"Catholicism was Spain's greatest legacy. The Roman Catholic religion was the greatest legacy of Spain in the Philippines. If the Spaniards had not come and..."
"Please remind me, why we're here again?"
Judy have a really short patience. She was like that ever since Junior high school.
I shook my head while grinning.
Wala talagang pinagbago.
"You know I didn't tell you to come with me."
I whispered back at her.
"Catholics consider themselves as Christians who believe in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior. But they add and subtract some beliefs in the Bible..."
"Yes, I know. But I only come because I thought they're gonna talk about the history of different Filipino art classics that were underated. This is just all about religion tho."
She scoffed.
I understand her though. I also thought this free history class that they were offering are gonna tackle about different art classics and its history.
But this is a one-time history class not an art class so it's giving.
"Catholics believe the Pope in the Vatican, and so Rome can change what the Bible says. For example, the Pope has allowed Catholics to make religious images that look like Jesus, His mother Mary, and other biblical characters..."
"Sshhh... You come with me so let's suffer together."
She stared at me irritably.
I laughed. It's always so fun teasing her.
Although it's just a normal reaction coming from her because she's an art student after all, not a history student like me.
Oh not yet. I forgot.
"But many Catholic priests abused their power. Although Catholic priests are not allowed to marry, many of the priests in the provinces and towns had secret marriages with beautiful women, and they had illegitimate children..."
The professor giving us tea right now.
The class ended at ease. To be honest, I enjoyed it.
We are now outside of the building and walking in the field of FEU Diliman under the blinding lights of the sun.
"Sa wakas ay natapos din."
She's still at it. This is so funny.
"That was interesting tho. Don't tell me you did not find that enjoyable?"
"Enjoyable? Interesting? Maybe for you but not for me. Tsaka we can always attend any online classes or events naman. Why did you chose to go here pa? There's still a pandemic you know."
Here she goes again.
Judialyn is really practical. She's very street-smart and short-tempered. She has a thick eyebrows with a really defined cheek bones.
She always get the guys compared to me. I mean I'm not that ugly though but she's just really breathtakingly beautiful. It's like as if every features on her face is perfectly fitted on her. She's incomparable to anyone, even to me.
"As if you did not party last friday night. It was just recommended to me by a fellow club member before and wala namang mawawala so here I am. Miss ko na rin ang FEU 'no."
She laughed so hard then she looked at me with a questionable grin.
"Really? You? Missing the school? Tama nga ako't may kakaiba."
I tugged her hair. Kinulong ko ang braso niya sakin.
We just got out of the gate.
"Ikaw talagang babaita ka. Kumain na nga lang tayo sandali doon."
Itinuro ko ang 7-eleven sa harap namin. The go-to here, of course.
Tumawid kami papunta sa 7-eleven ngunit hindi pa kami nakakapasok ay may humila bigla sa kaliwang braso ni Judy.
"Huwag! Huwag! Huwag!" The old lady who grabbed Judy's arm started shouting.
"Ouch."
I did not realize that the old lady is already pinching her left arm.
"Mawalang-galang na po pero pakibitawan ang kaibigan ko kasi nasasaktan na siya."
I tried na tanggalin ang kamay ng matanda kaya huminto siya sa pagsisigaw at nalipat ang atensyon sakin.
She stared at me intently as if I'm a puzzle she couldn't decipher.
"Excuse me po pero nagugutom na po kami at may kailangan pa po kaming gawin."
Pilit kong tinatanggal ang kamay niyang napakahigpit ang kapit sa braso ng kaibigan ko at natanggal ko ito. Kinuha ko ang kamay ni Judy at ng badyang aalis na kami papasok sa 7-eleven ay biglang braso ko naman ang hinila ng matanda.
This is starting to piss me off.
"Ano po bang problema niyo?!" I cannot help but shout also kaya napalingon sa amin ang tatlong tricycle drivers na nasa hindi kalayuan.
Judy whispered at me. "Calm down, that's just a beggar. Let's buy her some food and she'll let us do our thing."
This is one of the things that I admire about her. She is the short-tempered one between the two of us but she will always have long patience for old people. Well, I have none. I hate children and old people.
"We'll buy you some food po. Halika po kayo sakin. Bitawan niyo nalang po siya kasi medyo mainit po ang ulo at may dalaw."
Judy smiled to the old lady then later hold a piece sign to me as she is guiding the old lady inside 7-eleven.
Bago pa ako makasunod sakanila ay bigla nalang nag ring ang cellphone ko. The familiar song of Peter Gundry called The Witch's Curse started playing. Those three tricycle drivers looked at me as if I'm a very weird person as they hear it playing.
Jake is calling. I answered it.
"Hey! Where are you right now, Juliana? Are you with Judy?" It seems like he just woke up from a nap judging from his voice.
"We are just in FEU Diliman. How about you? And why did you call?"
"Gusto ko sana makipagkita sainyo para masabi ko sainyo ng personal but I'm in Makati right now. In one of our condo."
I hear water running in the background. Is he in the shower right now or what?
"What is it about?" I'm getting curious now.
"Do you remember the rest house that we have in Pampanga? Yung nakuwento kong matagal na naming hindi napupuntahan? I asked my dad if ever pwede tayong magbakasyon doon kahit three weeks lang and he said YES!" His voice is full of excitement habang nagkukwento.
"OMG. Is that for real? Its in Magalang, right?"
I also cannot hide my excitement. This is so fun!
"Yes, bae."
"Gosh, we should plan ahead. Wait, I'm just going to call you back later. I'll go inside where Judy is right now. She needs to know this. You know the heck how I hate planning right? But this trip should not go unplanned so we need Judy. She is going to be excited of it." I giggled.
"Alright bae, I'll send you the other details. Ah, I'll just probably send it to our GC so the others would know also. Let's catch up later. Bye."
I hang up.
I'm fucking excited to tell it to Judy. She's gonna love this trip before the school year begins again. I can't wait.
I go straight inside of 7-eleven. I searched for the tables but she's not on all of them so I walk and look to the other sides incase they are buying for drinks. She's not here. Where the hell is she and that old lady?
Biglang may nangalabit sakin. "Ma'am, do you mind free tasting our fortune cookie? Baka po magustuhan niyo. Dagdag kita lang sa pagbebenta ng sigarilyo." He pouted.
This kid. I've seen this kid before.
"Sinong kasama mo? Saan galing yang cookies na binebenta mo? At hindi mo ba alam na hindi pwedeng mag benta at pag bentahan ng sigarilyo ang mga batang katulad mo?" Huminga ako ng malalim.
"Kasama ko po ang lola ko. Wala naman po kasing ibang pwedeng mag benta nitong cookies ni aling Pering. Sayang din at sa pagbebenta ng sigarilyo na po talaga kami kumikita bago pa masiraan ng bait si lola Asis, siyang sabi nila."
This kid has no slippers at all. His clothes are also full of dirt. His hands doesn't seem like the hands of a seven year old kid.
Wait...ang tinutukoy niya bang lola ay ang matandang babae kanina?
"Nasaan ang lola mo ngayon?" I pat his unhygienic body.
"Kumakain po doon sa labas! Napakabait po ng ate na kasama ni lola. Nandoon po sila sa may karinderya malapit oh." Sabay turo sa labas ng 7-eleven.
Huh? May karinderya na ba rito? It's a subdivision, right? Well, probably yes. I better go there for Judy.
"Samahan mo 'ko at bibili ako nang limang fortune cookie mo."
"Talaga po?! Wow! 25 pesos po pala ito isa ate. Malalaki po kasi siya at hindi po bast—"
Hinigit ko na siya papalabas at naglakad papunta sa direksyon na tinuto niya kanina. Sa malayo palang ay tanaw ko na ang matanda at si Judy.
Kumaway si Judy sakin at sabay senyas na umupo ako sa tabi niya. Hayst.
Sinimangutan ko siya.
"Why the hell are you here without even making me aware?" I roll my eyes.
She laughed. "I'm sorry, hindi na mauulit. Dito kasi ako hinila ni manang eh. Umupo ka nalang dito para makakain ka narin. Masarap ang lutong ulam nila dito. Tikman mo 'tong caldereta oh."
Inabot niya sa akin ang bowl na may lamang caldereta.
"Isang order ng kanin nga po para dito sa kaibigan ko!"
Siya na rin talaga ang umorder sakin na agad rin namang naibigay. Nagdagdag pa siya ng ulam at nagsimula narin akong kumain kasama ang batang apo ng matanda.
As I am eating, may nararamdaman akong kakaiba. The old lady is staring at me. Nang mahuli ko siyang nakatitig ay mas lalong tumalim ang pagkakatitig niya sa akin.
I cannot do this anymore.
"Ano po bang problema natin, manang?" I ask then sigh.
"Mamamatay ka." She said.
Nabulunan ng tubig si Judy. "What??"
I rolled my eyes once again.
"Ok, sasakyan ko kayo. Ano po bang ikamamatay ko?" I smile, irritated at her.
She tilted her head then said, "Lalangoy ka sa apoy na ikaw mismo ang nagsimula. Mag-iingat ka sa paglalaro ng apoy, Iha. Ito'y hindi lang basta nakakapaso, nag-iiwan din ito ng marka..."
She then smirked.
"...huwag na huwag kang bibigay sa isang temptasyon na hindi mo kakayanin mapanindigan. Maraming magiging kahihinatnan itong hindi maganda. Minsan kailangan nating tanggapin na ang mga nangyari sa nakaraan ay hindi na mababago ng kasalukuyan. Ang ipinagbabawal ay kailanma'y hindi magiging tama. Ang pagtalikod sa isang bagay ay hindi pagiging mahina. Ang pagiging mapusok ay inilulugar. At ang pagkahumaling sa isang bagay na hindi tama ay siyang dapat na iwasan."
What the hell is all of that supposed to mean!?
Judy cleared her throat.
"I think what manang mean by being dead is not literally, Juli. You know it's like her saying na don't give in to a certain temptation because it might lead to...you being dead on the inside."
She's trying to assure me as if this old woman's words are going to affect me.
I won't let her have the honor of penetrating my mind so I'm just gonna change the topic.
"Anyway, Jake said that we can go to their resthouse in Pampanga. We just need to plan the trip, Judy." I said unenthusiasticly than before.
"WHAT? Really?! My gosh, this is what I've been waiting for. Sa wakas makakapag summer trip narin tayo. We did not celebrate you being the valedictorian too. I think this is the time for it. What other infos do you have?"
She's so eager and excited about it. It seems like her smile will not fade for a while.
"Just check the group chat. I think he sent it already there by now."
We both check the group chat and there's Jake's message. He sent the exact location of their resthouse. The possible places that we can go to like beaches and some events on there.
It's in Magalang, Pampanga pala. I've never been there so this is new. He also sent some pictures and its all gorgeous. I feel like the town itself is so beautiful. I cannot wait to go there.
"Ok, ok. Since we are going to Magalang Pampanga, let's stay there for three weeks at least since second week of September pa naman ang start ng classes nating lahat. Oh, it says here that their town fiesta is in August 24. Its your birthday Juli! We can also celebrate your birthday there."
Their town fiesta is on my birthday? What a coincidence.
I look up about the informations of their fiesta. It says here that they honor their patron saint as a celebration of that event.
"You know we can go there in August 10. Bale 3 days from now so we still have a lot of time to prepare for the trip, right? What do you—"
"Huwag! Huwag! 'Wag!"
Bago pa matapos si Judy sa kanyang sasabihin ay naputol na siya dahil sa pagsisigaw muli ng matanda.
Tumingin sa akin ang matanda.
"Huwag! Huwag! Huwag kang papayag!"
Tumayo ako at nilapitan ang matanda.
"Manang huminahon po kayo, ok? Ano po bang ibig mong sabihin?"
I tried to speak sa malumanay na paraan ngunit hindi niya ako sinagot. Siya'y umiling-umiling ng paulit-ulit sabay tingin sa aking kaibigan.
"Huwag mong itutuloy, Iha. Huwag mong itutuloy."
Judy tried to go to the old lady and touch her arm pero umiwas ang matanda.
"Ano pong ibigsabihin niyo manang? Kausapin niyo po kami ng maayos. Hindi niyo po kailangan sumigaw."
Pinag titinginan na kami ng ibang tao ngunit si Judy ay tila walang nakikita dahil tuloy parin siya sa pag-alu sa matanda.
"Huwag mo 'kong hawakan! Huwag mong itutuloy! 'Wag niyong itutuloy!! Mamamatay kayong lahat! WALANG MATITIRA NI ISA!!"
Tinulak ng matanda si Judy at itinapon ang aming kinakain sabay karipas ng takbo papalayo. Ngunit habang tumatakbo ay bigla siyang lumingon at tumitig muli sa akin sandali sabay takip ng kanyang dalawang mata at tumakbo ng matulin papalayo.
"Lolaaaaa!! Saan ka pupunta, lola?!" Sumigaw ang batang naiwan ng kanyang lola at namumutla.
Tumingin ang bata saglit saming mag kaibigan at tsaka tumakbo habol-habol ang matanda habang tinutulungan kong makatayo si Judy.
"Haynakong matanda yun talagaaa! Paulit-ulit nalang na puro malas ang dala sa karinderya ko. Dapat talaga nang namatay palang ang tatay ni Joseph ay ipinadala na 'yon sa home for the aged or sa tahanan ng mga baliw. Masyado nang maluwag ang turnilyo ng matandang yun, haynako." Litanya ng ale habang inililigpit ang kinalat ng matanda bago umalis.
Bumalik ang ale na may dalang basahan at tsaka sinimulan punasan ang lamaseng pinagkainan namin.
"Babayaran niyo parin naman ang mga inorder niyo ano? Pagpasensyahan niyo na ang matandang yun. Ganyang na talaga siya simula no'ng namatay ang nag-iisang anak."
"Pwede po bang matanong kung anong nangyari sakanya? At sa pamilya nila?" Curious na tanong ni Judy.
"Ah, hindi kasi talaga ganyan yan dati. Sobrang maayos pa yan noong nabubuhay pa ang anak, 'yong tatay ni Joseph. Ang kaso namatay si Joel dahil sa isang aksidente. Actually hindi aksidente, ang sabi ng mga pulis ay nagpatiwakal daw pero kaming mga taga dito at nakakakilala kay Joel, hindi kami naniniwala. Construction worker kasi ang trabaho nun kaya madalas yun kumain dito. Minsan bumibili lang siya para may ulam silang tatlo. Madalas wala sa bahay nila pero napakabait at napakasipag nun. Basta may trabaho hindi yan mag-aatubili para lang may pang kain sila at pang-ipon para sa pag-aaral ng anak. Madalas yan mag kuwento dito kung gaano kataas ang pangarap niya para sa anak niya dahil ayun yung mga hindi niya nagawa o naabot at gusto niyang maranasan ng anak niya. Isang araw nakita nalang siya na nakasabit sa mismong bahay na ginagawa nila..."
Nagkatinginan kami ni Judy at sabay napainom ng tubig.
"...putol ang mga kamay at paa. Ang sabi ng mga pulis ay nagpakamatay dahil sa nakitang nakasabit sa leeg ang lubid na siyang naging dahilan ng kanyang pagkamatay pero hindi naniniwala ang mga tao dito, lalo na kami ng asawa ko. Meron ba namang magpapakamatay na puputulin muna ang paa't kamay? Magpapakamatay ka para matapos ang paghihirap mo hindi para dagdagan ito. Kaya doon nabuo ang sabi-sabi na baka biktima daw si Joel ng war on drugs ni Duterte tapos tinorture muna at pinalabas na nagpakamatay."
The EJK? I'm so confused right now.
"How do you come up with that po? Nakita po ba siyang nagbebenta ng droga or whatever?"
"Hindi, pero naalala niyo yung sinabi ko kanina na basta trabaho hindi mag-aatubili yun si Joel para sa pamilya niya kaya hindi malayong iyon nga ang dahilan ng pagkamatay niya. Bago rin kasi siya mamatay, may mga nahuli na nagbebenta ng droga hindi kalayuan sa bahay nila at isa dun yung kumpare niya. Parati niya 'yon kasama sa bawat lakad kaya hindi malayong napag initan rin siya. Akala ko nga noong namatay siya eh uuwi na 'yang mag lola sa Pampanga. Ang kaso ayun, mukhang nabaliw pa yung matanda. Makita mo ba namang walang kamay at paa yung anak mo habang nakabitin."
Nanlamig ang mga kamay ko't ako'y pinagpawisan. Bigla ko nalang naramdaman na hinawakan na pala ni Judy ang kanang kamay ko gamit ang kaliwang kamay niya.
"Umalis na tayo dito." Bulong ni Judy sakin pagkatapos umalis ng ale sa puwesto namin.
Agad akong tumayo kaya sumunod si Judy sakin. Ngunit sa pagtayo ko ay may napansin ako. Nandito parin pala ang cookies na binebenta ng bata.
Nag taas ako ng kamay para makuha ang atensyon ng nagtitinda at nagsalita, "Ahm miss, pabili po ako ng lima nito. Ang sabi ng bata kayo po ang nagpapabenta nito sakanya, hindi ho ba?"
Abala ang ale pero tumugon parin ito. "Kumuha ka nalang Iha. Nakabalot na rin naman yan per cookie. Iwan mo nalang ang bayad mo sa table niyo at kukunin ko mamaya pagkatapos kong mailipat ang mga ito."
Kumuha ako ng lima at inilagay ko sa maliit kong sling bag ang apat. Kumuha narin ako ng pambayad at naglapag sa ilalim ng basket–kung saan nakalagay ang mga cookies–ng 200.
"Pabigay nalang po ang sukli doon sa bata kapag bumalik siya."
Tumango ang tindera. At nagsimula kaming maglakad papalayo ni Judy.
She sighed. "What a freaking day."
Inalok ko sakanya ang isang cookie na hawak ko ngunit umiling siya.
"Nah, I'm good."
Binuksan ko sa pagkakabalot ang cookie at agad itong isinubo. Masarap siya ngunit bakit tila may kakaiba itong lasa?
"The fuck!" Agad kong iniluwa ang cookie.
I forgot that its not an ordinary cookie. It's a fucking fortune cookie.
"What happened, Juli?"
I picked the small paper inside the cookie who almost melted inside my mouth. Its content is still readable.
Whatever you desire and planned for will be successful no matter how many obstacles you face, but it is up for you to be satisfied with it.
I sigh deeply.
I never knew a fortune cookie will comfort me regarding our plans for the trip.