Nung Ako Ay Tech Support Pa: "Hurry up"
One Winter I received a call and in the middle of trouble shooting...
Me: "Maam , I need you to open your Windows."
Caller: "Ok"
Me: (Continued to take Caller through trouble shooting steps)
After awhile....
Caller: "Can you hurry up? It's Freezing in here.
Me: "I'm sorry?"
Caller: "You asked me to open my Windows. So I did!"
Me: "You can close "Those" windows Maam."
"A Cold Conversation"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
His phone had been vibrating again at the table. He had tried to rub his sleepy eyes and squinted at who it was. It was her calling again.
"Yes?" He simply had no strenght to argue or even ignore this call. "You do know what time it is right?"
"I wanted to ask if you watched me earlier?" Always that melodic , pleasant voice. "Did you like my red dress?"
"Sadly I was working. People to save. People to placate. And all that." He had sat down and put on a shirt and he did not even know why. He took the shirt off again.
"I thought you would be more excited than that to hear from me again." Came the voice , disappointed and he could picture her pouting just a little.
"YuuA-shi , I am not a fan of yours. I work long hours and would appreciate it if you don't bother me when I am sleeping." He wanted to say that he did not rehearse this line again and again but it took him awhile to say it without that tinge of regret he was feeling now.
Silence on the other side of the phone. And then laughter. Something he knew she was forcing herself to do. He felt a little guilty for pushing her away like this but he had to do it. Her life depended on it.
"I guess I won't be calling you for awhile. I am going to Japan tomorrow."
"Good. Then I can probably get that 8 hour uninterrupted sleep I keep hearing about from other people." The moment he said it he knew that he had done too much and it hurt him a little too.
"You don't have to be so harsh toward me. I knew what I did. I just wanted to hear your voice. It is the only thing I could really rely on in this world."
"You like being treated like this and you keep calling me?"
"At least you are consistent. It's not like I want anything else from you now. I know that you used to scold me for being impatient and immature. I guess if this is what it takes then I will just keep calling you until you stop being mean to me."
"And in what world will that ever happen YuuA-Shi?"
"In this one. Someday." She sobbed a little.
"Not with you sobbing like that."
"You know this is the longest time you have ever talked to me." YuuA countered.
"I should probably hang up." Again with his practiced cold voice.
"You should , I think I am growing on you again." She sniffed a little. Too proud to even get some tissues.
"Get some tissues. And rest. You always get sick in between traveling."
"Yeah."
V hesitated before pressing the button. It was wrong for him to want more. To wake up and hear her voice and to turn it away was torture. He lay there looking at the ceiling and sleep eluded him anyway.
"The Bored One"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
He began to wonder why he kept on attending this inane parties. He looked young but on the inside he was almost a thousand years old and despite not having the appearance of a great great great grand parent felt like he should be taking a nap instead of dancing to this...uh...Music?
Some of these people might have been direct descendants of some people he knew. He had seen the guest list and saw the surnames and laughed a little that they were all so proud of their titles that they would probably be embarrassed to know what their ancestors did for a living before hitting it big somewhere.
He read somewhere that clothes had trends where they cycle back. It had seemed to him that as each century passed the things people wore were actually getting tighter and tighter or even becoming none existent. He did not mind seeing flesh but all that talk of cycles forgot to talk about the fact that some articles of clothing might not make it back to the next cycle. And this party was full of half naked people that had those small pieces of clothing clinging to them like they will snap at any moment. He found that amusing as if these people were tempting fate by dancing even more vigorously to this...uh...music?
He had a drink and looked out in the darkness. He wanted to hear the sea and wind more so he descended the stairs that lead directly to the beach and in some shadowy areas he saw couples doing things that couples did in shadowy areas. They would not mind a single figure passing by as they seemed to be so engrossed in their activities. The young had so much energy. He quickly walked as not to disturb their fun.
The sand was warm this night and the moon was partly hidden by clouds but the sound of the party was at least farther and the sea breezed soothed him somehow.
"Bored of the party too or are you trying to get away from someone?" It was a melodic voice that seemed familiar to him. His eyes adjusted to the darkness to the see the woman to his left.
"Just getting away from the party in general." He muttered and he took a handful of sand and threw it without meaning to.
"But you are the one who throws these parties in the first place!" The woman seemed surprised.
Now he remembered why he attended these parties. Money was made under his name. Deals were done or undone. Lives continued and ended. And it was all under this seaside villas roof that it happened once a year.
"And why are you here Miss? shouldn't you be making deals under my name as well?"
"Me? I went here with a date and it seemed like he forgot about me."
"Such a shame. You want me to call him and have him punished?"
"Really. You could do that?"
"Is it this guy?"
And a man appeared on the sand , confused. Still acting like he was talking to someone.
"What the fuck is going on?"
"I really hate it when people swear."
"Me too." The Woman said
"Should I rip out his tongue?"
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" The confused man turned around to face him and was hit with the realization of who he was talking to. He began to grovel for his life.
"did you really come with this guy?"
"Sadly. He seemed all blustery when I met him. Always talking about how much money he could bring in for you and that you would always look upon him as your trusted servant."
"Really now? What is your name my trusted servant."
"Yang Taehyun from the Red Day Group , Sir."
"I don't know you and Red day group is one of my small unperforming areas. They will be incorporated to the Green Group except for you. Consider yourself gone."
"But Sir , I meant no..."
"Go now before I decide that I really want to cut your tongue out."
The man ran and sprayed sand everywhere as he went. The woman laughed and he had never heard such laughter before. Was she impressed with his power over these humans?
"Now. I am YuuA. Consider me a retired idol. I would like to know more about you Chairman V."
"Just V will do."
"Fool's Remorse"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I
If I could borrow this night
to fill me with warm memories of you
If I could return to this place
Just one more time to not lose
II
Saying I love you might not have been right
If what was started cannot be won
On the night we said it anyway
And meant it till the last dawn came
III
I wish to steal that moment
To prevent those words that stopped you
From dreaming a little bit more
And staying with such a fool.
Quezon City , April 5 , 2022. 6:55am
"No longer Afraid"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
So recently we visited Greenbelt 3 , The High end shops area in Makati where we usually walk the sky ways through to get to our jeepneys to go home in Pasay 17 years ago.
Walk through was the word since the only thing we can possibly afford in that area was the go nuts donuts and only if there was not a line there that stretched on and on.
While we were looking for parking I reminded my wife of the horror on our faces when we found out that one key chain in one store was priced at 25K! And you can't even do anything with it. Just a status symbol of having a 25k key Chain among the other 25k key chains hooked to your bag.
We were afraid to step into one of those stores because we were afraid to get judged! Mga hampas lupa umalis kayo dito wala kayong pambili ng Hermes or Louis Vuitton!
Well we stepped into the Louis Vuitton in the area and were treated like royalty! My wife getting the attention she deserves when she is shopping. The Lady attending to us returning with more and more bags that fit what my wife wanted. I knew the prices of these bags but I was not worried.(I still had two kidneys and I can sell one!) .Kidding aside I was happy that after all the time we spent just passing by this place I was carrying orange packages for my wife and I can see the smile on her face.
It might have taken 17 years but we were here. And we were no longer afraid.
"They smell your anxiety"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
It was Avens Thesis defense.
She had hastily eaten lunch and was agitated as she went up to the loft to ready her presentation. The light was on , she had changed into her carefully chosen top , she had angled her laptop just right.
We were all preparing to support her by staying quiet during this whole period. Hanie and Mama and I talked in hushed voices so that Aven can do her last minute adjustments.
It was then that her laptop began to began to sputter and produced a whirring sound. Aven was afraid that it would explode. She turned it off. Her Mom sensing her panic readily gave her own laptop and luckily Aven had synced her materials to this laptop before so had access to it in a matter of seconds.
Avens laptop whirred again and I told her that it was not properly turned off and I removed it from her immediate vicinity. I made sure that it stayed off. My poor Aven and her nerves.
Then the presentation began and her voice rang clear and confident .
"Good Afternoon", she began and from that first greeting to the last question that she answered, she maintained a smile and braved through it all. Composed as if nothing had rattled her a mere few minutes ago.
And then it was done. Weeks of preparation and pouring through materials and practicing what to say. I continue to be amazed at how she carries herself at times like these.
"Meld"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I have seen you and you have seen me
Across the darkness we have gazed
Into these little flames that are our souls
Among the noise I hear you
Light and pleasant,bouyed by my greed
If there is any sound for me , it is yours
And so I have tried to bridge that gap
the smallest of distances until
I finally you are near to touch
And in that moment , the lightest land
All else disappears
All else does not matter
And only you are here.
PM Rockwell, Makati. June 3 , 2022. 3:20pm
"Perfunctory"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I
I learned the hard way
that arguing with you is like swimming
against a raging , wild current.
II
I get my nerve up , let it build
All about to shout and you smile
and take away all my fight
III
You smile , starting with your eyes
And I smile like I have no mind
carried over by the current that you made.
Toyota Abad Santos, Manila. June 4 , 2022. 12:17pm
"Pag-uwi ng Tala"
ni:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I
Ikaw ang mga tala , malayo at malaya
At ako ang dilim na sa iyo'y yumayakap
Simula takipsilim hanggang sa umaga
Ang sinasabi mong layo ay di nadarama
II
Sa bawat distansya ay liwanag
Na parang nagsasabi na ito ay tama
Sa bawat ikot ng mga planeta
palapit ng palapit sa tinakdang tadhana
III
Kung sinasabing kalawakan ay malamig
Ang araw at buwan ay nasa ating panig
May basbas ng araw , may pagkunsinti ng gabi
Ang talang malayo , sa akin , ay babalik muli.
Rockwell , Makati. June 7 , 2022. 9:38am
"The Band Aid Needs"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
Due to the pandemic and to the fact that most hires were during those times people have now began to return to office and with it their need to wear shoes or other foot wear that have been neglected for months or even years.
The result is an overwhelming amount of people going to the clinic for band aids for footwear that actually hurts them but they still want to wear. Go figure.
"Purr in the Machine"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
Purr is not your typically black striped orange cat. She was born in the engine of a car and was found by an attendant there who took pity on the thing and set it aside.
I passed Purr once and she was stretching adorably till I noticed that she did not have a mom , whoever birthed her in the engine must have been left in whatever place the had been in.
Now that she was seperated there was no way to feed her. And I went to the cat feed in the back of my car and I had to hit myself in the head because this was a kitten , it needs milk more than solid food. Not immediately anyway.
So I paid the parking attendant who saved Purr some money to buy some syringe and milk so that she can have a fighting chance until she gets a little bigger and stronger to hunt on her own. Why not feed her myself? I am allergic to cats but it doesn't meant that I stop caring for them.
I was hoping for the best. When I parked my car , Dave the attendant told me that Purr was gone. I hope that some kind soul took pity on her and took her home where she can be fed until strong. I am hoping as always for the best.
"Circled"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I
In the corner of my eye
your vision stands out
You flip your hair
and the strands are taken by the light
II
You fight with whom your with
the wind carries your words
And me who has been standing here
pretending not to receive them well
III
I smille and hear those words
How you have never changed
Hurling the same insults
from a stranger to a stray
IV
I keep on asking if things
would have taken different turns
As I hear your words
I know now it would be the same.
Rockwell , Makati. June 6,2022. 5:12pm
"An Offer of Mushrooms"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
"Are you serious? Nana there is no way that you can go up against that." It was her friend Sora saying this. "We have legends about him in my country , the way that he rendered the world in half and healed it."
"I have to give you guys time to escape. I might survive this. But only if he remembers me."
"Remembers you?" Wooyeon chimed in , the tall girl looking down at their leader. "How do you know a thousand year old being Nana?"
"896."
"Excuse me? 896?"
"He is just 896 years old."
"How do you know someone centuries old?"
"Because in that distant past we used to...uh....Date."And with that Nayeon was forced to reveal the 9 tails that she had hid from her members all this time , white tails with red tips as if they were dripped in blood.
"You are a Gumiho?" Minseo , the youngest of them asked dumbfoundedly.
"It always did make sense to me that she was." Lucy said. "How easy it was besting all the other trainees , how fast she moves and heals."
"You are still no match for the Kaibyaku , He is the foundation of this world."Sora showed so much fear on her face that she looked distorted in Nayeon's eyes.
"I know a thing or two about him. So please leave. I will be with you all soon...I hope."
There was a brief moment when all 5 of them held each other but Nana broke free , otherwise she would not want them to go. Facing him after all these years. Too many unknowns. He could feel his menacing energy from beyond the tunnel. she could hear that he was walking , unhurriedly as was his way.
And so she made the first move , hitting the entrace of the tunnels with her tails to collapse it and hopefully trapping him in there but in an instant his face was close to hers.And the near impact made her jump back.
"I haven't seen you in what , 200 years and the first thing you want to do is bury me in a pile of rubble?"
"Isn't that what you tried to do to me the last time we spoke?"
"Well yes but I made sure that you would have all the things that a Gumiho would ever want , a large area to roam and even worshippers. You didn't kill all the priestesses did you?"
"Why would I do that? I just let them be , after a few decades of not appearing they gave up and moved on with their lives."
"Them of little faith then. Not waiting for the Fox Goddess to return. Were you lonely in the forest?"
"I had time to grow."
"I can see, I can also sense it. Are you going to try and kill me once again?"
"I never wanted to."
"Good because I hold nothing but admiration for you."
"Of course if you pursue my friends I would have to change my mind."
V gave a sad smile. "And here I was hoping that we could sit by an Inn somewhere and have some fried mushrooms together. You still like those right?"
"I still do. Don't distract me though. I am serious."
"Well , your members just need to return what they stole and I will be on my way."
"And what is it that they stole?"
"One of my scales. One that was living out a rather peaceful life. They managed to return him to his original form. I can still save him , give him back his memories so he could go back to his wife and child but I have do it soon."
Nana's eyes were filled with sadness. She could not believe that her members were that foolish.Well one of them was foolish enough to do this. She had sensed this item from among them and V was never one to lie about such things.
She threw a silver scale the size of her fist to the ground.
"Please let them live."
"Be careful of them. They know how to do this. Now that they know what you are they can do it to you as well."
V touched the scale and she watched as it turned to be a plain looking middle aged man.
"Master V? what am I doing here?"
"You are still dreaming. Tend to your garden when you wake up." With a wave of his hand V sent the man away back to the safety of his house.
"What happens now?" Her pretty eyes were all that V could drink in.
"The offer for fried mushrooms still stands. Maybe a long conversation will be good for us."
Nana smiled and reached for the hand that V offered. Some things felt natural even if decades had passed.
"Spectre"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I
So I will stand here
And pretend to not see you
To not see how radiant you are
like the sun melting the snow
II
I will say to myself
that smile is the same as before
While knowing in my heart of hearts
that it differs from the one I know
III
I will tell myself that if I imagine
I can travel back in time
Correct all the mistakes I have made
and made sure that you were mine.
IV
But I still stand here
the shadow of the promise I made
Hopefully you do not see me
Here on your wedding day.
Rockwell , Makati. June 15,2022. 10:31am
"Question of the bowed"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I
The Persistence to climb
Oh the heights I could have reached
Yet I remain on the ground
The sky long beyond reach
II
So when did I stop?
To take one branch up
Did I get tired of falling?
when the height is none at all?
III
Did I say to myself
What is the point of aiming higher?
When life easier
When you bow your head lower?
Rockwell , Makati. June 16,2022.5:11pm
