WOKE up with a swollen ankle on a Wednesday morning.
It was Monday when I last ran 8 kms.
This endurance training is not working.
Brought my book, and biked my way to my coffeeshop.
Had a pot of barako.
And then, my marathon boys arrived.
***
I call them marathon boys because we’ve been planning to run the 42-km Malumpati Eco-Run.
One has done a half-marathon.
The other just came back from the Davao International Marathon.
Still another hasn’t done a marathon yet, but he’s been running and winning short distances as far as I can remember.
Would I run the Malumpati Marathon with them?
***
I point to my swollen ankle, but they’re still positive I will get back to form to join them.
Oh, the support and the love!
The boys came back from one barangay’s 5-km run.
They got invited late, and they forgot to tell me.
So I joked, they just didn’t tell me because if I came, I’d beat their asses.
***
I was ready to leave after they left, but another man, older now, but still younger than I am was raving about his son’s talent.
Said his son composes, and proceeds to show me a video (was it YouTube?) of his son’s composition performed in a dance.
We were talking Paraw Regatta samba performance.
***
And I was just telling him, if the committee qualified the young painters from Dumangas, I could have been there at Paraw’s Pinta Tawo as a model.
I mean, I had a special g-strings prepared for the body painting competition.
Ah, but some things are never meant to be.
***
Anyway, I said I wanted to meet the son.
I’ve been meaning to work with a musician.
Do something for musical stage.
I mean, I can write an opera, but who can afford it?
So yeah, musical stage it is.
Like Broadway, but only in Hiligaynon.
***
Started to write some poetry again while resting my foot.
But the throbbing pain!
For lunch, I was given a soup of langka, pechay, and some beef.
Hello, uric acid.
But the broth was so good.
Got half cup rice.
I wanted to pay, but they wouldn’t let me.
***
Rested my foot some more.
And at 3:30, I got up and went to market for banana cue and ice scramble.
Ice scramble is leche con heilo, but it’s something finer.
Like it’s been beaten or blended.
Very shake-like.
P25 for that snack isn’t so bad.
***
I decided that I wanted a watermelon for dinner.
I was going for a small piece.
The seller said, Just get one. I’ll give it to you for free.
And so I inched closer, What do you mean give it to me for free?
I can pay, you know.
And she said, I know, but I’m giving it to you for free.
***
I explained why I wanted to know the reason why I’m getting things for free.
It’s been my experience in the last three days.
People have been giving me a lot.
Food especially.
I always get something extra.
I buy something worth P7, and they say, just pay P5.
***
The seller said, It makes you happy, it makes me happy; everybody wins.
I pushed.
Why the hell would you just give away your watermelon.
Didn’t you have to get back your capital investment?
It turns out, nobody is buying much.
She wants to get rid of the old stocks, so she could have new stocks.
***
So I got one small watermelon for free.
And before I left, I said, If you have much to dispose, consider giving them to the jail inmates. I’d gladly provide transportation to deliver them.
And the seller said, That’s why it is a joy to be giving things to you, you are very kind to others.
And with that, I carried my swollen ankle with more pride./PN
