what a Wednesday is.

Yesterday ended rather late and today started earlier than usual. 


My kid and i left for Antique this morning but not without a stopover. In UPV Miag-ao. 


And it was yesterday night that we were buying his outfit for today's event that i repeatedly told him that we will not be taking the bus to his grandmother's house because a stopover in Miag-ao is necessary. I told him, the kid, that we (he + me) will be visiting my former university and that we will be going around the campus. The latter is apparently a lie, told because the truth will not excite him. because the truth is, while we are there, we will just spend the entire time at the registrar's office.  


We took the ride-from-hell from a jeepney in the city. The driver actually started and went on slow drive -- i dunno, i don't drive, maybe around 40-60 kph? -- from the city until midway to Guimbal. This is in order for him to get more passengers as the jeepneys seldom leave the terminal fully packed with sardines--err, passengers. And then when the driver felt it's too close to the destination to get more passengers, he cranked the speedometer up--maybe close to a 100 kph--not minding the swerving. I swore under my breath. I've almost forgotten how it's like riding jeeps plying southern iloilo. 


Despite this, the kid, who was already fast asleep when we reached Arevalo, remained undisturbed in his sleep, in tulo-laway fashion. He's gonna have a crazy hairdo by the time we get off. 


Anyway, I had to drop by UPV Miag-ao to process my request for diploma and transcript. Miag-ao is really a long way from Jaro and "process my request for transcript" as a reason can really not warrant a visit. I can use my connections anytime. And I won't even need to lift a finger. 


naaah -- actually the UPV Alumni Office already offers that kind of support to the graduates. And i'm certainly lying about them "connections."  

UPV "New" Admin building.
 Left wing is where the Registrar's office is.
Link to Photo

The people of the registrar's office took my request in, even to the last minute, even with their hands full of all other requests, and their attention divided by their Christmas party that was to start by 12:00 noon. Before me, came the 1980 alumnus who couldn't locate her records in Diliman, and was due to leave the country in two weeks. The staff at the registrar's office located it and did everything as the alumnus requested. They were not sugary friendly ("nanghihingi-ng-balatong") but they were very helpful to every one there. (Yes, honor and excellence.)


It was really difficult to keep the kid from going from one table to another inside the Reg's office, especially that they had a pabitin (for their Christmas party) in the middle of their office! The kid actually enjoyed being there and when he left with me, he waved goodbye with a long face to everyone in the office.  


Once out of the registrar's office, I started coaxing the kid to walk the rest of maybe 100 meters (or more) uphill to the CUB. The toddler obediently took my hand and i treated him to stories while we walked. I told him the road we're following used to be my regular running route in the university, and that I used to just walk from my boarding house to my classes. 


"Sang ara pa ako sa tyan ni nanay?" said the kid. (When i was still in mother's belly?)
"Wala pa." (Not yet)
"Sa balay lang ko ya?" (I'm just in the house?)
"Wala. Wala ka pa ya." (Not yet. You're not around yet.)
"Si tatay ya?" (How about father?)
"Iba man iya eskwelahan e." (He goes to a different school.)
"Upod kami?" (We go together?)
"Wala ka pa gani." (I said you are not around yet.)

link to photo

When we reached the clearing near the Diwata ng Dagat he asked to climb the acacia trees. one tree has a beautiful canopy; it's hasn't grown so tall yet and pretty climable. But it's not a public place, so it was no. I lied about the whole place being the nest of snakes. When i maliciously commented that the Diwata does not have any bra he did not even give it a glance. To think that at his very very young age he's already overly conscious about undressing or getting naked in public. 

link to photo

And because he walked without complain i allowed him to go up the UPV Museum of Natural Sciences (but more like a marine museum) at the lobby of the university library. i can;t remember all the questions i had to answer but one question he kept of asking is that why are the animals there all dead? Okay. 






The whole time we were roaming around, he kept telling me that that everything looks "high" (Wow, taas taas hagdan nila ba! Wow! Taas taas saka naton ba!). I remember it's his first time to be in a building located atop of a hill. And he seldom goes to places several stories high. He's thrilled of the "highness" of it all. Ah, how nice it is to be a kid and inexperienced. 

Inside CUB Cafeteria. It just so happen that this is
the only pic available on the net. Link to Photo

Not wanting to leave the campus, he told me he wants to eat lunch of vegetables (makaon laswa). I consented despite the need for us to hurry home (we had biscuits that could sustain his hunger pangs in the bus--and he ate a hearty breakfast!) because i also wanted to visit the CUB. 


It was lonely. The CUB was one lonely lonely place. I felt miserable eating lunch there. The chairs are broken, the tap not working (so the staff provided jerry cans of potable water), the ceiling fans are also broken, the building looks old, the food was not good, it was so humid. The whole place was just depressing. During my time there as a student, there was a potable water tap that shoot cool, clean, drinkable water. One of my fisheries schoolmate said that it has to be clean because it's what them lab people use for their experiments that required "sterile" water. I dunno what happened. Maybe some students contracted amoeba and they had to shut the line off. Or maybe it's just the way things work. They just stop being good and magical and wonderful one day. 


The kid didn't eat much; I had to throw the untouched cup of rice. I thought I'd be hungry but it turned out i was hungry for a different kind of food, for the ambiance that's is already non-existent. I collected our plate and tray and put them in the collection area while the kid played with his little toy trucks. We hurried outside. 


As we made our way to the stairs leading to the highway, i tell him more stories. For one sentence I say, he tells me a thousand more. 


I made the him wait on the stairs while I watch for the bus. We exchanged questions and answers again about my life as a university student. He kept on asking me what on he was doing while I was at school. Or where he was? Did he wait at home?


"Wala a, wala ka pa ya," I tell him. (Not yet. You were not here yet.)
"Diin ako bay?" (Where was I?)
"Wala pa gid e." (You're VERY not around yet.)
"Diin ko nagkadto haw?" (Where did i go?)
"Wala ka pa to nabuhi." (You're not yet born/alive(?).)
"Napatay na ko?" (I was dead?)
He gave me no choice. I can already see the roof of the bus from the dip in the road ahead. 
"Basta. Huo." (Trust me. Yes.)


And i went to flag for the yellow Ceres bus. 

FIN.