I’M AN enfant terrible in my hometown.
I think that some people’s term for me is ‘crazy’, buang.
Although no one is brave enough to say it to my face because, well, I’ll always be richer than they are.
***
I let poor people call me anything they like.
For as long as I get to do what I want, they can call me anything they want.
I can stop traffic—or at least, traffic enforcers direct the traffic when I cross the street.
I can run in my underwear—usually elastic Jockey boxer briefs.
***
During the town’s Haw-as Festival last month, I went around wearing dresses.
Dresses!
Well, I made them look like complicated fashion.
And how can you call a man’s clothing “a dress” if you cannot understand it?
But they were real women’s clothes worn with an artsy twist.
***
The big question is: Who would dare stop me if their day’s salary could not even pay for half of my costume?
***
In the town’s festivities, there was a rescheduled coronation pageant for the town fiesta queen 2020(!).
It was “Avatar”-themed based on the Cirque du Soleil show “Toruk: The First Flight”.
I played the role of The Ringmaster.
Or, as I called it, The Show Opener because I made my exit after the entrance of the queen.
***
I’m a most professional actor.
It’s when the directors aren’t being reasonable that I go rogue.
I wasn’t given a script for the show.
I was just told to adjust to this, and adjust to that, during the rehearsals.
Which was fine for me because I’m a trooper.
***
I opened the show to a “heart-stopping performance”.
That’s according to the Facebook post of some people.
I’m pretty sure I was also the most remembered performer even if I didn’t do all the splits and high leaps like the Dance students of the Dumangas High School – Special Program for the Arts.
That’s because my character was all over the place.
And in a darkened hall, my prop of a wand of light was a moving spectacle.
***
But most of the accolades came from the fact that at 53, I was dancing at par with 15-17 year old students.
I was running and jumping, and acting and lipsynch-ing in a most gorgeous costume, and a spectacular Avatar-face makeup.
As the videographer promptly noted, I was the only one in character all throughout the show.
Which is a wonderful compliment because the said videographer is also a filmmaker.
***
The pageant director-producer has instructed me to sit on the stage with the royal court for the duration of the show.
But since rehearsals, I only saw the seats for the queen, princesses, past queen, and their consorts.
I purposely did not remind the director for the missing prop; I did not demand a chair!
On performance night, when I saw that there was no throne for me to sit on, I smiled wickedly.
***
As soon as the queen and king made their entrance, and took their seats, and I was supposed to sit along with them, I made my exit.
My point is, if it’s not clear to the director, that I no longer served a purpose on stage.
Nobody would notice if I don’t reappear for the rest of the show.
But I did appear again during the Unity Dance, and for my curtain call.
***
My instincts were all correct.
Pre-show, in complete makeup and costume, I stood outside the entrance to the covered gym like a show barker.
So yeah, I’m probably the most photographed person in Dumangas that evening, too.
People stopped by to have their selfies taken with me.
Of course, I felt like a superhero character on Hollywood Boulevard!
***
And I’m most proud that someone gave me a P100 bill as tip.
I mean, who knew someone would have the brain, and money, to do that in Dumangas?
It made my ego swell.
I mean, who dresses up crazy and gets paid for it? Haha.
***
I am beginning to feel most exposed in my town.
Like the whole plaza is the extension of my home.
I wake up, and I walk to coffee before I could even brush my teeth.
It would not be unusual to find me drinking coffee in my sleeping clothes.
***
People are so used to see glammed up, or unkempt, or scruffy sexy.
And I feel that they like the unpredictability.
I even suspect they love the humanity of it, the un-Instragrammability of my 24/7.
Nothing fake./PN
