling my
own money, so she wouldn’t lend me money for my toothbrush, even after some
begging. Later that night, I used my old toothbrush again, and I realized that
the handle turned black because the can I store it on was soaked.
Toilers of the Sea by Ricarte Puruganan
Author: Margareth Dane Febrero /
In this
painting, I see the life of a fisherman. He sets out to the sea as he usually
does and watches as the sky becomes a beautiful mix of tinges of orange and
yellow, like God wanted man to see art in the sky before dark finally settles.
He sees the swirling of the waves, strong and magnificent, and sees the
layering of blue and white with hints of gray and green, like they are indeed
oil painted on canvas.
Color is a prominent aspect in the
painting. Puruganan emphasizes the contrast of the golden sky to the light blue
waves, but the colors are in harmony with each other, they do not fight for
attention. Instead, they become part of one another. That is why when you look
at this painting, you see it as a whole. The deliberate strokes of blue and
white created a sense of movement to the waves, you almost expect the waves to
shift and stir. The orange and yellows brought glow and warmth.
You might find yourself responding
to the painting; feeling the bobbing of the boat that lulls you to calmness,
seeing the endless expanse of the sea and the majesty of the sunrise. Do you
become terrified of the uncertainty of the deep waters beneath you, think of
home and if you’ll ever come back, or does the beauty of the lit golden sunset
sweep everything out of your mind for the moment and leave you speechless?
Bones and Souls
Author: Margareth Dane Febrero /
It’s Mr.
Villanueva’s surgery. Family’s very nervous. I told them . . .
“No one dies on my table.”
Twelve hours
later, I smiled for the first time that day. Vital signs were good; we’ve done
a good job. He’ll live.
I look
at the x-ray again. I’ve been looking at these things all my life. When I look at x-rays I see their bones and
their souls; their lives, words, and danger.
My team
came to me. Panic in their eyes. He had
cardiac arrest. I held his heart and pumped.
He died
with his heart in my hands.
Character's Facebook Status
Author: Margareth Dane Febrero /
Name: Charlie K. Dimagiba
Age: 37
When the character is heartbroken:
My final words on love: Yes, I've given up. On
happiness, on smiles, on warm nights. But I've accepted that there are things
that cannot be, so I'm letting you go. And while I'm sorry that Little
Charlotte will be growing up in a broken family, I'm happy that she can finally
sleep in peace. No more shouting. No more breaking things.
What the character found funny:
“The problem with Americans is that they are
overpaid, oversexed, and over here.” – Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago.
Senators- More Fun in the Philippines. :D
When the character is hungry:
Here at Shakey’s eating a Hawaiian Double while
taking a look around. That guy’s shirt is legendary!!!
When the character is angry:
If you can’t accept me, then fine. I’ve done NOTHING
to you. This society is killing me.
About the character’s pet:
After years of saving up, I have bought an albino
snake! A good companion and bodyguard all in one. Finally, someone to warm my
bed. HAHA.
Who Am I?
Author: Margareth Dane Febrero /
Modest
Amiable
Really
clumsy
Grumpy
Appreciates
silence
Reads
like crazy
Entirely
special
Trustworthy
Headstrong
Matured
and sharp
Afraid of
darkness
Gentle
Buys too
much
Oversleeps
Observant
of details
Friendly
Easy to
approach
Becomingly
beautiful
Ready to
smile
Elegantly
simple
Reserved
and shy
Often
kind
How I Lost My Wife
Author: Margareth Dane Febrero /
He buried his ring beside the roses on his wife’s grave.
She was killed on a stormy night. He was home from work earlier than
usual. In his hand were roses. On their bed was his wife, naked, with his kumpare.
He threw his body on a dumpsite. Then he called the police. He told
them, through choked sobs, that he found his wife’s throat slit on their bed.
He cried himself to sleep on his wife’s grave.
He woke up to the sound of police sirens surrounding him, though in his
dream he thought it was his wife’s scream.
Six Word Stories
Author: Margareth Dane Febrero /
1.
Beers
and a horse for company.
2.
Bury
the ring beside the roses.
3.
Take
my wallet then kiss me.
4.
She
kissed with her eyes open.
5.
The
bullet passed through his heart.
The Greatest Daddy in the World
Author: Margareth Dane Febrero /
It was in the middle of the night when
Daddy would come home completely drunk. When he attempted to speak his words
were slurred, his face was as red as a tomato, and he would vomit all over our shining
living room floor. I would wake up to the sound of their screams, of plates
breaking, of curses thrown back and forth like gunshots. Daddy would punch the
door so hard I was afraid it would break into pieces. One time, Mommy threw the
thick glass that covered our table towards Daddy, and days after that I would
still step on small shards of glass.
Mommy would sit on a white plastic
monoblock in front of our black and white wall clock on the living room. She
would stare at it, face entirely devoid of expression, as if she was in a
trance. Tick tock. Tick tock. I sat beside her but she didn’t notice. Tick
tock. Tick tock. The clock struck ten, and Mommy’s eyes came alive, like she
just woke up from a dream. She saw me beside her but did not comment on it.
“Sunduin mo na Daddy mo sa court.” I didn’t want to, it was so dark outside.
But I did, in my terno Sailor Moon sando and shorts. I would arrive in the
middle of a round of tong-its and when Daddy sees me, even when in the middle
of a laugh, he would immediately frown.
Sometimes Mommy and I would go to
Church on Sundays. Daddy wouldn’t come with us because on Sundays he bets on
sabong with his friends. Once, when we got home, Mommy was devastated when she
found out all her jewelry was missing. Even the money hidden under the mattress
wasn’t there. Mommy ran outside while I stood there gaping. When she returned
she had the eyes of a madwoman, and I hid and sat on a corner, shaking like a
leaf. Mommy walked back and forth, all the while calling on her cell phone.
When no one answered I knew she would break everything at arm’s length, but
instead, she slumped on the floor and cried and cried. I crawled from my corner
and hugged her. “I hate your father. I hate your father.” she said through
choked miserable sobs. I told her through my own tears “Don’t cry. I’ll grow up
fast and get a job. Then we’ll get rich.”
Daddy always left at 4 am to drive our
jeepney. But in the past two weeks, he would leave with Mommy’s old leather
envelopes and dress up in the white polo shirt that we bought for his birthday.
In one occasion I awoke to Mommy and Daddy whispering. I did my best
impersonation of a sleeping person and listened. “When are you leaving?” “Two
weeks.” “I’ve already borrowed 50 thousand from Ate.” “I can’t send money for
two months. But I promise we’ll pay her afterwards.” “Don’t screw this up.” And
then there was silence.
Two weeks passed in fast forward.
Today would be the day Daddy leaves, and there were much packing and
preparations. That night Mommy, Daddy, and I were all on the bed. Daddy was
hugging me for the first time. There was a basketball game airing on Channel 13
but Daddy agreed to watch Bubble Gang on Channel 7 instead.
When Mommy left to check on something,
Daddy talked to me. “Daddy’s leaving.” he said. I only nodded. “Daddy’s leaving
for you. Then you can go study wherever you want in college, whatever course
you’d like. You can become a doctor or a lawyer.”
A few hours later, we drove to the
airport. Daddy had his arm around me and his other arm around Mommy, ninong was
driving. I wanted to say I’d rather have Daddy here than study, but I didn’t.
When we arrived, there were hundreds
of men who had the same green shirt as Daddy’s that said “Kuwait Agility
Logistics” at the back in bold letters, branding my Daddy as theirs and no
longer ours.
Daddy
kissed my forehead. “Ineng, huwag mong kakalimutang isara yung pinto. Alagaan
mo si Mommy.”
Then
he walked to the entrance of the airport, his back to us, and went inside. He
didn’t look back.
“Come,
sweetie.” Mommy said. “Kinain na siya ng pinto.”
We returned to an empty house. Mommy went
straight to bed in the shadows while I was left behind to lock the door. Hours
later I woke up to the sound of the gate opening and in the darkness of the night,
I double checked the locks with my heart on a gallop. All of a sudden the phone
rang, shone like the first rays of sunrise. And when I heard Daddy’s voice, I
felt like we were safe.
Mag-subscribe sa:
Mga Komento (Atom)
