Trash of A Doggone-Day-Gone-Okay

The fading of another sweltering day into dusk saw Team Joshua shrugging off the fact that the August 30th paycheck has been delayed for exactly eighteen days now. Everyone in the team knew how to count, of course. Everyone knew who to blame for this major misfortune, and why. And definitely, everyone knew how infuriating the entire “state of business” is, in ways that even a 100-per-cent-salary-bonus-as-peace-offering-for-the-delay couldn’t make up for. (Flying fancy to greater heights was super fun, mind you!)

Today, however, everyone seemed too exhausted to keep belaboring the point—verbally, at least. After all, after seventeen days of nonstop ranting about it, we needed a respite. So, instead of the usual oratory and theatrics, Gani charmed an indulgent Ana with stories of the olden days (good and not-so-good ones) at La Salle, while I chatted with a Yahoo Messenger Buddy about how straining “not hoping” could be (”Kakapoy mag ‘indi mag-hope’ noh?”)

(Leslie deliberately missed the office’s afternoon scene in malum inse; some humans could only take so much of bulldung, you know)

You can say that at that moment, in eighteen days, the House of Joshua had Negative Peace (absence of direct violence i.e. breathing invectives, smashing ceramic cups against the wall et. al. but structural violence is present and people’s needs remain unmet.) I had a corny metaphorically-faulty thought for it: If a doggone day is a hotdog, at least, we fried it in butter. Whatever. Kakapoy mag “indi mag-hope” bala!

When Gani bid us goodbye, Ana and I thought we’d turn to our usual “De-stressing Activity.” We texted Leslie that we’d meet her at StarMart-East for iced coffee, junk food, and tsismis. A jeepney ride for eight minutes and the-hell-it-matters seconds and we were there. My friend Pipit also appeared, in exhilarating shades of lime and pink. We four talked about the usual stuff: Love and How It’s All That Matters Sometimes; The Merits of Junk Food; Transcending Commiseration to Proactive Empathy; Inherent Cracks in the Human Nature and How Some People Use Them as Justifications for the Stupidest Self Serving Reasons; Joshua’s Troubles Are Our Troubles; and, Whatnots. I talked like a rollercoaster with vocal chords. Leslie giggled and teased in her signature un-showbiz way. Pipit affirmed in her sweet-bitchy way. And Ana dutifully documented the proceedings, clicking her digicam at a rate of two clicks for every one sound thesis statement uttered. Whew.

Time stretched like dough in a breadstick maker’s hand. We four parted, somewhat de-stressed. Recharged. In shape Like dough in a breadstick maker’s hands.

I arrived at the bus terminal alone, relaxed, and in a life-affirming mood. The day ended fine enough. I had enough load to say “Hi” to a hundred people. The bus filled up with passengers in less than half-an-hour. The world, I was gracious to say, was okay =)

I texted Ana, Leslie, and Pipit:

Jeprox: Hope nakaabot na kamo sa inyo.

Only Ana replied. I presumed Leslie had no load and Pipit’s on webcam with a Korean needing to learn English.

Ana: Sweet ba. We’re home na. Ikaw ya?

Jeprox: Ari sa bus. Kis-a lang ko bala sweet. Nakatughung bi Iced Coffee mong. Namnamin mo na lang.

Ana: Mmm… Namit!

Jeprox: Daw… Iced Coffee ay?

Ana: Yup. Daw ikaw guid.

Jeprox: Ako Iced Coffee? Flattering. But you could have said “tuba” and it would have been more flattering.

Ana: Fartering guro. Hahaha.

Jeprox: Tuod? Wala pa ko bi katilaw sina mong. E-google ko na bala bwas. Better yet, ma “tuba” party ta bwas.

Ana: Pajama Party over tuba. Oist, Movie ta ya bwas!

Jeprox: For the First Time naman na ay? Sigh.

Ana: Ahaha. Kis-a man lang ta galantaw ah.

Jeprox: Xia, donasyon ko na lang na sa Pinoy Movie Industry. Kag sa pag-abyanay ta eh. If anything.

Ana: Yehey!

Jeprox: As always, intensyon mo ang i-misundestand ako. Kay pabor sa imo. Sigh.

Ana: That’s being too mushy.

Jeprox: Mushy? Pureed!

Ana: Woohoo. Nothing bad intended. Love you. Mwah. Mwah. Mwah.

Jeprox: Pamahid. Pamahid. Panapi.

Ana: Mwah. Mwah. Mwah.

Jeprox: Sigh.

Heaven spare me from friends of this sort. From mushy, to pureed, most probably to distilled—Dio Mio, I must steer clear of any more of these influences! But fat chance! Even For the First Time, as it is, couldn’t be much of a help. I wish Tomorrow would come ten minutes late and ten times better than today. Kakapoy mag “indi mag-hope” eh!

Yeah right.