Happy Two Kings! (groan)

It was the first Sunday of the month, as well as the year. I guess you celebrate the feast of the three kings on the first Sunday of January since everybody who was in the know was greeting me. I got a text in celebration of the occasion and I must admit it was a funny one. It goes something like “let me be the first to greet you a happy two kings, as there are only two left after da king, Fernando Poe Jr. died.”

Mabenta siya. Better go find the fourth one then so they’ll be three again.

I accompanied my girlfriend in getting some groceries in Rustan’s Supermarket at Katipunan. Only a few people were there. She was complaining how vegetables’ prices have gone high, particularly the leafy ones. Thus, no vegetable salad for lunch. They didn’t even have calamansi. But they had a loaf of bread on the greeting cards section. Probably a new novel way of greeting in the line of “if somebody throws rocks at you, throw them bread” messages.

It was January two and I noticed Christmas as well as New Year’s Day commodities still remaining unsold. A pile of big cans of Dole fruit salad on the corner, stripped candy canes still hang in a stand, Keso De Bolas still occupy space in the dairy section, and sweetened hams still available in abundance in the cold cuts area.

Finished with the groceries,were walking along Dagohoy and we see loafs of bread still displayed in front of a house. That imagery, loafs of bread piled in stacks, the kind that are impromptu made for the yuletide season to make a quick buck and are much widely known as “tasty,” triggered memories I’ve associated with the holiday season, nagging me to write this entry.

I was in tagig during new years day. While riding a jeep to bicutan with Reynaldo to visit Manley, we passed by buko seller stalls, closed for the day, no coconuts to be seen, what they had instead were the husks of those they’ve sold for Media Noche. They were piled up so high, the morbid in me couldn’t help comparing it to the piles of skulls from Cambodia’s Killing Fields massacres.

We cooked grilled tilapia for lunch by the way. They didn’t have any calamansi at Rustan’s so I head out to the nearest sari-sari store. They had calamansi for one peso a pop. A small pop mind you. But it was something we needed so I just didn’t made them see me wince as I handed the bayad.

Tumataas na talaga ang lahat ng bilihin. Pero like with everything, we still buy them “kasi kaylangan eh.”
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In these times of low cut jeans and skirts, I wish for a day that I won’t unintentionally get to see women’s underwear. It is a privilege given wantonly, an opportunity spoon fed. Where have all the excitements gone?

I’d rather meet a woman and think “God, I wish I could see her underwear” rather than “Darn, I can see her undies. There goes one conversation piece I can’t use.”

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