Skip to main content

Heartstrings

WE thrum… all the time, sounding and sending an array of notes in the ambient air. Such notes resonate in certain persons sounding and sending a similar chord, the same array of notes— and a gathering of two (or more) of such kindred spirits touch off music of their own spheres, a seamless blending… melding, welding, even a symphony in unison.

Some unheard-of scientific stuff to point up why like attracts like, how come birds of the same feather fly together, why do certain couples make sweet music while others don’t, why there’s such a thing as love at first insight…

That explains why we hit—and heat—it up, dear… and we have barely made a decent (and indecent) or recent conversation, haven’t we?

With nary a pipsqueak, I repair into a fleabag of a motel room in Sta. Cruz or Pasay… and within minutes, transients of nearby rooms are in jitters, in, ah, turmoil, affected by a threatening presence… tila mga uod sa pusalian na nabagsakan ng tipak ng nagliliyab na bulalakaw…

Ah, ‘twas the zealot Paul of Tarsus who can offer an explanation— brilliance repels those who dwell in darkness.

Nakakarami ng inom kahit noon, aanyayahan ng kainuman na sa kanyang tahanan magpalipas ng magdamag… and bawling kids in the household are hushed into a calm, even without seeing me invade their abode… my host and his missus are stumped, and often ask me to stay past my welcome…

Accursed foreboding of extirpation… blessed soothing presence… I am both. Leave it up to you, my dear, to pick your wish.

“I know that someday you’ll want me to want you.”

That’s the opening line of the first love ditty that I learned when I was barely three years old (uh, my two-year old granddaughter still amazes me, she sings ‘Think of Me’ from Phantom of the Opera)… and I had to sing that note-perfect, pauses appropriate (“bibig dapat bumibigkas saka bumibigwas”) and enunciation proper. Or else my tongue would be rubbed on with crushed red hot chili pepper… that taught me to carry tunes borne of arson thereafter, nah, I’m no torch singer.

Lagi kitang kausap dahil lagi kitang kaisip. Magsasama palagi sa usapan at isipan.

There. A dozen or so words have barely passed between us… and words don’t count since they’re not to be counted but weighed… tinitimbang talaga kaya yata P2.50 bawat kataga ang karaniwang bayad sa mga sulating ipinapagawa sa pusakal na nagsusulat… and the heart speaks volumes when the lips are hushed.

So we speak our minds—the mindless only engage in inane chatter… better yet, speak out with our hearts in so few words, terse and tense… such a transaction turns to transformation.

We’ll hit if off. And heat it up.

Comments

hendrick said…
I love your articles in People's Jouranl! :)
Do you have Twitter accnt?
10:12 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ALAMAT NG TAHONG

SAKBIBI ng agam-agam sa kalagayan ng butihing kabiyak-- at kabiyakan, opo-- na nakaratay sa karamdaman, ang pumalaot na mangingisda ay napagawi sa paanan ng dambuhalang Waczim-- isang bathala na nagkakaloob sa sinuman anumang ibulwak ng bibig mula sa bukal ng dibdib. Pangangailangan sa salapi na pambili ng gamot ng kapilas-pusong maysakit ang nakasaklot sa puso ng matandang mangingisda. 'Di kaginsa-ginsa'y bumundol ang kanyang bangka sa paanan ng Waczim. Kagy at umigkas ang katagang kimkim noon sa kanyang dibdib: "Salapi!" Bumuhos ng salapi-- mga butil at gilit ng ginto-- mula papawirin. At halos umapaw sa ginto ang bangka ng nagulantang na mangingisda, walang pagsidlan ang galak, at walang humpay ang pasasalamat sa mga bathala. Nanumbalik ang kalusugan ng kabiyak ng mangingisda. At lumago ang kabuhayan, naging mariwasa ang magkapilas-puso na dating maralita. Nilasing ng kanyang mga dating kalapit-bahay ang mangingisda-- na hindi ikina...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cal y canto con camote

FENG shui (literally, wind water flow) lore has it root crops embody a hidden store of treasures. Say, a local food conglomerate needs yearly 35,000 metric tons of cassava for livestock feed-- the available local supply falls short of 13,000 tons. Cassava granules sell for around P9 a kilo. Demand for the same root crop to be used in liquor manufacturing is hitting above the roof. Why, raising cassava is a no-brainer task— this is one tough crop that can grow in the most hostile patches of earth, providing sustenance for ages to dwellers in sub-Saharan parts of Africa. While the hardy cassava is nearly pure starch, the lowly sweet potato or kamote is considered by nutritionists as a super food, the most nutritious of all vegetables— kamote levels of Vitamin A are “off the charts, rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.” A fist-sized kamote can supply a day’s dose of glucose to fuel the brain, muscles, and organs, so they claim. Count the country lucky...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wealth garden

‘TWAS CRUEL as smashing a budding green thumb: some years back, an abuela warned me about letting any clump of katigbi (Job’s tears or Coix lachrymal jobi for you botanists) from growing in our homeyard. That grass with rapier-like leaves that smelled of freshly pounded pinipig supposedly invited bad luck and sorrows—why, that biblical character Job wailed and howled a lot, didn’t he? (But was later rewarded with oodles of goodies, wasn’t he?) Then, I came across some arcane text that practically goaded folks to grow katigbi in their gardens—why, there’s a starchy kernel wrapped shut in the seed’s shiny coat. A handful or more of kernels could be cooked as porridge. Too, one could whisper a wish upon seven seed pods, throw ‘em pods in running water—a river or stream—and the wish would be granted! I was warned, too, about planting kapok or talisay trees right in the homeyard—these trees form a cross-like branching pattern. Pasang-krus daw ang bahay na kalapit sa puno ng kapok, tal...
Post a Comment
Read more