ANG HULING EL BIMBO (EXCERPTS)

Ika-3 ng Nobiyembre 1996

Isang araw ay dinalaw siya ng isang diwata, binuhusan ng isang case na beer at sinayawan ng El Bimbo (Talata 2)…

Gustong-gusto na niyang matulog sa opisina, hintayin ang paglabas ng diwata sa bodegang naging kuwartong naging refugee center, at sumayaw ng El Bimbo (Talata 3)…

Ang pangalan ng sigarilyo ko ay “Paraluman Lights”, mabango ang usok nito at marunong sumayaw ng El Bimbo (Talata 6)…

Papalitan ko ang design ng bote ng diwatang naka-lo-waist, nakatanghod sa labas ng trak papunta at mula Bangaan, at sumasayaw ng El Bimbo (Talata 7)…

Si taong-bato-na-malaki-ang-tiyan-at-nagsasayaw-ng El Bimbo ay hindi sumulat dahil siya ay bala ng Torpedo. Si taong-bato-na-malaki-ang-tiyan-at-nagsasayaw-ng El Bimbo ay nagdrowing ng sulat dahil bumubula na ang kanyang kaluluwa sa daigdig ng Marlboro Lights (Gold) at ice cold na San Miguel Beer (draft or regular). Kapag nagsusulat si taong-bato-na-malaki-ang-tiyan-at-nagsasayaw-ng El Bimbo, siya ay nagiging Barangay Tanod (Talata 13)…

At si taong-bato-na-malaki-ang-tiyan-at-nagsasayaw-ng El Bimbo ay hindi maipapangakong kailanman ay hindi na iiyak ang diwata ng mga Barangay Tanod. Pero sigurado si taong-bato-na-malaki-ang-tiyan-at-nagsasayaw-ng El Bimbo na hindi niya kailanman makakalimutan ang pagsayaw ng El Bimbo (Talata 14)…

Ito na nga ba ang huling El Bimbo (Talata 18)…

Hindi pa ako pagod sa pagsayaw ng El Bimbo (Talata 21)…

Hindi na mabasa ng head tape ang lyrics ng El Bimbo (Talata 24)…

Tulog na ang mga lamok pero nagsasayaw pa rin ako ng El Bimbo (Talata 25)…

Baka matuluyan ako’t kidnapin si Paraluman, iuuwi sa Nueva Vizcaya at araw-araw kong isasayaw ng El Bimbo (Talata 26)…

Pagod na pagod na ang taong-bato-na-malaki-ang-tiyan-na-naging-Barangay-Tanod-na-muling-magiging-taong-bato-na-malaki-ang-tiyan-at-nagsasayaw-ng El Bimbo (Talata 28)…

CANADIAN PANSIT

I disagree that adobo is the Filipino national dish beacuse it’s too soy saucy and therefore too Chinese for me. It should be the flexible and event-neutral pansit.

But I like American Adobo. I mean that Laurice Guillen film. And Gerry (Ricky Davao) who finally broke free from the closet and that scene inside the car on the highway with Mike (Christopher De Leon) which killed me a little. And Tere (Cherry Pie Picache). Stupid but lovable Tere.

I was telling this to wifey but she’s already asleep. So I scrawled my bihon and canton recipes.

Some weeks later, I received as birthday gifts photos of the improved versions of both recipes from a dear friend in Canada. And a chocolate cake for dessert too. A perfect cast for a film that I will be making soon…

PERFUMED LETTER

He wrote it in his best script.

In perfumed paper, and folded as how love letters should be during that time.

Some of the passages were copied from a small book on writing letters.

The intention, though, was from the heart.

He never knew if she read it.

Not until 21 years later.

She did and flushed it down the toilet after.

This he learned 6,772 miles from Edmonton.

They owned a store in Almaguer…