before i get sucked in by that big and fat reviewer that will save my arse in exactly one week

the week that was - certainly one of the dryest, hottest weeks in katipunan history, so much so that i decided to spend an extra few days in lb because my throat has been acting up since yesterday and if i'm dead sure of what it may mean, it may jeopardize next saturday's exam.

the only thing that redeemed my dried-out self yesterday was hieing off to the nearest starbucks shop (the one beside cantina). for old people in katips, that would be the kiss of death because you'll risk losing your precious and fleeting words to the drowning chatter of kids (yes, i am not ashamed to call them as such) who think they're on an extended holiday in boracay (oh, i'm soooory. bora) by the way they put up their feet on the table and tuck their legs on the benches (while leaving their slippers on the floor).

i took up b.'s invite to work there after cl 330 class (which miraculously ended, for the first time, at 12 nn). it was her first time to view the newly-renovated shop, which took up the space of the now-dead beauty bar (goodbye burt's bees lip balm! goodbye infinite sample make-up!). a more homey feel. a more seattle's best katips vibe (minus the 'last night of the world' vibe). in other words, welcome back laptops! welcome back law students forced to make do with seattle's second floor to avoid chatty undergrads! welcome back old people!)

a little secret: the best time to stay there to actually enjoy coffee and actually get to finish what you're doing? sunday morning. also the best time to walk along rosa alvero. you'd forget for a few hours you're in katips.

but then we took up the middle of the single-seat ledge area facing the side of the entrace. wise decision, as no barkadings could pester me, with my face buried in the reviewer and b, trying not to laugh at a ya novel she had to read for her paper.

after a while, i got distracted by what is practically a parade of fakery. you know you're old when you start to think 'if i had a daughter i will send her to her mother's spinster friend who lives on top of a mountain and will not let her down until she's 30.'

which leads me to my sunshine story of the week. as is now my habit, i go home on sunday mornings. it makes for shorter travel time and it makes me feel i go against the tide of people who force themselves to survive saturday midday and sunday afternoon herding, este, travel.

i got into one of hm's fleet of new buses (the one that makes you feel you're in an office. or as t. refers to it, an airplane.) somewhere along edsa, a father, probably in his forties and his son, who is probably six to eight years old, alighted and sat behind me.

dialogue:
anak: tay, ang ganda naman ng bus! at ang lamig ng upuan!
tatay: (mutters in agreement)
a: tay o, may videoke sa tv.
t: mamaya ka na kumanta anak, pag wala na halos pasahero.

(a few seconds later, the goldilocks billboard of kris aquino and james yap looms by our vista.)
a: tay o, si kris aquino at si james yap.
t: ka-plastic ng dalawang yan.
bananaducky: (of course, response in her head) you go, tatay, you go!

(then, the poster for underdog before the bus takes the magallanes flyover)
t: di ba gusto mo si underdog?
a: opo. may vcd na ba nun?
t: hindi pa ako nakakatingin.

a: (hums to a tune over and over which i will later recognize as maroon 5's 'makes me wonder.')
b: ang taray ng batang to. maroon 5 ang hina-hum. at nasa tono pa.

(somewhere along slex where traffic was backed up for a long stretch. the song on the videoke set was 'crazy' by peggy lee.)
t: alam mo, yan ang paborito ni lola (failed to catch her name, already sleepy).
a: talaga?

i was smiling throughout the entire trip, so much so that i was tempted to turn my head and chat with them. i could give them a hug if i were crazy. the father and son reminded me of e. and his intelligent kid daughter.

i could rethink my plan to exile my hypothetical daughter to her mother's spinster friend who lives on top of the mountain.