LA LANG, JUST HAVE THIS URGE TO TELL A TRUE STORY (after all the fiction I have written...) When Che and I met at the corporate communications office in PAL nine years ago, I told myself shes the most wonderful young woman I had ever laid my eyes on. I was 42, she was 19. Not long after, we became good friends, so much so that I made sure to walk her to the MRT station every night after work. She lived in Quezon City, worlds away from where I have spent most of my life--Paranaque. I also made sure to join her during lunch where, as an aside, I brought her junk food as an after-lunch treat (about seven different potato chips mixed in a huge bowl. Today, after nearly a decade, we still enjoy that dreadful feast, dunked in a thick mix of Cheez Whiz, Nestle Cream and raw garlic while we watch TV. I know its going to kill me one day more than cigarettes). The boss found out about our friendship. The next day, she didnt come to the office. Only later did I learn that the boss decided to cut short her stint as OJT. My own contract wasnt renewed after it expired that year. One night at a party (prepare yourself for a kiss-and-tell episode) where Che wasnt supposed to be a part of, I left with her kiss still warm on my lips. She chose to attend without anyone knowing, not even me. It was to surprise me, I recall her saying. She was 20, I was 43. Same birth date with a 23 gap in years. To cut to the chase we both ended up living together after a fire broke out where she lived and destroyed everything. In a small room apartment about the size of two arm-spans square, we spent our first months together looking through what seemed like a rather dismal future. Until one day, while having drinks with friends, I noticed that Ches storytelling had what it takes as a literary piece. I asked her if she loved to read (I never saw her with a book). She said she loved reading the Tagalog romances which one can buy for a few pesos. That was enough to spur me to buy her more of those. I then asked her if she could write a 100-plus page story using yellow paper and a pen. She did as she was told. She wrote more novellas in Filipino by hand in the weeks that came. I then decided to enter one of the stories in the NBDB Story Writing Contest. Che begged me to look at it first. I refused. She was furious. I said, if youre not confident in your work, then why even send it? She took a long deep breath and said, go ahead and send it. We did. Needless to say, she won the first prize. At 23, she was an award-winning writer. LIRA was open and looking for possible Fellows for the workshop. Che and her sister Chen was only too glad to join. They passed the workshop requirements and eventually the workshop itself. After it was over, I then introduced her to books and works by Rio Alma, Lualhati Bautista, Rosario Ladia Jose, Jun Cruz Reyes, Rebecca T. Anonuevo, Teo Antonio, Vim Nadera, Michael M. Coroza, Agustin C. Fabian, Amado Hernandez and other Filipino authors of note. She wrote and read everyday with nary the procrastination some writers indulge in. Not long after, she was taken in as lifestyle editor of Pilipino Mirror. She is now working on her full length novel and a collection of short stories. Weve been together for a good eight years. Many have expressed their doubts during the relationships early stages. Some of her friends said that having someone so old may not be beneficial for one so young, talented and beautiful. That I will only abuse her. Apparently its a common belief, one that Che and I feel is unfair. I was told by friends that having someone so young is a curse. Curt and trained on brevity as a journalist, I gave them the bad finger. We only had this to say to them: you aint seen nothin yet! Today, we enjoy the simplest of blessings: a good book, time for coffee and storytelling, a date at a siomai stop, a night of horror movies, poetry readings, or those rare instances we can go out of town after months of grueling newsroom work. No, were not married, all because a damn stupid law prevents us from saying our vows. But God knows what I would give for the honor of kneeling before this wonderful woman and offering my life in return for her love. To hand over to her my name, my life and a ring I had worked a lifetime just to purchase--now that would be something. Having reached fifty, I feel I have very little time left. Oh, and a number of babies, too! My hope will not stagger. :) This, too, shall come to pass. :)
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 07:59:07 +0000
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