Mano Po

New Year's Eve. 2010.




I was prepping myself to meet the NEW YEAR… at the office! tsk tsk.  The bank required my team to be in the premises, a day before 2011 begins, and as good soldiers, we complied.  Afterall, it's our bread and butter, no choice really, even if we stomp our feet hard and make tantrums.  hehe


I noticed that Jechel was not around when I arrived, which was unusual, as she comes in way ahead of me.  We are allowed flexibility in our work schedules as long as we deliver our outputs on time, but still it got me wondering where she is.  I decided to text her after 2 hrs.


'Where na you? :)'


'Papunta palang dyan. hehe'


I didn't bother to reply back, I've driven my point already by that text message.


She had once confided me that she was having trouble with her dad because of her work schedule.  You see (as all accountants know and live by), we dread the coming of month end, our peak days where we turn into vampires and embrace midnight til dawn, so to speak.  It's reality and that's what our craft demands of us.  It's either we embrace it or jump out of the bandwagon and shift course.  Now back to Jechel.


We just finished our dinner at Lorenzo's Way G5 (yummy and more yummier when you know it's shouldered by the bank hehehe). when her phone rang.


'Yes Ama?' (which is grandmama in Chinese)


'Ni yaw yaw, shaw sha, how how, di ko gets toh' (was the response as apparently she had it on loudspeaker)


'Ama, bo be ni ya ya shaw shaw le!' (again, I'm making this up as I only know little Chinese! hahahaha, trip lang, walang basagan please)


'sha sha tigas ng ulo mo blah blah how how' (I think I got this part right, you can't blame me, it was on loudspeaker!)


'Ama, p*tang*#a naman eh! sha kong koy le! abutske ek ek ek!' (again, made up hahaha Jechel was literally cursing her grandmama!)


Jechel let out a shriek and slammed her phone down.  Me and Ferns kept mum.  Her phone rang again and the series of Chinese talks went down the drain and again, she slammed the phone.  When I thought the coast was clear, Ferns and I talked with her.


Ferns: 'di mo ba sinabihan lola mo that you're at work?'


Jechel: 'yun nga eh. Nagpaalam na nga ako sa kang daddy ko na di ako makapunta kasi may trabaho, di pa rin gets!' (imagine the heavy Chinese intonation that you hear from Mano Po the movie, she has got that, cute hahaha)


Hush: 'eh bakit ganun? Alam naman pala nila eh'


J: 'ewan ko sa kanila at sa baluktot nila na pamamaraan.  Keso pangit daw na yung babae na gagabihan umuwi.  Aba hinde naman ako nagpapakapokpok ah!  Buti sana naging pok pok, di naman ah!'


I looked at Ferns.  We knew we had to lighten up the mood.  She continued to air out her frustration.


J:  'Hay ang hirap talaga ng buhay ko! Arrrgh!  Naging mabait naman akong anak ah, nag.aral ako sa Chinese school, kinuha ko Accountancy sa LaSalle at naging board passer, ano pa ba kailangan nila, ha!  Pati lovelife ko pinakialam nila.  Kesyo pangit daw na hinawalayan ko yung Intsik na x ko, ano nalang daw masasabi ng pamilya ni x'


F: 'Bakit ba, sila ba namili ni x para sa yo?'


J: 'Di naman, nakilala ko sya sa school pero still, anong pakialam nila sa lovelife ko.  Porke't nagsine lang kami ni Martin (her new Pinoy date) nagalit na, malandi daw ako kasi bago ko palang kilala, sine na agad.  Hello, 2010 na kaya, hinde kapanahon nila noh at everyone's doing it.  It's not as if I'm going to marry him.'


F: 'Alam mo Jechel, walang halong biro, mahirap maging mahirap.  Swerte ka nga may magulang ka na mayaman at di ka pinababayaan.  Iniisip lang nila kapakanan mo.'


J: 'Gustohin mong di ka payagan maging kayu ni Kian?? Swerte nga kayong dalawa kasi you have your own life!'


H: 'Ako, ok lang!  Pag may di gusto magulang ko, I'll say, money down! hahahahahaha or bilhan nyo ko ng Audi'


F: 'I agree!'


J: 'heh, mukha kayong pera! Aanhin nyo yung pera or kotse kung di naman kayo malayang gumala aber?'


I sensed that she was about to cry and I went near her.


H: 'Alam mo Jechel, maybe you should place yourself in their shoes.  Believe me, I used to be a rebel to my parents.  Just imagine yourself as a parent, your best interest is at their minds, and all they get from you is to contradict their orders, nakaka.gana ba yun?'


This time, she was crying already :(  I had to console her.


J: 'I'm so tired na of them..'


H: 'Alam mo, don't fight fire with fire.  Sila ang nasa taas na position.  Naturally, they think they know better.  Fight fire with water.  It doesn't help either that you curse your grandmama!  Don't be too defensive agad.  Hear them out, let them scream if they want, but keep mum, until they cool off their heads.  Ika nga, wag mo salubungin ang galit nila.  Then when things clear, let them hear your opinion, but wag ka galit.  Lambingin mo sila, kulang ka lang sa lambing eh'


J: 'Paano ba Hush? Galit sila agad eh'


H: 'Example.  Your grandmama, sabihin mo, Grandmama, wag na kayo magalit, may urgent lang kelangan ang bangko at kelangan nila ako dito.  I'll make it up pag nagkita tayo. And to your dad, Oh, eto daddy, sabi ng boss ko, agahan ko na uwi ko, mga around 10pm nalang daw, total pareho naman if uuwi din ako ng 7pm, 10pm din dating ko dahil sa traffic.  Nakikipagcompromise na boss ko, wag ka na magalit.  Ganon dapat Jechel'


F: 'Tama! at sayang yung angpao at mana iha!! hahahaha'


J: 'Sa kanila na yung mana noh!'


H: 'Oh, ayan ka na naman.  Wag ka nga matigas ang ulo.  Magpakabait ka at lambingin mo sila. at tama si Ferns, sayang ang yaman!! Mahirap maging mahirap ngayon noh!!'


I really hope that I made sense to Jechel.  Not at all times you win a fight by being rebellious and righteous.  Sometimes, sometimes, you humble yourself, let them hand out the first strike, let them make you bleed, if you must, and then, kill them with sweetness. hehehe  hay naku, at kung may pera involved, lalong lagyan mo pa ng asukal para mamatay sila sa lambing mo!! hahaha


HAPPY NEW YEAR hushkins!!! mwah mwah to all!