4.28.2005

'Cause I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

here's the pathetic attempt to create a love story... I actually didn't want to... Naastigan lang ako sa plot... hehe... :)


Cause I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane
Ryan Magtibay

"Oh, don't be scared. Look at it this way. If the plane would crash, it would only hurt for a second."

She gave me the so-what-do-you-mean look that she always give me when I joke around.

"So, you want my plane to crash?" she said in a very sarcastic and almost angry tone.

"I was joking. Don't be scared. Many people ride planes everyday. If planes are that dangerous, the population of the world could've gone down," I said in an assuring voice.

She looked at me, her eyes asking for my salvation.

"If you're still scared, you can always close your eyes and think of happy thoughts," I said wearing a smile.

I watched her walk away to ride the plane that would take her to the United States. It would take her away from him for quite some time and he doesn't know if he could take it. He loved her. But he was scared to lose her, so he never revealed what his heart cries out.

His friends always tell him to finally tell her what he feels. They've been best friends for three years now and during those three years neither of them had any relationship at all. His friends tell him that she also loves him. But he won't listen.

They met at a supermarket. He was trying to buy fish and she was trying to buy pork. They both loved squid. And when both of them saw that only a few were left, they both tried to get it. They quarreled over who should get it. And before they were done arguing, they became friends.

He doesn't know when it was that he fell in love with her. Maybe it was when they met in the supermarket; when she was asking the sales clerk for some discount. And she was laughing all the time. Or maybe it was when they had a dinner at a fancy restaurant. She was late then. And when she arrived, she looked amazing; she was as if a princess. Or maybe it was when they went to the zoo and she was very kind to the animals. Whenever it was, she sure caught his heart.

He hated cupid for some time now. Because of him, he needs to go through a lot of trouble just to try to tell her. None of his attempts were successful, though. He would always chicken-out at the last moment. It's because he feel as if he doesn’t deserve her. But there is a voice at the back of his mind that tries to tell him that they are meant for each other.

Now she's gone. And it would last for four straight months. He feels stupid. If only he had told her before. But he was scared of rejection that he wouldn't be able to take it if their friendship would change because of what he feels. He wants to be more than a friend, yet, if ever she doesn't feel the same way, he wants everything to remain as it is. Though, he doesn’t have any idea if his heart is ready for a no.

Love is, indeed, the most beautiful thing in the world. But it is also the most treacherous. There are a lot at stake. And a single wrong step may mean a disaster.

He stopped at the entrance of the supermarket where they met. He stared at it, admiring it for everything that it has done in his life. He reminisced every single moment that they had, even as friends only. For the next four months, those memories would be the only thing that may quench his longing for her.

His cell phone rang. It was her and she was crying.

"The plane's going to crash. But before my life ends, I just want you to know that I fell in love with you the first time we met."

Rewind

Ryan Magtibay

Madalas kapag may interview noong bata pa tayo o kahit hanggang ngayon tinatanong sa atin ang tila gasgas na sa masyadong pagkakagamit ang katanungang ito:

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Sa akin, dati, kapag may nagtanong nito, di na kami bati. Kasi ayoko ng tanong na 'to. At yun ay dahil sa hindi ko naman talaga iniisip kung ano nga ba talaga ang gusto ko maging. Kahit kelan, hindi ko pinlano ang gusto kong mangyari sa buhay ko. Kung ano lang ang dumadating, yun ang iniintindi ko. "I'll cross the bridge when I get there" ika nga. Hindi ko alam kung bakit. Sa katunayan, ngayon ko nga lang napagtanto ang bagay na 'to. At ngayon ko lang din naitanong sa sarili ko kung bakit nga ba tila hindi ko alam kung ano ba ang gusto ko maging. At eto ang nakuha kong sagot.

Matagal ko nang inamin sa sarili ko na ayoko talaga kapag may nagbabago sa buhay ko. Naiinis nga ako kapag iniiba ng nanay ko yung ayos ng mga gamit sa bahay eh. Yung tipong hindi ka sanay. Yung tipong nakakaligaw kasi may nagbago. Pero dahil "The only permanent thing in this world is change" wala din akong magagawa. Sino ba naman ako para pigilan ang panahon. Pero hangga't kaya kong hindi magbago, ginagawa ko. Yung mga nakagawian ko nang gawin, hindi ko kailanman sinubukang baguhin. Dahil ayoko nga ng may nagbabago.

Noong bata ako, mukha akong itlog – itlog na tinubuan ng katawan. Kaya dati, gusto kong malaman kung ano ang magiging itsura ko paglaki ko. Pero ngayon parang gusto kong manatili na lang ako sa ganito. Ayoko kapag may nagbabago sa hitsura ko, di dahil perpekto na ito, kundi senyales yun na tumatanda na ako. At, marahil, yun ang sagot sa tanong ko sa sarili. Ayokong tumanda.

Kung tutuusin, bata pa ako. Halos dalawang taon nga ang tanda ng mga kamag-aral ko sa akin eh. Pero pakiramdam ko, hindi ko yata napaghandaan ang pagtanda ko; isang napakalaking pagkakamali. Kasi naman, kapag bata ka, malaya ka sa lahat ng bagay. Wala kang kelangang intindihin kundi ang kung kelan mo dapat tapusin ang pag-aaaral mo para maabutan ang paboritong palabas sa T.V. Walang kahit anong pressures mula sa mundo. Walang samu’t-saring tanong tungkol sa sarili, sa ibang tao, sa buhay na tinatamasa, sa pag-ibig at sa kung anu-ano pa. Walang iniintindi. Kundi ang bagong laro sa kompyuter at kung natalo ba si Ipo Makunochi sa laban nila ni Tate. Walang pakeelam sa ibang tao. Ang pinoproblema lang sa maghapon magdamag ay ang kung mananalo nga ba ang Shohoku sa Ryonan kung wala ang coach ng Shohoku.

Ngayon ko lang napagtanto, ang sarap maging bata. Ang sarap ng walang responsibilidad. Ang sarap ng walang iniisip. Ang sarap ng malaya. Yung tipong ginagawa ang mga bagay-bagay para sa iyo. Ultimo ngang paliligo, ginagawa pa ng iba para sa iyo. Kahit sa pagkain, susubuan ka pa. Minsan, masarap din pala kapag nakadepende lang ang buhay mo sa ibang tao, kasi nakakahinga ka sa mga bagay na dala ng marupok na mundong ‘to. Akala natin mas masarap ang pakiramdam ng nakatayo sa sariling paa, pero sa katunayan, sa mga pagkakataong punong-puno ka na ng problema mula sa mundo, mas masarap na ang pakiramdam ng nakadepende sa ibang tao, para sila na ang magreresolba ng mga problema mo para sa iyo. Parang noong bata ka pa; kapag may sinapak ka, mga magulang mo ang pupunta sa principal para maki-usap.

Kahit kelan, hindi ko inasam na lumaki. Sabi ko nga sa sarili ko bago ako pumasok sa pisay, "handa na ba ako para sa High School?" Kakayanin ko kaya ang pressure? Ang sagot: HINDI PA.

Gusto ko pa ng mas mahabang taon para maging bata. Gusto ko sana na tsaka ko na lamang tatahakin ang mabato at malubak na daan patungo sa paglaki kapag handa na ako. Gusto ko kasing masulit ang bawat panahon, bawat taon ng pagtanda ko. Pero sino ba naman ako para pigilin ang oras.

Kung tutuusin, wala na din naman akong magagawa. Umangal man ako, para lang akong sanggol iniwan ng kanyang mga magulang sa basurahan at iyak na ng iyak dahil gutom na pero walang magawa dahil nasa loob nga siya ng basurahan. Gusto kong bumalik sa pagiging 8 years old pero hindi nga pwede. Di naman kasi isang pelikula ang buhay ng isang tao na pwede mong i-rewind kapag gusto mong bumalik sa dati.

Ang masasabi ko lang, mahirap ang walang plano sa buhay. Di ka rin kasi nakakasiguro sa mga dadating. Kaya magplano ka na ngayon pa lang. Sagutin ang tanong na nasa itaas at paghirapan ang pag-abot doon. Tandaan mong hindi pwedeng i-rewind ang totoong buhay.

Hindi ko alam kung paano tatapusin ang sanaysay na ito. Taliwas pa rin naman kasi ang gusto ng aking utak sa tama at dapat na gawin. Gusto ko pa ring bumalik sa isang walang pakeelam, walang iniintindi, walang mga responsibilidad na bata. Siguro, marahil, nasasakal na rin ako sa walang sawang pagdating ng mga problema at katanungan sa aking buhay.


"When I grow up, I want to be a kid, again."

4.27.2005

temperature's rising

whew! ang init... at sabi pa ng PAG-ASA na tataas pa daw ang temperature.. 35 degrees na nga tataas pa rin?! haaayyy... di pa daw kasi naaabot ang 37 degrees average kaya tataas pa..




this is when rainy days aren't that bad after all... :p

4.20.2005

Habemus Papam!

"Anuncio vobis gaudium magnum, habemus papam!"

This statement was spoken by Medina Estevez to announce to the whole world that the Catholic Church has a new pope.

It was 11:50 p.m. here in the Philippines while it was 5:50 p.m. at the Vatican City when the news announced that white smoke (the signal of the success of the election for the new pope) is coming out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel.

I was watching news and I thought it was another false alarm. But, it was not. I got even more excited when the church bells rang (another sign of the success of the election for the new pope, which is a reform made by Pope John Paul II).

The new pope is the German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, born April 16 (Belated Happy Birthday New Pope!). He is, now, going to be known as Pope Benedict XVI and as the 265th pope for the Catholic Church.

Nga pala, binigyan ni Pope John Paul II ng isang church ang Filipino Catholic Community sa Rome, ang Basilica Potenciana kung saan tumira si St. Peter. According to Pope John Paul II, we, Filipinos, are the new evangelizers of the third millenium. Mabuhay ang mga Filipino!




Viva Papam!