Boys at Leisure
It was after 3:00 and the kitchen was now full except from Axel who was still flat out on the living room floor. Riku and Xemnas stood over the cooker stirring various pans on the top, occasionally checking something baking in the oven.
Siax sat at the table reading his book again, Sora sat next to him whispering into the ear of his best friend. Roxas’ face lit up and the both got up and grabbed cups from the side.
Dashing to the sink, they filled both glasses with water; Riku turned and followed their movements as they snuck into the living room.
‘3, 2, 1.’ Riku said.
All of a sudden they could hear shouting and Sora dashed back in, Roxas was on his tail but Riku saw an arm curl around his stomach pulling him back. There were a lot of muffled sounds before both boys emerged slightly more ruffled.
Siax shook his head and returned to his book. ‘Afternoon Axel’
‘afternoon?!’ he spun around to the clock. ‘Bloody hell’
‘Roxas wear you out last night?’ Xemnas asked dishing up food. Both boys blushed deeply, everyone laughed.
Xemnas and Riku began handing out plates and they all crowded around the table, eating and laughing happily.
********************************
It was after four, and the 6 guys had gone out for a walk to the local village, Xemnas and Riku walked ahead of the group.
‘I tried to leave you out as much as possible, to avoid awkward questions. We were the only ones up there so they can’t question it really, plus they know what the case meant to me.’
‘Yea’ Riku mumbled strolling along arms in his pockets.
‘On a happier note, Siax and I are getting married.’
‘Really?! That’s great! When?’ Riku exclaimed.
‘A few weeks. It’s not gonna be a big thing, just close friends, and well, family wise I just have you.’
‘Siax’ family?’
‘His parents, but that’s it. A few guys from the force and of course this lot behind us.’
‘I’m really happy for you two.’
‘Thanks, oh I have a favour to ask of you.’
‘oh?’
‘Will you be my best man?’ Xemnas asked looking towards him.
‘Of course! How could I say no!?’ Riku laughed and jumped playfully on him, ruffling his hair.
Xemnas laughed and grabbed Riku in return pulling his hair.
‘H-hey! No fair!’ Riku cried as Xemnas lifted him over one shoulder and dumped him roughly on the grass at the side of the road.
Riku rolled down the hill and landed sloppily at the bottom, Sora laughed and jumped down after him to check he was alright. The others stood laughing at the top, Riku was helped up by Sora and they walked back up the hill.
‘That wasn’t funny!’ Riku scowled at his brother.
‘Sure it was! The look on your face is priceless!’
‘Stop being- XEMNAS!’ Riku shouted half in shock, half in anger as a flash went off in his face. Xemnas pulled the camera back and checked the picture he had just taken.
‘That's a good one!’ he passed the camera to Sora who began to laugh hysterically. Sora passed the camera along so that everyone could see the photo, everyone that is but Riku.
*************************************
Riku stood in front of a huge mirror, staring at himself as a man walked around him measuring. He twisted a look of hair in his fingers clearly bored and yawned slightly before feeling someone smack the back of his head.
‘Ow Xemmy! Stop hitting me!’
‘Wake up then!’ laughed his brother.
‘Is this necessary?’ Riku sighed.
‘Yes! You’re gonna look nice! I don’t want my best man looking like a total mess thank you.’
Riku scowled at him, as the man finished measuring. He stepped off the box he had been standing on and away from the mirror.
‘You should tie your hair back too; I bet Sora would love that!’
‘Is that sarcastic or serious?’
‘Serious actually, for once’ Xemnas said not looking at him.
Riku stood up in front of the mirror and pulled his hair back; he held it in his hand at the back of his head and stared at his reflection.
‘Whoa.’ they both said.
‘You look so different.’
‘It’s scary,’
‘You look better though.’ Xemnas pointed out.
It’s true. Riku thought staring at his features closely, he let go of his ponytail and let it drop onto his shoulders again. He shook it out and sat back in his chair, watching Xemnas as he was measured too.
*******************************
Riku collapse on his bed back at his dorm and shut his eyes, it was late when he had gotten back. Xemnas had taken him out for the day and the two of them had ended up in a bar.
Riku knew by Xemnas’ habit he was lucky to manage to get back to his dorm. His head was swimming slightly and a buzzing in his ears prevented him from hearing the brunette boy sneak in.
Sora snuck up to the bed and pounced on Riku, Riku yelled out in alarm and pain, grabbing his stomach where Sora had landed.
‘OO! Is Riku a bit drunk?’ Sora teased him.
‘No!’ Riku groaned. ‘Yes...’
‘Ha ha! So I guess you won’t be able to do anything if I do this?’ Sora placed a gentle and slightly nipping kiss on Riku’s neck.
Riku moaned and arched his neck slightly. He laced his fingers with Sora, who was kissing lower on his neck and collar bone, unbuttoning his shirt with his free hand. He lowered his kissed onto Riku's chest, which was rising and falling steadily. Sora looked up to Riku’s face and saw he was asleep.
He chuckled to himself before tucking Riku and himself into Riku’s bed, stripping most of their clothing and chucking it on the floor.
This explanation was taken from Jinky (http://jinkybagagnan.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/quirky-neurons-strike-again/), a writer, editor, researcher, search marketing consultant, domain developer, and bum.
This was her explanation about the shoutout in my friendster which I have taken in her site. This was posted on May 14, 2009. You can post your comments here. Thank You! More power!
THE EXPLANATION
It’s amazing how the human mind works. Yesterday, mine gave me another jolt.
Yesterday was Tio Tec’s internment. I attended the mass at the Basilica Minore. In the Gospel reading, the priest focused on this passage:
John 14:5-7
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
In his homily, he segued on to death – naturally. He said, isn’t home the best destination for any traveler ? (I think some would disagree with him on that). Death is like going home, he continued. After all, dying is the only way we can get to heaven – our ultimate home – and be with God. He then mentioned a short verse which I once saw framed on my elementary school Principal’s table. It went on like this (these are not the exact words; I’m still looking for the source. I will be very much obliged to anyone who can give me the source and thus save me some work, he he)
When I was born, everyone in the room was laughing; I was crying. When I died, everyone in the room was crying; I was the only one laughing.
It was obvious, the point that the priest was trying to make. He wanted to tell us that although we are sad that Tio Tec has left this world and us, we should be comforted by the thought that Tio Tec himself is happy for he is going home to God.
The priest was good at making people cry. However, after he went on and on about death and happiness and going home, bringing tears to my eyes, which I would not wipe (Insert: Do you realize that people in funerals notice you’re crying when you wipe your tears away, not when they’re dripping down copiously on your face? People in funerals do not look at each other directly; they like to stare down at their toes. However, they’ll know you’re crying if you wipe off your tears because they see the movement through their peripheral vision.) - he said something that triggered all my quirky brain neurons into a reaction:
The best way to be happy ____________________________
My brain shifted to hyper-alert mode. Have you ever experienced trying to guess what a person will say to you? You sometimes know what the person’s going to say before he says it, right? I felt that way then. Before the priest could continue, my brain has already supplied me with the rest of the statement:
The best way to be happy is to be dead.
Turns out my brain and I were wrong. But it was too late, I was already laughing (quite loudly, too) in the middle of the homily in a mass for the dead. I just tried to cover it up; I pretended to have a bad cough. I was successful, too, I think for some of the people there seemed repelled and were covering their nose and mouth with their hanky.
I have to remember to update my “Quotable Quotes” post to reflect this piece of wisdom.
Have you ever watched a relay race? As the lead sprinter on each team runs the first leg of the race, the next runner gets himself set. He anxiously times his teammate’s arrival, and begins running before the lead runner reaches him. The crucial moment arrives when the lead runner passes the baton to the next runner who, on his part, runs and tries as hard as he can to get the win for the team. This is where the excitement grows more intense. A good track coach will tell you that the relay is often won or lost in the transfer of the baton. A split-second miscalculation or hesitation at that moment can cost the race.
In my life, I have been into a race. I ran a thousand miles and I experienced a lot from it. I stumbled and got behind from others. But, as long as the race is not over I still have the chance to win it.
I know life is worth fighting for. I may lose for so many times and I may fail the expectations of the people around me. I know I am still complete and will keep on fighting for what I am aiming.
In my race, there are barriers on my way. Chances are, I may either get tempted to stop for awhile or get focused and keep my sight on my way. I know I have to get through all of those things to understand my life as a matured person. Sometimes, there are ditches that I need to hurdle and lumps that I need to look on in order to maintain my momentum in running.
The race gets tougher and more intense each moment. Every step of my foot means another mile of my race. I have to learn my tactics and master my strategies in the game in order to win and survive the challenge.
In my young age, I learned a lot of lessons in my race that could help myself to overcome even the harshest of conditions in my life, giving me a strong feeling of security to continue the race of my life and will keep on running to discover more on life.
I discovered that successful life has a positive outlook. I knew that having it is a prerequisite to achieving good goals, a generative force that can make wonders. A thing which is beneficial to my life in retaining the ability to function well under all circumstances. To a great degree then, we are what our outlook is.
That’s what I have learned from my race. I need to get up when I stumbled and need to race against others when I got behind. A positive outlook has much to do with success in life.
I failed once in my life and once is enough for me to learn from my mistakes. My race is my battle and I must give a good fight for it. Even if I fail I can still be proud of what I have done because I gave the best fight in my challenge.
I know I can face all over again the things that I have experienced and I can still taste different challenges while I am running on my lane toward my goal.
I am 19 now and I should not get tired of my race. I have seen the race of my life. I played the role of a lead sprinter and experienced to get nervous in setting myself for the next race. I have been into a crucial moment where excitement and intense feeling were there. I will always remember my strategies and keep in my mind my tactics in order not to cost my race.
I learned that after reaching for the baton in my race I should focus my sight and heart toward the end. There may be hindrances; the crowd may be distracting, the track may be rough. And as in a relay, we have a limited zone in which to make the transfer and the run. But amidst the screams of the audiences, we should hear those chants that say, “Stay on course!” and pour our hearts to do so.
I learn things not as cruel as what’s just happening this time. I open my mind learning about ABC, singing nursery rhymes, learning English language, Math, watching Looney Tunes, the Toy story, the Flintstones, SpongeBob SquarePants and other cartoon TV shows. I’m 18 now, I can’t imagine myself chatting about social problems that imply negativity, but I should have to be aware of those things and must face a new light of experience and I grasped that this is what really meant to me this time.
Juan’s obsession
It’s some kind of paranoia.
Juan Dela Cruz become crazy this time because of the flooded deadly societal problems ranging from its economy, politics, governance, environment and inhabitants which encompasses their lifestyles, health, criminalities and abuses that may directly and indirectly affect everyone.
Price Hike
Recently, a number of prices of basic commodities have increase due to oil price hike in which the price is volatile and inherent in the world trade market. The prices reveal that almost 10% increase was seen in the primal commodities in the past economic events which clearly pass-on burden to Juan Dela Cruz that makes him slouch further.
Billions of loses due to counterfeiting
The counterfeiting and piracy problem is not limited to CD's, VCDs and computer softwares but also affects top brands of garments, bags, wallets, medicines, liquified petroleum gas (LPGs), batteries, lamps, bulbs and switches, brandy, vodka, cigarettes, soaps and shampoo, laser printer toner and ink cartridges, sofa beds, hacksaws, toys and electronic goods. According to the Brand Protection Association (BPA), almost 15 multinational companies were affected because of this counterfeiting and most of the counterfeits products were boldly sold and distributed to shopping malls, department stores and supermarkets and those products were typically come from China. If this will continue to happen, our economy will bump down and no more investors will put in investments in the country, thus impoverish Juan will suffer all over again with this problem.
Labor For One kilo of Fish and Rice a day
Juan Dela Cruz will be much weaker this time because of receiving below minimum wage requirement for the workers. His P200 wage per day cannot suffice the needed basic needs of his family and is only enough for a kilo of fish and rice. How is it?
A school janitor in our school who was hired on a regular basis under an agency is only receiving P200 per day. After tax, social security and other deductions were made on top of the share deductions by the agency, the utility worker went home with only less than P200. Her salary per day is only enough for a kilo of rice and fish. Before she goes to bed, she remembered that she had to buy school supplies for her child. She reached his pocket and found it empty. That is only one of the shared experiences of those people who are receiving wages which are below the required amount. This time, there are still many companies which are not complying with the Minimum Wage Law and are giving their workers much less. In 2002 survey, about 4.9 million Filipinos had no jobs while 5.9 million others had no regular source of livelihood. He was lucky after all because he has still job to hold on.
Limited Safe Drinking Water
In 2002 survey of the Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS), it showed that almost 80 percent Filipino families had access to safe drinking water, thus 20 percent of the aggregate were sacrificing of the unsafe water to drink. Then, how much more this time that water is becoming less safe every year? We don’t know the case but we just hope that this problem may lessen. Juan Dela Cruz, indeed have so many baggage packed in his back that he needs to unload in an undetermined time.
Rising Street Children
Higher authorities that govern Juan Dela Cruz are not alarmed with this issue but Juan feels threatened with this problem which is the increase and downpour of the street children annually. As per record, Philippines is one who has the largest populations of the street children. Today, street children are approximately 2.5 million both living and working in the road of almost 65 cities. The End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (ECPAT) asserts that those children were working as pickpockets and beggars and that around 80,000 children were either sexually exploited or driven to prostitution. Some of them are already endowed to illegal use of drugs such as rugby and the like.
Unemployed College Graduates
According to the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), almost ¼ of the college graduates were unemployed. This is truly a dismaying fact that strikes me when I heard this information. Beyond doubt, Juan will surely bear again another issue to be resolved. I remember Mr. Faldas, my teacher in Econ 143, he said that our nation will be poorer if none of us will become entrepreneur. Employment will get behind the scene if all of us will seek employment as what the current trend suggests. We can only gain employment if there are people who are also willing to be an entrepreneur. That could be true, but still we need employment first to have a substantial investment in our business. Anyway, employment is everywhere. You can be employed if you are really skillful and ability-wise.
Child Labor
Tuition Fee Increase (TFI)
This issue may seem to be both blessing and curse to everyone. Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU) is one of the private Higher Education Institution (HEI) that proposed an increase in the tuition fee and other fees for the next academic year that was protested by the student leaders. This matter has been the annual hot issue in the campus since the school is proposing an increase every year and this increase is already dipping our parents to the ground. On the other hand, it’s a blessing to the entire NDMU personnel because of another wage increase. According to an Accountancy student, the main problem here is not the TFI but the worldwide phenomenon which is the inflation of prices from the primal and basic needs to the less needed things caused by the volatile fluctuation of oil price in the world market. In some sense, what she’s trying to bring about is the nonexistence of the blessing to the teachers because what’s then the purpose of the increase if the commodities have been already augmented.
Meanwhile, according to the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) memorandum the proposed increase must be equal or lower than the national inflation rate. Last academic year’s inflation rate in TFI is 10 percent.
Juan didn’t want to miss this affair that give verge to his people for education and Juan will fight for this.
Prostitution
Prostitution existed way back in the time of Jesus Christ and now is the major problem faced by society and women advocates group. The major dens of prostitution were found in Manila, Puerto Galera, Davao City and Cebu City. How could we stop this? The Church advocates everyone to refrain from this unlawful activity. Let’s ask Juan then if how he feels about this? Surely, he may get dismayed and shamed.
Abortion
Almost 400,000 cases of abortions each year is reported despite the fact that abortion is strictly prohibited and is illegal here. The fetus found in Malacañang Palace Restroom is one out of the 400,000 fetus that was not given life. The fetus that will grow as a future leader of our country, that can be an energetic baseball player, or a child who could bring home honor to our country. But those dreams cannot be realized anymore because the chances of their living are already diminished by their parents. Juan Dela Cruz is shouting to stop this crime.
ZTE Scandal
This is the issue that shook every Filipinos head when they heard the $329 million ZTE National Broadband Network bribery scandal, of which $135 million will serve as the commission to the alleged Benjamin Abalos, former COMELEC Commissioner and one of the supporters of this project. Last month, Jun Lozada’s appearance can be the loosing point of all lies and can be the turning over of our relationship to China. This issue calls again for the same substance of topics and discussions in Congress and Senate which is the Graft and Corruption. This scandal makes Juan undignified all over again.
Global Warming
Global Warming is one of the worldwide phenomenon that tumbles all phases of development because of its vulnerable effect in business industries, environment and economy. We are all affected with this problem. Let us make our contribution with this predicament by saving our mother Earth through planting trees, minimize the use of plastic materials and reducing the consumption of energy because excessive utilization of power can make our planet warmer. Surely, if we do it all Juan feels relieve from all his problems.
The Cost of Air Pollution
Almost billion of US dollars are losing every year in our country because of air pollution. This loss is allocated in medical treatment, lost wages, low productivity and deaths that severely impact the Filipino’s quality of life (Social Issues in the Philippines, 2001).
The World Bank, in its study said that fine particle emissions result in about 2,000 premature deaths and 9,000 cases of chronic bronchitis in the country's four largest urban areas annually. These emissions of pollutants were largely blamed on public buses, jeepneys, utility vehicles, trucks and motorcycles that continue to emit visible smoke despite the government's anti-smoke belching campaign. For the past five years, there were 3.9 million land vehicles in the country (Social Issues in the Philippines, 2001). This one is another problem that threatened the quality of life of the Filipinos.
Those social problems are just few of the issues besieging the Philippines then and now. We should be aware of those issues because we are Filipino and we must share common problems and difficulties encountered by our country. We must not just share but we must think that we can do much for this problem.
TV cartoon shows and other childhood stuffs have already been part of my past. I’m 18 now and it’s been also 18 years of enjoying those stuffs. Learning the situation of the society and making the stand for it is what really meant to me this time and is the right thing that I can do for myself and to others.
