Ika 24 ng Abril 2009: Stories of our Lives

I have vowed early this summer that all broken things which include clothes, bags, shoes, furniture, and now appliances in the house will be brought to their respective repair shops as soon as I have the time and funds. Both conditions should be satisfied to make this possible but both have not materialized together. Either I have the time but not the money. When I have the money, I would not have the time until the funds are exhausted. I always told myself, I could do it one type of stuff at a time. Still, nothing has happened. I have to make a last ditch effort before the summer is over.

There is still one electric fan left in the shop many months ago that has not been retrieved. Now, there is another electric fan in the general TV viewing area that needs fixing. We have endured a hot TV viewing session for almost the entire summer. Then, there is the TV switch which would even deprive us of TV viewing pleasures several times in a day because once it is switch on and then turned off after use, we couldn't switch it back on until several hours have passed. MS would sometimes want to kick the TV. Although, he and hubby would get lucky at times and would be able to turn it on. Since it still works and because we have TV sets in some rooms, we left the situation at that. Besides, it's not as bad as it is lately. What we sometimes do is just leave it on the entire day. I know it is bad but we want to watch TV.

The wifi of ED's laptop is also not functioning since about the middle of the past school year. Luckily, the other laptop with a damaged motherboard got a replacement just as her laptop's problem started. Several clothes, bags and shoes need repair..... mine, ED's, MD's, MS's. My other helper who repairs broken zippers and sews buttons and holes is still on vacation. Some of my watches have broken bracelet and needs battery change. My audio player in the room would also lose its sound because of loose wire connection. When I touch the cable at the back, the sound comes back. Our DVD player in the general viewing area also needs cleaning. I think the damaged TV switch in my room was the last straw for me.

Now that I have determined the extent of the damage, I think I am about to have a serious breakdown. This weekend I was set to bring whatever can be brought to the repair shop with my TV set. Alas, my boy helper told me that his uncle, an electrician, can repair the TV switch. I had been asking him to have his uncle check the broken electric fan in the viewing room for sometime but that has not happened because the fan needs rewinding and he doesn't have that machine as he is working on his own. I told our boy helper to bring his uncle at home to fix things in the house. I am also determined to bring my personal stuff to the mall for refurbishing and/or repair. The thought has been eating me up since my TV broke. I guess things will get fixed over the weekend......

Since Wednesday, I have been hitching a ride with Manong Bus Driver when he fetches MS until the point where I can't conveniently get a tricycle. Our home is in the inner portion of the village and tricycles are hard to come by at about the time of my departure. I'd be lucky if a neighbor happens to be brought home from the market by one. It was nice that Manong Bus Driver offered to give me a ride. I have taken advantage of that offer.

The short distance that I traveled with MS and Manong would be used in engaging in small talks. Starting small talks that should be short enough is quite tricky. Good starting points are hard to come by and if you happen to chance upon a topic that interests you both, you will be on a roll. Without any common grounds, I always thought that the safest topic would be family and work. I hardly know Manong's family who lives in Bulacan. I assumed he goes there in the weekend and stays the whole week in school where he was given a space by the owner. He is the owner's cousin which is why he is also the head of security of the school.

Yesterday, he gave me a useful bit of information telling me that the school is opening a college department but has not been granted approval yet by CHED yet. A bulb got lighted in my head. I offered that I am a college professor and when that college opens I made it known that I am interested to get in. The short ride became my initial interview with the owner's cousin who could be my inroad to a potential teaching job in the future when I decide I no longer want to work far away from home.

The day before our chat was limited to how he was able to provide school bus service to MS after he saw him in summer class. He really does not provide service during the summer but the owner of the school insisted that he fetch this boy taking summer classes. As the boy's residence is near our home, Manong would have no problem fetching MS as well. That was how I got transportation for MS.

Today, I asked him about his kids who I assumed are all grown up. He said that one is in college and the other is a senior high school. Being inquisitive by nature(or a gossip perhaps), I would wonder why our kids are of the same age and yet he is way more senior than I am...... a polite way of putting it. He said he has three married children in Bulacan. I would go on further asking him if he has grandchildren.... He has three. Then, he revealed that he and the missus are not together anymore. "Oh" was the only thing I could muster after a brief awkward moment. He continued that the original (referring to his former wife) stays in his property in Bulacan with his kids. His new wife is the one staying with him in his space in the school. The gossiper in me cannot be shut up, I reluctantly asked if he has kids with this new one. He said, "Yes, he has new one/s(?)". "So you have a baby, Manong." I was about to get off. He said it's too bad that I had to get off when it would be nice to talk about how the whole thing happened. I told him, "the story will unfold little by little, Manong." I bade him and MS goodbye telling them to have a safe travel.

Funny how you have certain notion of people that is a far cry from who and what they really are. I always have this picture of Manong in his karsunsillo (the white boxers of olden times)carrying his apo during the weekend in his native Bulacan..... Now, that picture has totally changed. There is still a baby but he's holding him in a different way.......

I would probably hear the rest of the story the next time I hitch a ride with him and MS..........

PS: Isang kaopisina ko na naman ang kukuha ng isang aso ko. Ihahatid ko nitong weekend. Parang nalulungkot ako tuwing nababawasan ang alaga ko. Pero kailangan ko rin naman silang ilagay na sa ibang tahanan at mahirap din maraming aso. At kailangan din nilang makapagpasaya ng ibang tahanan...........