Throw a Rope Down

I always have a late reaction when told of a story that's not so easy to digest. Especially when it comes to sensitive issues, I need at least 24 hours to process what I heard or learned.

Last Monday, I visited my old office at the university where I worked at before taking the boards. I needed to get some papers signed by the dean, so I asked a former office mate of mine to accompany me to the College of Architecture Building. While walking the student-infested hallways of College of Social Sciences (then College of Liberal Arts,) I kept asking her about her boyfriend then, because at that time I was there, they were already 6 years together or something and was thinking of tying the knot. I asked what happened because I saw she has a new boyfriend from her facebook wall posts.

I saw the discomfort in her face when I kept prodding at her, she did not want to tell me. I asked if he got another girl pregnant or something. All my theories of why a couple breaks up. She said it would have been easier if that was the reason. When we finally reached the College of Engineering hallway, she finally told me the truth...

My City is Crumbling

Photo Credits: https://www.facebook.com/ZamboNewsUpdate

Day 13.

It has been twelve days since this nightmare began. Even though I am in Manila, 1,102 kilometers away from the sporadic firing and the occasional bombings, I can still feel the pain, loss, panic, weariness from all this poorly written script of some insane person's mind. I can taste the unimaginable fear of my people in my mouth- putrid, like puffing an expired cigarette. My heart skips whenever I see posts in my face book wall of gunshots, house fires, airstrikes, and mortars dropping anywhere like the ones handling them are just throwing them in the air aimlessly (or purposely? who really knows.)

A Dark September

Yesterday, September 9, 2012, was probably one of the darkest days in my hometown, Zamboanga City. There were gunshots, a series of bombings, rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), hostage takings, human shields, mass evacuations from affected barangays. All seem like a nightmare, and the scary part is, it is still ongoing as of this writing.

I woke up at around 7:30 a.m. Running late for work, I instinctively searched for my cellphone that's been covered by the multitude of pillows in my bed. I saw a message from Mommie:

"Zambo City is under siege from armed elements said to be elements of  Misuari's MNLF. City Mayor declared no work and classes." Received 09/09/13 7:04 am