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The Hump: Jewel (July 15, 2009)
Jewel
by Cesar S. Guevarra
July 15, 2009
For some reason, the jeepney driver had Glenn Miller on his radio and the distinct opening lines of "Moonlight Serenade" caught Maritess rather by surprise, as she was busy counting the telephone poles that lined the street that led to the porcelain factory where she worked.
She knew there were precisely twenty-three poles from the barber shop on the corner of Ipil Street to the front of the haberdasher's where she always got off from the jeepney. It was then fifty-one paces to the gate of Sunrise Porcelain, Inc. Fifteen years on and the counting had become more of a habit than something to simply pass away the time.
Disturbed from her calculated stupor, she glanced at the driver and concluded that he indeed looked old enough to know who Glenn Miller was. She smiled to herself. She was amused to find a man of such good taste plowing his jeepney through the muck that was the industrial part of the city.
The sun was particularly radiant that morning and she squinted as she stared up at the heavens, trying to make out the clouds through the tangled maze of wires that looked like balete vines intent on getting a stranglehold on everything that lay beneath them. She was soon able to gain proper focus and only the vast expanse of sky filled her vision.
"Good morning, Mrs. Cristobal, is Maritess done with her chores? Can she come out and play with us?"
"Let me see if she is, Sonia. Is that Cita with you? Cita, please tell your mother that I shall come by your house later and bring the rice cakes she ordered. Maritess? Your friends are here asking for you. Maritess?"
Maritess had just finished doing the dishes when, above the roaring trumpets of "In the Mood" that blasted out of her mother's prized transistor radio, she heard her mother calling out to her. "Yes, mother. I'll be right there."
She dashed out of their small house and in no time was with Sonia and Cita, the three of them hunched over something Sonia held in her hands. Sonia's father had run into her godmother the other day and she had asked him to hand her goddaughter a gift of two pesos. The three of them stared at the coins. "Oh Sonia, you're rich!" Cita could barely contain her excitement. Sonia smiled at her two friends and said, "No, we are."
The three ran through alleys and side streets, ducked under clotheslines and the odd hammock, crawled through a hole in a chicken wire fence, and soon arrived at the market.
Midday found them underneath the tree that stood at the center of the plaza, surrounded by the remnants of that morning's catch, if you will. Six bottles of soda and an inordinate number of chocolate bars, biscuits, and chewing gum later, they were happily rubbing their tummies, looking at noon in Manila unfolding before them.
"Are you two sure you've had enough? We've some money left, you know", Sonia offered.
Maritess was stuffed. "Ay thank you, Sonia, but I think it's wise to leave some for another day… tomorrow, perhaps?" The three of them laughed. Maritess tied her hair and looked at her friends. "Even if I do get to be rich someday, I will never be richer than I am now. And if I don't get to be rich, I'll be perfectly happy knowing I have something more precious than diamonds. I'll have memories of you two."
Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty. It was the start of another long day of polishing plates for Maritess. Eight hours of clanging plates, shouting supervisors, and chattering co-workers. She clutched her bag, keeping it close to her chest, seemingly trying to keep it out of anyone else's reach. The security guard on post at the front gate gave her an irritated look. "No one's taking that thing away from you, Miss." She ignored him. He could burn the damn thing for all she cared. The jewel she most treasured wasn't in it anyway.
Photo taken at Manila, Philippines
---
The Hump
Time flies so quickly nowadays, that we fail to appreciate the simplest things and moments in our life. The week just started, and we can't wait for it to end.
Take a breather. Slow down. Pause. There's a Hump in the middle of the week, and that is Wednesday.
The Hump, is a joint project of me and Louie. I provide the photos, and she gives the words to them. And, why do we do it? It's really simple. We just want people to have another perspective on Wednesdays. Just like a hump in the road, Wednesdays should be a time for people to slow down from their fast-paced life.
There's a Hump ahead. It's your choice what to do with it.
Previous articles of The Hump can be viewed at http://thehumpday.wordpress.com/.
The Hump: Jewel (July 15, 2009)
Jewel
by Cesar S. Guevarra
July 15, 2009
For some reason, the jeepney driver had Glenn Miller on his radio and the distinct opening lines of "Moonlight Serenade" caught Maritess rather by surprise, as she was busy counting the telephone poles that lined the street that led to the porcelain factory where she worked.
She knew there were precisely twenty-three poles from the barber shop on the corner of Ipil Street to the front of the haberdasher's where she always got off from the jeepney. It was then fifty-one paces to the gate of Sunrise Porcelain, Inc. Fifteen years on and the counting had become more of a habit than something to simply pass away the time.
Disturbed from her calculated stupor, she glanced at the driver and concluded that he indeed looked old enough to know who Glenn Miller was. She smiled to herself. She was amused to find a man of such good taste plowing his jeepney through the muck that was the industrial part of the city.
The sun was particularly radiant that morning and she squinted as she stared up at the heavens, trying to make out the clouds through the tangled maze of wires that looked like balete vines intent on getting a stranglehold on everything that lay beneath them. She was soon able to gain proper focus and only the vast expanse of sky filled her vision.
"Good morning, Mrs. Cristobal, is Maritess done with her chores? Can she come out and play with us?"
"Let me see if she is, Sonia. Is that Cita with you? Cita, please tell your mother that I shall come by your house later and bring the rice cakes she ordered. Maritess? Your friends are here asking for you. Maritess?"
Maritess had just finished doing the dishes when, above the roaring trumpets of "In the Mood" that blasted out of her mother's prized transistor radio, she heard her mother calling out to her. "Yes, mother. I'll be right there."
She dashed out of their small house and in no time was with Sonia and Cita, the three of them hunched over something Sonia held in her hands. Sonia's father had run into her godmother the other day and she had asked him to hand her goddaughter a gift of two pesos. The three of them stared at the coins. "Oh Sonia, you're rich!" Cita could barely contain her excitement. Sonia smiled at her two friends and said, "No, we are."
The three ran through alleys and side streets, ducked under clotheslines and the odd hammock, crawled through a hole in a chicken wire fence, and soon arrived at the market.
Midday found them underneath the tree that stood at the center of the plaza, surrounded by the remnants of that morning's catch, if you will. Six bottles of soda and an inordinate number of chocolate bars, biscuits, and chewing gum later, they were happily rubbing their tummies, looking at noon in Manila unfolding before them.
"Are you two sure you've had enough? We've some money left, you know", Sonia offered.
Maritess was stuffed. "Ay thank you, Sonia, but I think it's wise to leave some for another day… tomorrow, perhaps?" The three of them laughed. Maritess tied her hair and looked at her friends. "Even if I do get to be rich someday, I will never be richer than I am now. And if I don't get to be rich, I'll be perfectly happy knowing I have something more precious than diamonds. I'll have memories of you two."
Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty. It was the start of another long day of polishing plates for Maritess. Eight hours of clanging plates, shouting supervisors, and chattering co-workers. She clutched her bag, keeping it close to her chest, seemingly trying to keep it out of anyone else's reach. The security guard on post at the front gate gave her an irritated look. "No one's taking that thing away from you, Miss." She ignored him. He could burn the damn thing for all she cared. The jewel she most treasured wasn't in it anyway.
Photo taken at Manila, Philippines
---
The Hump
Time flies so quickly nowadays, that we fail to appreciate the simplest things and moments in our life. The week just started, and we can't wait for it to end.
Take a breather. Slow down. Pause. There's a Hump in the middle of the week, and that is Wednesday.
The Hump, is a joint project of me and Louie. I provide the photos, and she gives the words to them. And, why do we do it? It's really simple. We just want people to have another perspective on Wednesdays. Just like a hump in the road, Wednesdays should be a time for people to slow down from their fast-paced life.
There's a Hump ahead. It's your choice what to do with it.
Previous articles of The Hump can be viewed at http://thehumpday.wordpress.com/.