Nanghukay sa notes. Bored gid gali ko katama dati. haha Chapter I: A Meeting Down to my last cigarette, I fumbled in my pocket for the match box. Caught in a rainstorm this morning, I only hope the words written on the label are true. “Inferno Matches… Water proof! ”. Three matchsticks left. I struck one of the heads on the box’s side for several times. Not a spark answered my prayer and the tired stick broke in half after leaving a gash on the matchbox’s side. The second stick looked at me with malice. Daring me to try to light him and assuring me that he’s the same as his brother who I disposed earlier. He caught fire in an instant, completing his role. As nicotine flooded my blood stream, I wondered. When will I complete mine? The rain stopped about noon. No way of telling time nor where I was. A sudden realization pounced on me like a rabid hamster. I can’t remember anything before last night. All I know is to keep traveling north to where the clouds are heaviest. Something about those hovering monsters keep me walking to that direction. I know in my guts that there’s nothing there but more misery. I walked. Looking around me, I realized I’m in a city. Buildings wet and decaying since not a decent ray of light touched them when this weather started. Like a hungry beast, the rain clouds lay on top of this world and showing no signs of leaving it and drenching the land of occasional downpours. To tell you the truth, I liked this kind of weather. I was never a sunshine person. Funny. Why do I know about my self when I can’t remember my name? Thunder. Flashes of the past. A girl’s face. Knees weakened. Nothing. I gained consciousness while something rough and wet keeps prodding my ear. Sniffing. Vision blurry, I tried to focus on thing huge thing before me. It’s black and white, furry and was standing on all fours. Watching me with beady its beady eyes. “Mapatay nalang gid ko, death by panda pa?”. (I’m about to die and it’s death by panda?) I heard my self saying in a weak voice. Apparently a cigarette is no substitute to food and water. I’m loosing my mind. I hope it’s true that pandas only eat bamboo shoots. But this one has very large claws for an herbivore. A skittering sound caught my attention. Near where a lay is a building. And hurrying down its wall is a huge spider like creature. Huge maw dribbling with gooey, green liquid. I scampered on my knees and hand. Not knowing where to go since these I’m in between a hungry bug and a questionable mammal. Suddenly, the panda swept me on the side. Sharp fangs showing, it stood on its hind legs, baring its claws. Will it tear the spider apart with its claws or bite it to death? I was proven wrong when the bi colored beast picked up a boulder, a piece of the landmark nobody will miss, and squashed its foe. I’m now sure that all things in this world are not what they seem. How do you thank a panda? “Salamat meg”. (Thank you, friend). The panda, not in the mood for pleasantries started to walk towards a dilapidated looking building. A sign on top of its doorway. “D’ Original 3 Sisters Store”. “Looks promising!”, my stomach exclaimed. “Daad may pula sanda…”, (I hope they have reds) my lungs sighed. As my organs expressed their feelings, I silently followed the panda. The store was a mess. Someone or something already sacked the place. Bags of chips and biscuits are scattered on the floor. Other food stuff shared the same fate. The panda brought its hulking mass through piles of garbage towards the back of the store. I tried my luck on the fridge near the counter. Power is down since I arrived in this city. How did I end in this place anyway? No time to think with an empty stomach and dry throat. I opened the fridge. Broken bottles and crushed cans and greeted me accompanied by rotting aroma from the freezer I dared not open. A grunt came from my furry friend. Suddenly remembering the spider, I hurried towards the panda just incase another of them uglies decides to join our foraging. I found it with a pile of cans in front of him. Sardines, peaches, corned beef, laing tuna and other canned goods. Yey. The panda took one can of sweet corn, opened it with one of his claws and gulped the contents. It stared at me while munching. It rolled on can towards me and I picked it up. Spanish style sardines. Expiration date: Jan 2010. The date on the dusty calendar on the wall: Sept 21, 2010. Happy birth day to me. “Pabukas be meg”. (Kindly open it for me please.) Still munching, he looked at the table besides me. A knife sits idly on top of it. Rusty on the hilt but still spotless near the tip. I opened the can with it. I can’t believe the beast would crush a bug would crush a spider but would be too lazy to comply with my request. He rolled another can after I finished the sardines. Meat loaf. The rain started again. I grabbed the empty can of sardines and went outside. I drank rain water that I caught. Another clap of thunder. Flashes of images flooded my brain like a movie in fast forward. Then… the void.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 13:35:05 +0000
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