SURROGATE BOYFRIEND (fiction / short-short story)

“Can you go with me to the party with my colleagues?” I asked, still trying to sound cute. That was the third time I asked her that question. But she’s really good in ignoring questions and shifting to another topic. She grabbed my hand and walked me to the clothes store that socialite women, and gay men, swoon over.

She started running her hands on the clothes displayed on the New-Arrival section of the shop the moment we stepped inside. “Does this look good?” She asked me. I gave her an Ok-nod. We just had a fight the night before and I don’t want to spend another night on the phone apologizing because she's upset. It happens a lot. Petty fights that gone major due to petty reasons. I wanted that night to be special. I didn’t want to get into another hot water.

“You think so? Hmmmm...nope... I think it won’t look good on me.” Fishing through the clothes again she saw two more dresses that interest her. “Oh, these look perfect!" This time she didn’t ask me if it really were perfect. She handed me her bag and walked away. I wanted to tell her “They’re not perfect honey, but they will be once you put them on.” But she’s gone to the fitting room.

Trying to figure out what exactly is happening between us makes me crazy. I looked outside the store and glanced at the other couple walking outside the shop. “Why can’t we be like a normal couple?” That was the question I cannot dare answer. Everything is blurry.

Minutes passed and she finally went out of the fitting room. She called me. With the way she look, I know exactly something is wrong. I approached and asked her what’s going on. Face-all-frowned, she turned her back on me and I saw the lace of her dress all tangled up with the necklace I gave her two weeks ago. “I see.”

I guided her back inside the fitting room. “What the hell did you do with it?”

“It’s the damn necklace you gave me! This isn’t the first time it got me into trouble. Last week was my hair, and now it’s my shirt. Ohhh!!!” She said in dismay.

“Easy, honey. I have things under control. Let me take care of this for you.” Trying to concentrate on the necklace did not help. Her soft and smooth skin steals my attention. I intentionally rubbed the back of my hands on it while I untangle the troublesome necklace off her shirt’s lace. Taking my time...she noticed what I was doing.

“You’re doing something you’re not supposed to be doing, panget!” I laughed. “I'm already doing you a favour. Don’t be so ungrateful honey.” And I continued working on the necklace.

My body pressed closer to her. My front pressing behind her. But she did not let go. She shifted her head to her right, and I took it as a sign. I kissed her neck gently for a few good minutes, sliding my lips on her skin, smelling its lovely scent, and letting my tongue work a little. Soft moan freed from her lips. My hands stopped working on the tangled necklace and moved to her waist and held her closer to my body... enough for her to feel my proud manhood. I wanted to do more. Want her all mine. Just mine. I moved my hands and cupped her breast...enveloping it completely made her moan a bit louder, “Hush baby...” I softly told her. I turned her to face me and kissed her on the lips...hard...just like how we do it in my apartment. My hands now working on her behind, caressing it the way she desire –softly and lovingly. Slowly, I moved my head downward without lifting it from her skin, so I can smother her neck, and slowly worked my way down her chest. That was one of the moments that make me wish I did not let her go. She was all mine before. But not anymore. I was so stupid to let her go.

Her phone rang and she jerked away. She fished her bag and took her phone. She gave me a very familiar look before she answered her phone. The same look I have seen so many times.

“Hello...hello....yes?...ahmm....ok...I am out with a friend...ok......ok.........stop it............ok...pick me up tonight at 8. OK...ok...bye.”

“I need to go. I’ll meet him tonight. He’s sorry...and he’s crying.” She said.

As usual, I gave her an Ok-nod to make her aware I understand.

“So when will I, your surrogate boyfriend, see you again?” I asked her.

“Stop being sarcastic. We’ll see. Bye for now.”

She didn’t even tell me if she’ll go to the party or not.

End

[795 Words]

Copyright © 2009, Yffar Edlacer, All rights reserved

THE KING OF NOTHING TO DO: PUERTO GALERA PART 3 (no part 1 and 2...sorry)

I was wandering the National Bookstore in Glorieta trying to look for nonsensical books to read at home when I saw this book titled “The King of Nothing To Do” by Luis katigbak. Hey hey hey!!! That sounds more like me! I flipped the pages to get a glimpse of what’s inside and what the title is all about. Well the book contains the writer’s experiences about everything. He’s a writer and columnists of some big magazine and newspaper. I have been thinking about writing my own book someday. It was a dream I first shared with my good-friend-Efrel (April) from IBM. Oh well... I don’t know if that will ever happen.

I went to White Beach, Puerto Galera last week. It was my third time there but seemed like my first. I am physically and emotionally attached to that place. I don’t want to get into details, but I will surely keep going back to that place even in my old age. Something in that place makes me smile and reminds me of the happiest days in my life. Enough of the sad stuff on me. :-(

Why do Filipinos so friendly to Foreigners? It’s what I noticed not just in Puerto Galera but everywhere. The locals in Mindoro are so friendly to the non-Filipino looking tourist in White Beach, but couldn’t care less with the other not-so-rich-looking-Filipino-tourists like me. What the crock. Anyways, I do not need their attention. I like being alone. I hate it when vendors come my way while I’m in the middle of doing something, like eating, to ask me to buy whatever they’re selling. There was this old lady who sat right beside me flashing the braided necklace/bracelet she was selling right before my face. “3 for 20pesos, sir.” I politely told her I’m not interested but she didn’t seem to hear what I told her. Waaah...ok, I gave up. Told her a vendor selling the same item approached me earlier and was giving me 5 for 20pesos. The old lady said “Ok sir, I’ll give you 5 for 20pesos. Friendly price! (presyong kaibigan daw, harhar)” then she smiled. Oh well... so I bought 5. The old lady was kind of irritating in the beginning but turned out really friendly. That’s one of the few good things that happened to me in Galera.

Ok... going back to the Foreigners. There’s a lot of their kind in Puerto Galera. Whites, Blacks, Yellows(?)... they’re everywhere. To Filipinos, being polite and hospitable to people, especially to those from other countries, has been like a “fixed” part of our tradition. Like a light-amplification-by-stimulated-emission-of-radiation were pinned on our ancestors’ foreheads and forcefully beamed that “overfriendliness-to-foreigners” attitude. In the Philippines’ polite society, Filipinos tend to swallow indignation when they get into non-engagement encounters with anyone. “Pag pasensiyahan mo na lang yang putang-inang kano na yan.” “Hayaan mo na lang yun...mamamatay din yan.” These are not the usual words we say...but "Pasensya" and "Hayaan mo na lang" are what we usually hear and say in unpleasant situations with foreigners. Actually not just with foreigners, but even with fellow locals. We usually tend to settle things in diplomatic ways, unlike in the US where almost everyone is ready to raise hell over the slightest inconvenience in life. Well, to cut the story shorter: I got into a slight fury encounter with a big white old man. I worked for an American company for almost three years. The last one was a fucking-telecom-company in the US. Getting calls from customers with little refinement is what my job is. It wouldn’t be right if I say all calls that we get are like that. There are also customers who are really friendly, and are even friendlier when they learn that they’re speaking to someone not from the US. I love it when I get a really polite customer on the phone. But hell...is inevitable sometimes. It is one of the main reasons why I decided to quit my job. I just couldn’t take it anymore. Couple of times I hung up on boorish customers, removed my headset and left the customer talking on the line, and there was even a time when I told a very irate customer who needs payment arrangement but lacks good attitude and politeness - “That’s your problem and I ain’t giving you shit!” Of course I hung up on him. You see... working in a customer service is not easy. It takes a lot of patience, dedication, and oh well...patience.

Ok, back to the old white man. I was walking along the concrete embankment where the bars/stores/et cetera line toe-in-toe when I came across this big-white-old man. I don’t want to exaggerate things, but he almost blocked the entire walkway. “Always give way to ladies, kids, and old people in whatever situation” – that’s something I learned from my parents that I really practice. Ok...we met in a very narrow part of the concrete embankment, which happens to be the highest elevation from the sand also (I think). I squeezed myself to the clothes being sold at a shirt-store just beside us to make way to the white man. I held him by the wrist to make sure he won’t fall off the embankment – something that every good-hearted-and-polite-and-nice man will do to a very old-wrinkled-man. To my surprised, after he passed by, he looked back and gave me a not-so-nice-stare and half-shouted, “Do not touch me!” I was ill-equipped to defend myself all I managed to say was "Sorry, SIR." The old white man turned his back and I heard him say “stupid Asian monkey.” Gaddammaderpaker!!! Obviously I am not a monkey...but I know it was I he was referring to. He really got into my nerves with what he said. I looked back, and shouted, “I am not a monkey, and I’m not stupid! I’m a Filipino! Get your ethnicity right, ungrateful old bastard!” The white man was stunned. He didn’t expect that a brown-skinned-man would have the guts to talk to him in that manner. Listen: I am really nice especially to nice people. I’ve never gotten myself into fights when I was a kid, oh well...I did, but just petty fights due to petty reasons. I was really shy and very passive as a kid. While I grew up I learned that fighting back, but only when you are right, is a very essential skill that everyone should have to survive. That old man got the nerve to say such an insulting word to me in my own country. He probably believed he won’t be challenged like the customers I usually talked to when I was still with customer service. Customers are ALWAYS right. But I am also a tourist, not white, but I am a human...a local of the country he is visiting. I don’t know where the hell he got the nerve to call me stupid-Asian-monkey. I didn’t do anything wrong in the first place. In fact, I helped him. But the ungrateful old man was very rude so I was compelled to fight back.

“Never mind him, he deserve it” – said another old white man standing at my back, smiling. Oh well...”Sorry about that, he called me names, and I didn’t like it so I just fought back.” –trying to redeem my friendly side to the friendly other white man. “You need to cool down boy, are you with anyone? Take a dip in the water, haha...” We had a nice conversation during our short walk. I was just really walking around and it seemed he was too. We came near this bar and he offered me a drink. So I politely said sure. The old man was really friendly. I learned he was from Germany - and that explains why his English sounds that way. During the conversation he mentioned about his Filipina girlfriend he was with last week. He said she disappeared and left White beach without his knowledge. It was later that same day when he realized his phone and some cash were missing. (That bitch! That’s one thing that I really hate about these whores – they’re creating a bad impression to friendly outsiders like this man). Anyways – we had a really nice conversation. We talked things mainly about Germany and the Philippines. He asked me if I have been to Sabang. Told him no. He asked me if I want to go there for some fun. I wasn’t really in the mood to go somewhere else...I just wanted to drink and listen to the sound of the water hitting the shore. But he told me about the bars, and discos, and the .... mmmm...women in Sabang. Hmmm...women... it’s something that I have to consider. So I told him I’ll just go back to my room and get a shower.

So off we went to Sabang. So that’s how Sabang looks like. It is the place where bars/clubs/and women-for-cash are. The best place for partying, drinking, and meeting girls for...mmmm...sex. I learned that the German I was with frequents Sabang almost every other night. We had another drink in one of the bars...and before I knew it, a girl was already sitting on my lap comfortably. Oh well...I wouldn’t say no to it! The German paid everything. So after two glasses of vodka, we headed back to White Beach...with the two girls. The ugly lady went with him in his room, and the cute one went with me...and the rest is something that cannot be told here. (It really puzzles me why Foreign men like ugly Filipinas...oh well...sorry, I talk as if I am a very good looking man, LOL, who am I to judge who’s beautiful and who’s not, LOL!)

Well, all in all, it was a pretty nice experience in Galera. I am back in Manila now, and everything seems to be back to how it used to be. I am still sad. Fuck! X(

LIFE AFTER DEATH...???

It is really really really sad

when people you know become people you knew

you meet someone that you know is meant to be,

but due to unexpected and inevitable circumstances,

becomes someone you knew

now you walk right past that someone who

at one point was a big part of your life

and all you have left is just the torturing feeling

in your heart and soul

that keeps you awake all day and night

until you lose your mind

and begin hurting yourself unconsciously

till you start enjoying self-suffering

till the hurt eats you up alive

and before you knew it

you’re

dead.


is there really another life after death
?
?
?
....

ME: JUST A SUPPORTING ROLE

I locked myself again in my own cosmos (what’s new, ei?). Been away for almost two weeks. Well, I thought about what I really want to do with my life. I want to move outside the country, find happiness, and start over. But damn, getting a working visa to the US is freaking-hard. It seems positive thinking isn’t working for me. The great secret I discovered a month and some days ago isn’t working. Fuck.

My internet connection was down for a couple of days and I am still thinking if I will call Smart and ask for credit for the days I wasn’t able to use their freaking service. Well, the internet really consumes most of my time at home. But my internet being down became like a blessing in disguise. I had the time to do the other things that I neglected the past months. I was finally able to clean my room...was able to dispose the porn dvds and vcds that I had been wanting to throw away (I wonder if any of the Sunday garbage collectors got hold of my porn collection...lucky him)... and...hmmm...what else...yeah...I was able to sleep well.

My mom already know that I had resigned from my job. I was surprised that she wasn’t super-surprised. She normally over-react on things. She only asked me why. I told her I do not know. I just wanted to rest and give myself a break. Got tired of being sick and tired of being sick and tired of being sick and tired at work. I had to end the almost never-ending cycle of being sick and tired. Resigning was just a temporary-quick-fix to my daily suffering at work. Now that I am jobless...and running out of money...I am starting to realize I should have not quit the job. But hey hey hey... there’s no use crying over spilled milk. Time to move on, even to uncertainty.

I bought myself a new running shoes. Bought the Nike Lunarlite. Cool. Kulay green. My mom asked me, “Why did you get green??? Parang pambabae...tsaka baduy”. Nah...that’s the only color it has. I like the shoes. Very comfy (well it bloody should! Limang libo kaya sya –may sukli lang limang piso!) Pero limang beses ko palang sya pinang jogging. It’s too troublesome. Pagnagkapera ako ng malaki magpapa-lipo nalang ako.

Malungkot na naman ako. Galit na naman ako. I am starting to hate everyone again. People don’t seem to care much about me. Tang-ina, oo na, kulang kasi ako sa pansin eh! I am very far from what is normal and acceptable behaviour. Kaya siguro konti lang ang kaibigan ko. May toyo. Baliw. Ewan. Minsan gusto ko nalang sirain buhay ko para pansinin ako ng mga minamahal ko. I normally don't write in Filipino, pero tang-ina, tinatagalog ko na lang para mas madaling maintindihan. But I am trying to love myself more now. After all – it is I who can only love myself unconditionally. Torturing myself and letting myself wallow in deep pain, I guess, is my own way of loving myself. I noticed I tend to enjoy and seek self-suffering now. Yes... I am a masochist. But dang, right I might, no one will ever love me unless I learn to love myself.

I just want to be needed by the people I love. The feeling that you’re not needed by the one you need is terrible. I might consider cancelling my mobile phone for good. Di naman sya nagtetex. Di naman sila nagtetex. No one’s texting or calling me!!! Parate bang ako nalang dapat unang magtetex??? Tanginang buhay yan. Wala na nga akong trabaho, wala pang nagmamahal at mga kaibigan. Sucks to be me, ei?

Gusto kong maging bida. Gusto ko ako yung superhero. Gusto ko ako yung leading man. Pero di yun ang nangyayari. Sa buhay ko parang ako yung kontrabidang pinapatay...ako yung kalabang halimaw na sinusugpo...ako yung third-party na talunan sa love triangle...pakingshet. I’m just another person standing on someone else’s shadow. Just a supporting role in a love story.
I got no one to hug but my knees. Wish there’s someone willing to keep me warm at night.

Beer pa!!!

FLASH REPORT: A BURNING CAR IN EDSA - MAKATI

Waaahhh... I was on my way home last night when the bus I was riding came across a burning car along Edsa - in between Buendia and Ayala Ave. The gay guy at my back half-shouted in a very gayish accent, "oh my gosh!!! Kotse yun ah!!!" I was terrified to see a burning car just a few feet away from the traffic lane. It seemed it just exploded some minutes before we passed by. No police, no ambulance, no fire fighters... none has responded yet on the accident when we passed by. I grabbed my phone right away and took a video of the scene. Never seen such a thing... I only get to see burning cars in movies. I wonder if someone was inside the burning car. I sure hope none. Check the short video clip.

GOODBYE CVG... GOODBYE EVERYONE...GOODBYE. SEE YOU TOMORROW!

It is final. I am now officially resigned from Convergys Alabang. Yeahey! (???) Well, I am not really happy about it. Okay... I am happy, but not so much. I badly need a break. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired at/of work. Yeah... go ahead... call me lazy, coz I really am... call me stupid for trashing such a good and stable job... call me whatever you want... but I don’t give a shit. Continuing my work in the company won’t do me any good. I know quitting my job is not the solution to find what I really want to do with my life, whatever that is, but somehow it gives me a quick fix to my daily suffering. I am sick and tired of what I was doing at work. My resignation from work is still a secret at home. My mom doesn’t know about it. I really don’t have a bit of intention of letting my mom know. Well, I know she would know sooner or later once any of my sisters get to read this post.

Saying goodbye ain’t easy. But sometimes, you just need to do it...no matter how hard it is.

I would like to say thanks to all the people who played important roles in my life in CVG. Special thanks to the following people:

1. To Portia (Por-tee-yah) and Donna in CCT. Sorry guys, I forgot your last names. But I would like to thank you for....ahh...for....ahmmm...ah....ah...(Shite! Where’s my grammar???) Thank you! (Less talk, less mistake!)

2. To Mr. Jeremy Jolito for giving me a perfect score (105 over 100) in the Call Certification, and for believing that I can be a top agent. Thanks for believing, but I was never a top agent...I guess I have to say sorry too. Haha. And, Hey hey hey... if ever you get to read this, I want to remind you that you still owe me a burger in Brother’s Burger!!! I was the first to sell a phone and a connection card!!! Remember??? Where’s my Burger now?!? Arrrggghh....

3. To the lovely Ms. Len Perilla (my first TL in CVG), thanks for being very PATIENT, and for not letting me quit the Job. FYI: I attempted to resign twice when I was still under her... but she didn’t let go off me. She gave me a HUGE amount of time to think it over. Thank you for the support when I applied for MOD. (I didn’t make it because I failed to answer a very sane question by the interviewer. I was asked what their new name was...and I failed to answer it. Dang!!! Paking sheyt...Floor Assistant!!!) Thank you also for calling me Mr. KMS of the team, though I would have appreciated it more if you had called me Mr. CVG. Hahaha.

4. To Chris! Man! You are the first person I became really close with. This is a confession: Sorry to the rest of my team, but Chris, and Lucky were the only ones I wanted to be friends with way back in CCT. I like quiet and simple and tame people. Believe me, he was the nicest in Wave 128. And when I think of Chris, I remember this first: Humility is Beauty! Thank you for texting me when I don’t go to work. You never fail to be the first to ask “Kamusta na tol?” during my absence. Thanks man! Inum parin tayo lagi ha!!!

5. To Serge! Man! aka Mr. Davao! aka Bata ni Boy Abunda! Haha. Thank you for all the words of wisdom! Thanks for making our drinking sessions more enjoyable and memorable with your song and dance numbers. Thanks for appreciating my importance and existence in the team. You are the one who always say “Si Raffy pa!” I know you believe in me, and I thank you for that. You always said I am Naruto. But I have a bad news, I am not Naruto. I may be Shikamaru, but not Naruto. You are Naruto. I never saw anyone as persistent as you are. You started slow, but look at you now! And yes, go and soar high Serge! Be the best Hokage that there never was! And wait, don’t forget my boomerang, ok? I want a genuine one from Australia! (Wow...Sergio is going to Australia! Yey!!!) You might wanna bring copies of your resume too. Well, you know what I mean. :-) And remember...we are not slammers! We are updaters! Haha. Videoke parin tayo sa Centre Stage pag may pera ha!!!

6. To Lucky! Where are you now? :-( I heard you already resigned ahead of me. I want to thank you for the good conversation you provided during our first day in CCT. Remember, I was talking to you in Filipino but you kept answering me back in English! Haha. You’re one of the few people I liked in CCT (note: I love them all now, ok). Thank you for being so nice, and for making me laugh when you were still with us. What comes after K? Oh yes it’s L, not for Lucky, but L for Lala. :-) I fell off my chair when I heard you talking to your customer in a very loud voice, “A as in Apple, D s in David, and L as in LALA.” Lala? :-)

7. To Kaloy! Man! Boy Highblood! Haha. Tell you what, (FYI: that’s his fave transition statement in selling) my first impression on you?!? NR (no reaction). Haha. Ok, I’ll tell you now, you got me intimidated the first time I heard you speak way back in CCT. “Here’s the man who knows what he is talking about”, that’s what I told myself when I heard you, and MJ, introduced yourselves. The rest of us were all trying to sound good but you two seemed to be a natural talker. But my amazement disappeared when I learned that you finished A.B. Communications in college, and MJ was raised in California. Dang, your English should really be damn good!!! It bloody should! Haha. Just a piece of unsolicited advice man... do not overrate yourself. You are good, but do not be over confident. You are young and you have a lot of potential. I won’t be surprised if I see you as an OM someday. Just work silently and let them see your worth. Titext ka naming pag iinom kami ha!!!

8. To Bam! Man! Boy Tuhog! Haha. When we first saw you and Jayz, we thought you were gay! Haha. Little that we know you are a certified BBQ King, Mr. Casanova! (FYI: next to him is Serge, haha.) Well, I’d like to thank you for bringing more laughter to the team. Thanks for hosting our day-off-drinking-sessions, and I am looking forward to more! And yes, as you’ve said, now that I am gone, there’s no more Batman and Robin...just Robin. You need to find a new partner in crime, Robin. And never forget that you are Robin, and I am Batman. Did I make myself clear?!? But now that I am gone, I am letting you be Batman. And the secret of my super-dooper-typing-power... I will share it to you when we meet again. Ok Robin? Haha! Oh, another thing....remember what I told you before I left??? Make your idle moments productive...update update update as much as you can!!! Dun tayo sa flat mo every off, inum tayo!!!

9. To Belle! Our original Soft drink beauty, Belinda Mirinda. Belle!!! Why did you get yourself pregnant by another man?!? :-( What happens now to your promises? What happens to us now? Waaaahhh.... (Haha!) Kidding aside, I’d like to thank you for listening to my dilemmas thru text. You are a funny and bubbly girl, and that’s why everybody loves you. You are fun to text with, but I don’t know why you seldom text me now :-(. I always liked sitting beside you. You never failed to make me laugh during idle moments, and even when on a call, and I thank you for that. We are both very flexible in handling calls while chatting about non-work-related stuffs. And that is why we were always on the top list of highest AHT during Len’s term, haha. But you’ve changed a lot now. Look at you now (your pregnant.. haha) . Imagine, you’re now the Top 2 agent in the centre!!! Wow!!! Gujeb Belle!!! Ninong ako ha!!! :-) Pag nanganak ka na inuman ulit tayo!!!

10. To Ghie! Ghie!!! The most dead-set and serious in stats! :-). Hmmm... what can I say. You seem pretty happy now with your love life, and I am happy for you. Thank you for making me feel welcomed every time I go back to work from a-couple-of-days of absence. You always welcomed me with a warm “Teddy!!!” I will surely miss your hugs and hearing you calling me “Teddy...” If ever you’d have any problem... do not hesitate to call me. I may not be a good adviser but I am a good listener. I wish you and your hubby forever happiness. And also, thank you for the gift you gave me on my birthday. I use it every day! Inum ulit tayo kala Bam pag off nyo ha!!!

11. To Mai! Jerms!!! Jermalinaaaahhh!!! Why did you get yourself pregnant by another man?!? :-( What happens now to your promises? What happens to us now? Waaaahhh.... (hmmm...did you notice the wonder of copy-and-paste). Kidding aside, you are almost like Belle. I like you too, but only as a friend, ok!!! You are and will always be my partner in absences. I have a confession to make to TL Len (I hope she get to read this): I was supposed to go to work on New Year’s Eve of 2008. But when I was preparing myself for work, Jermalina called me and convinced me not to go to work!!! This is what she said, if my memory serves me right; “Raffy... papasok ka ba? Wag na!!! Absent na tayo!!! Isang absence lang yan... at ang New Year celebration, once a year lang mangyari yan!!! Tara na!!! Absent na tayo!!!” Then I replied...”Ano naman ang idadahilan mo? Eh ako, ano naman ang sakit ko???” She said, “may rhinitis ako (sabay hihihihi....) ikaw bahala ka na sa sakit mo, isip ka ng unique!” Told her, “di na ako pwede magkagastro kasi yun na sakit ko last week...ah...alam ko na!!! May pyrophobia ako!!! Teka fear of fire yun diba? Pwede na siguro yun!!!” Mai: “Hihihihi!!!” Me: “Hihihihi!!!” So, TL Len, I really am sorry. I would have gone to work if Mai didn’t influence me. (mmm...reminds me of what Yeyette said, I was influenced by **bleep**). Oist, pag nanganak ka na sama ka ulit sa centre stage ha!!!

12. To Mami Ghie!!! Mami!!! Thank you for the motherly love you’ve been giving me. I really appreciate all your advices and kindness. You were always beside me when I was down. You know when I feel sad and you always try to cheer me up. I think I would have not survived a year and a half of torture at work without you. Will miss you always mami Ghie. I wish you good luck in your new account. And also, I would like to thank you for caring so much about me. I remember what TL Len told me when I was about to resign from work. She said “Malulungkot si Mami Ghie...she told me you are the last person she’d want to resign from work...kausapin daw kita...”. I was touched! And so I stayed, because of you and TL Len. See...ang laki ng impluwensya mo sa buhay ko sa trabaho! Sama ka ulit sa next Centre Stage session namin ha!!!

13. To Gni!!! Eh ano kung Engineering ka....MAPUA ka ba??? Hahaha!!! Mabuhay ang MAPUANS!!! Where are you now, by the way? I haven’t seen you for ages. I am beginning to worry now. Baka kinidnap ka na ng mga arabo!!! I sure hope not. Thanks for lending me a few series of the Sandman! I still have two of your books. Can I keep them for good? Please.... :-) Thanks for the friendship Gni!!! Untill this day, I am still thinking if I will follow the diet secret you shared me. I am afraid I might kill myself with it. Oist!!! Isang beses ka palang sumama samin sa inuman!!! Takte, sumama ka na sa gimik pagbalik mo ha!!! Wala na naman si husband mo!

14. To Joselito Soliman Sagum!!! Aka Joey!!! TL!!! Sorry for all my absences... :-( ... sorry 100x. Listen: You are the Bestest TL I ever had!!! I really had a nice time working with you. The team has improved a lot, performance wise, because of your hard work and patience and good leadership. I owe you a lot. You might not be aware, but you taught me a lot of things. I appreciate all your advises and I enjoyed listening to and learning from your experiences in life. If there’s someone that I’d like to become someday, that would be you. And I promise...I will try not to be hard to myself again, and I will always try to focus on the positive things. Would love to be your subordinate again if ever I’d go back to CVG. We’ll see. TL...pag pumunta kami ulit sa bahay mo, sana may Fruit Salad ulet ha!!! *wink*

15. To Mr. Steven Conway!!! Sir!!! Hahaha. He was my last customer. I told him he need not worry coz the problem is going to fix itself. He hung up on me. Harharhar....nice move!!!

To the people not mentioned here...please...do not feel bad. You all played an important role in my CVG-life. I am just too lazy to enumerate you guys one by one...arrgggghhh...it is just too troublesome doing this...saying thank you and goodbye to everyone...arrrgggghhhh...what a work.

Listen guys...I love all my friends in the office...and you know who you are. Just continue being good even when I am no longer around. Remember, God is watching us from a distance.

Cheese. :-)

Byerts everyone. I wish you all the best in life. Hope you wish me same.