My generation is vain. Yes, yes we are. We can’t deny that we absolutely cannot go to a trip or a party without a camera. We all would like to “preserve” moments and post them onto Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It’s really an insane thing, and even our parents and elders are catching on. We have a thing for posting one picture out of thousands that we have taken. Admit it, you take about thirty pictures, and upload only half of them.
“Kyla! You’re it!”
I taunted, touching the back of my friend. Soon we were all running away from her. I felt the wind on my face as I ran, my friends running with me.
“Lindaaaaa! You’re so unfair! I was eating turon!”
I pointed my tongue out to her, and began to run. I ran as fast as my seven year old legs could. When I saw mother, I hid under her skirt. She began laughing and held my head, hiding me from my friends. She then went inside, bringing my baby sister with her. My friends continued to run around, with Kyla still not tagging anyone else. I hid behind the chair now, as my mother came out of the house. I giggled as Kyla almost touched my other friend, but failed.
“Ha! I can see you Linda!”
Kyla suddenly said. She was about to reach out to me, when everything seemed to shake. I saw the little houses sway before me, and my mother lifted me up, my legs dangling. My heart began to beat super fast as my mom took me to the street, my head getting dizzy because of the moving.
“Stay here okay? I have to get your sister from upstairs.”
Just as my mom turned to leave, the earth shook harder, and a small crack showed on the ground.
“Mooooom.”
I said, my body quaking with the earth. She turned to me, and as she did I saw our house crumble down like stacked leaves. My mother’s face froze, her eyes never leaving mine. When she turned around, she collapsed on the road.
“Mooom! Mom!”
I ran to her like crazy, shaking her body. That was when I heard a small wail from a baby, and I remembered my sister. I quickly ran towards the crumbled house, the earth still shaking from below me. The cries began softer and softer, as if the nearer I got, the fainter her cries. I flipped everything I could get my hands on, the rocks, the wood and everything else. The earth stood still now, but I still felt my legs shake I was aware of my sore foot, as I lost my slippers somewhere in the rubble. I tried to listen for my sister’s cries, but my heart broke when I was met by silence.
“Oli?”
I said, trying to get a reaction from her. The earth shook again, this time softer and shorter. I looked around the Chocolate hills that were not that far away, and I was surprised to see a crack there too. Something so beautiful now had a damage. I pried my attention towards finding my sister, when I felt something soft upon my feet. I looked down, and saw that it was her pillow. I frantically dove into the pile of rocks, looking for my little sister. She had to be here! The tears in my eyes blinded my eyesight, but I still sobbed my way through. Suddenly, my hand felt something. Her hair. My hands immediately went stiff, my eyes wandering through the rubble.
When I saw an open eye looking at me, everything went black.
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The island of Bohol is just a boat ride away from our island, so when the 7.2 quake shook, we felt the house rocking like a chair-rocker. This story is fully fiction, although I could imagine it being more near to the truth as ever. Please pray for those in need, as we are wounded more than ever.
As I got on the jeepney ride home, I was completely and utterly tired. I had two exams tomorrow, my stupid boyfriend got jealous because of some guy who hugged me and I had to keep up with P.E. I squeezed myself in between the people, my head almost automatically resting on my bag. I was drifting in and out of sleep when I heard someone sob.
“Shh.It’s okay.” A soothing voice said.
I looked up to see what the commotion was, and I saw a couple sitting across me. The girl was gripping her boyfriend’s shoulder, tears going down her cheeks. Her boyfriend’s hand was on hers, and his eyes were holding back tears. Just then the girl released the boy, pushing him away. He immediately held her hand, and she snapped and glared at him.
“It’s just two weeks, love. Two weeks then we’ll be together again.” He whispered.
I felt like I was eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help it.I looked around me, the other passengers oblivious about the scene developing in front of me. When the guy’s tear began to fall, I was tuned in to their conversation. The girl still wasn’t looking at him, and seemed to push him away.
“I’m sorry okay? If I could stay here, I would. But you know how my parents are.” He said.
The girl’s tensed shoulders relaxed a bit, and she turned her head to face him. She caught my eye, so I embarrassingly hid my head on my bag again. A few moments I looked up again, and I caught the boy kissing her forehead. It was pretty sweet, the way they both comforted each other.
“You promised you didn’t have to go home.” The girl said, her voice cracking.
“I have to. But I’ll do everything I could to go back okay? Plus, you’re my home now. I’d just be going somewhere where I grew up.”
He held her chin on his finger as he spoke to her, and I melted with the girl. She simply smiled at him, and leaned on his shoulder. They soon talked in hushed tones, their hands intertwined. The jeep soon fell into silence, except for the occasional sob that came from the girl. I tried my best not to reach out to her, because I felt like I knew her after minutes of listening to their conversation. I sound like a stalker, I know, but they shared a look I’ve only seen once in my life – the way my parents looked at each other – true love. Both of them didn’t look like they’re more than twenty years old, yet they were lucky enough to find each other.
All too soon the jeepney stopped, and it took me a moment to realize that the girl was getting off. She then hugged him tight, gathered her stuff then got off the vehicle. He then turned around to watch her get inside her house. Just then my phone beeped, and it took me a moment to struggle through my messy bag.
From: Stupid boyfriend <3
‘I’m sorry about earlier. I just can’t bear to see you with someone else.’
My heart melted like a pool of lava, and I began smiling like an idiot. I looked up to the guy, who was getting off the vehicle. I then realized that I was lucky that I had a boyfriend who was with me in the same city and loved me just as much. As the vehicle zoomed off away from the guy, I wondered how they were going to make it. I knew even just a week without seeing my boyfriend would be too much, and they’re going through twice that span of time.
Before I went to bed that night, a single thought went through my head. They’re going to make it. I thought. It looked like true love after all.
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slightly fiction. this really happened, although from another person’s point of view. my boyfriend went to his hometown for two weeks yesterday, and I think this is my way of coping. 🙂
“I have your bag with me so you won’t leave me.”
He said, a smile on his face. I chuckled, as I waited in line. He walked away from me, looking at the aisle where they sold toys. He looked back at me, as if asking for permission.
“Go then. I don’t think I’m going anywhere with my whole life praticaly in that bag.”
He beamed at me, then walked into the toy section. For someone who’s almost twenty seven years old, my boyfriend sure acts like a kid. I shook my head, as the cashier lady said “Next.” I emptied my arm, full of new books to read. As the computer beeped with every swipe, I realized my wallet was in my bag. I silently cursed, hoping that he’s come back before I had to pay.
“That would be nine hundred pesos.” The lady said, bored as ever.
I looked around for him, and when I saw his egg shaped head, I practically called him like an overhead speaker. He hurriedly ran towards me, his hand behind his back.
“What is that?” I said, eyeing him suspiciously.
He pulled out a space gun and a Hot Wheels car shyly, putting them on the counter. The lady swiped them, and I paid for it. Figures, I thought. I’m in love with someone obsessed with guns and cars while he’s in love with a girl with more books than sense. I inwardly smiled to myself, as he took the bag with all our stuff in it. I offered to take my bag from him, but he resisted, reminding me how many times I ran off without him. I smiled, remembering the times I left him in department stores and other places just because I knew he’d go looking for me. It was fun while it lasted, and it always resulted in a kiss, because I always scare him to death.
“We’re home.”
He said, breaking my chain of thoughts. I looked at the second floor, where our apartment was located. With our heavy grocery bags, he took them all, determined to do it in one trip. I laughed at his antics as we walked up the building. Reaching our door, he asked me for the keys. I quizzically look at him, as he struggled to open the door with the key. I was about to follow him inside, when he stopped me, making a few jars in the grocery bag to crash together.
“Don’t go in yet.” He said, more like ordered.
I puffed at him, and he just smiled as he took the grocery bags and my bag into the apartment. Curiosity was killing me by the second, and just as I was about to open the door his face popped out.
“I know you’re impatient, but could you just please wait here? I won’t be long, I promise.”
He looked flustered, his face looking like he ran a marathon. I reluctantly nodded as he closed the door, locking it from the inside. My eyes widened at the realization: he locked me out! But I stood my ground and stuck my ears onto the door. I could hear his frantic steps, and I could hear him throwing something to the ground. He was saying something I couldn’t make out, then it was silent. The door flung open, causing me to stumble into his arms.
“Eight years later and you’re still falling for me?” He smugly said.
I stuck my tongue out to him, and that is when I realized what he was wearing. He had an actual tux on, like a cute little penguin. He had a yellow rose on his front pocket, and his face broke out into a smile when I looked up.
“You’re not wearing any pants.” I said, stifling a laugh while looking at his Perry the Platypus boxers.
“That’s because when I was just about to put on pants, I heard someone impatiently listening in to what I was doing.”
I smiled at him proudly, then I tried to take a peek of what was behind him. To my dismay, he tsked and blocked my view.
“If you’re going to keep doing that, how am I supposed to propose to you perfectly?”
His eyes widened at what he said, and closed his mouth shut. I was practically peeing myself now, the excitement rushing through me like a drug. He looked at me again, running his hand through his hair.
“Pretend you didn’t hear that okay?”
I nodded, unable to say anything. He then opened the door, and it revealed all my bags and books. They were arranged by color and shape, most books inside a bag. Petals of roses covered the floor, and it was dimly lighted. My brain buffered for a good minute, before I finally noticed him kneeling in front of me with what looked like a handle on his head.
“I know you treat your books and bags as your life. You treat them delicately, and every bag has a book. Everything you need is in a bag, and when you need a good distraction you have your book. I have that connection with my toys, but in a manly way.”
I laughed at what he said, tears brimming at my eyes.
“So I want to ask you this: could I be the one to carry your bag forever?”
I stared at him like he was an alien, not understanding what he said.
“I mean, you said earlier your bag is your life right?”
I nodded, still confused.
“Then could I carry you all your life?”
Realization struck me, and my heart skipped several beats, making me wonder if I was going to have a heart attack. I smiled at him, and slowly nodded. He smiled at me, slipping in the simple diamond ring into my finger. He then lifted me up, and I squealed in delight.
“What with the hair prop though?”
He put me down, then smiled like a little boy.
“I was going to dress up as a bag and say ‘Could I be a part of your life?’, but I figured that I was already a part of it. But I figured that out after I bought this.”
I laughed at his cheesiness, then he lifted me up bridal style.
“Shall I carry my fiance towards our bedroom?”
I looked around the mess in the living room, and looked at him.
“You know you’re going to clean this all up later. I don’t want my bags and books getting ruined because you-“
I was cut off by his lips, passionately entrancing me into a spell. I swear his kisses should be bottled up somewhere and be an illegal drug. He walked towards our room, and closed it with his foot. He slowly put me down, kissing the top of my nose.
“Care to dance my fiance?”
I stepped into his arms, and he began to sway us back and forth. I smiled onto his chest, excited what else life would bring me and my permanent bag carrier.
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Once again, fictional. I feel like a sappy romantic these days and my stories reflect it. Have a nice weekend! 😀
So just this afternoon, I went for a jog with my bestfriend. We were stretching and stuff, when I suddenly slipped and fell. Thanks to my super awesome reflexes (and the fact that I was used to falling), my hands and knees took the harsh fall instead of my face. and lo and behold, a gash showed on my right knee. People passed by us, because just my luck we decided to jog in the City’s Sports Development Center. It was downright embarrassing, and fate had to rub it in my face with a reminder of it. I got up, dusted myself off, and jogged as if my wound wasn’t so painful. I’m so used to these moments that I know what to do. (Which shows how clumsy I am)
Weirdly enough, this embrassing moment reminded me of my first embarissing moment. Imagine a kid, about four years old. Now imagine here in the Philippines we have jeepneys that have specific routes. Now my mom made me pay the driver. So there was little me, passing the fare. People were saying how cute I was. When handing over the fare to the driver you have to say where you are hopping off. Our house was in a barangay named “Nula-tula”. Now for a four year old, that word is a handful. So when I walked over to hand the fare I said, “Nulalata”. The passengers erupted into laughter, which made me cry. My perfectionist side was showing, and I hated myself for that mistake. And today, I have mastered the damn twister word. (Fourteen years later)
So why am I sharing this with you? I don’t really know. Maybe I just want to open up a long forgotten ghost within you about your embarrassing past. So what’s your first embarrassing moment? Maybe I’d write about it someday. 🙂
Being a seventeen year old writer(then) who wants to become a great writer is tiring to be honest. I have to find readers, people who are actually interested, then I have to balance school and my dream. It’s a great thing that my degree program is related to my dream, or else everything might go kaput. Anyway, this year has been awesome so far, and I can almost taste my dream coming into a reality. I’ve been guest blogging, publishing my works wherever I could, and slowly these efforts have been paying off. I have been chosen as a contributor for two magazines!
The first one, is a local magazine here in the Philippines. This magazine features Eastern Visayas, which is where I came from. It features those who came from our group of islands and made a very obvious footprint on the big world. It tells stories and shows people that everyone’s dream can come true. So here’s my first article on said magazine which was published last April:
