Sir_Ando777 Blog Entry: February 13, 2009 3:18 PM

The Enemy

My father never used this gun but he always polished it to a shine in his room. It was like watching a scene from a western movie: the hero preparing for the final showdown with his archenemy. With a calm face, he would gently unhinge the silver barrel and remove the bullets one by one. With the gun laid down on his desk, a piece of cloth would embrace the metal barrel and slowly rub off the dust and grime. After the final stain has been removed, my father would raise the magnum to the light as if judging the quality of a gem. Age has not diminished its beauty but can it still shoot? Perhaps Alex would like to know…

“Please sir Ando! Don’t!”

I wanted to hurt him. He was the thief. He was my enemy. This was the final showdown: the hero versus the villain. With arms stretched forward and my hands clasped tight on the handle, I moved in closer. All the while, my eyes were focused in the tip of the gun aimed at the petty thief. With each advance I made, he retreated closer to the wall. His eyes darted in and out as if searching for an escape. He was a trapped mouse. Even through his thick-framed eyeglasses I could see his fear. His lips moved erratically, mouthing of pleas but sound no longer existed at this point. The customers didn’t matter. The employees didn’t matter. What mattered now was justice. I’ve always been pushed and abused. I was always at the receiving end, but not anymore.

The gun was now heavier than before but I was ready. I will have justice. With my forefinger holding onto the trigger, I took one last look at Alex Mitra’s eyes. Overflowing with fear and remorse, a stream fell down from the corner of his eyes. He was still the enemy. I tightened my grip and took a deep breathe. Then it happened.

A sudden burst of sound broke through the walls of my mind. I could only make out two figures fighting in the distance before a massive force struck me in the arms. It was Alex. With one fell swoop, he thrust his arm down onto my hand! A massive crack shook the café and the next thing I saw was the smoke coming from my gun. I quickly got a hold of myself only to realize that Alex was now running to the exit. I had to run after him.

“Ugh…”

There was no mistaking that voice. I turned around to see if what I sensed was real. There she was, at the other corner of the room, kneeling on the floor. She had a hand tightly grasped at her shoulder, and a radiant pool of red materializing on her uniform. I shot Rachel. In a heartbeat, I rushed to Rachel’s corner but the moment I reached out my hand her eyes widened and she screamed. She tilted her body away from me with what little strength she had left and fired off a mouthful of hate. I didn’t listen to the words, but I heard her loud and clear. The blood was now up to her sleeves but I couldn’t help her. I was the enemy.

Sir_Ando777’s Blog: February 13, 2009

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Distrust

“Alex, come to my office as soon as you are done with the financial report”, I ordered Alex.

He sensed that there was a tone of distrust in my voice that he did not dare look me in the eyes. Instead, he pretended that he is reviewing the record of yesterday’s profit and get his calculator to punch some digits. He seemed guilty.

“In a while, Sir Ando,” replied Alex with a shaking voice. “I’ll just finish this.”

“Ok, you better be prepared,” I answered angrily which made it obvious that I am not in good mood.

The truth is I really don’t like Alex. If it was not because of his grandmother who happened to be my yaya, I would not hire him as my cashier. He looks untrustworthy to me. How could I trust someone who always wears chains, black shirt, and tight jeans? He looks like a drug addict actually. I just could not refuse his grandmother when she came to my shop and refer Alex to me. So as a sign of respect, I hired Alex, hiding my hesitation.

I left Alex in his desk and immediately went back to my office. I was too pre-occupied but I did not fail to notice that I have new customers in my shop. But I don’t care who they are as long as they stay long so they would pay more.

I sat on my chair still thinking of what Mikey had told me. He said that with those lots of customers, I should be earning higher profits. I showed him the financial records of last week. He narrowed his eyes on the values and shook his head. He said someone is cheating on me, pocketing my money. Mikey claimed there was a discrepancy in the records.

Mikey was a UP graduate so I can trust him. I knew it! It was really a mistake hiring that bastard Alex! I believe his grandmother would understand if I fire him.

I opened my table drawer to look at the records once more. I noticed that my gun is there. I forgot that I brought it all the way down here while I am cleaning it this morning. It’s an old gun (like me), but can still shoot.

My head is spinning, I’m getting impatient. Where’s that bastard?! It’s taking him too long to report in my office. What is he doing? Maybe he’s planning to run away. Or maybe he’s pocketing more of my money. I guess I need to teach that boy a lesson.

Ando gets something from his drawer and goes out of his office…

[Edward T. Bermido]

Sir_Ando777’s Blog: February 13, 2009 6:17 A.M.

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Not Just an Ordinary Day

I woke up a little too early today. The gentle breeze blew through my balcony’s slightly open sliding door with its usual chilly touch. After I stood up and slightly shook my stiff arms and legs like I always did, I started towards the balcony.

God, it sure looked to be a fine day brewing right up. Or probably better. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and some neighbor’s pair of lovebirds are singing a fine hymn. Singing for me perhaps. I had to make a really nice volley at Rachelle. Today is never just an ordinary day.

As I entered my private toilet, I came face to face with a balding man with an already slightly bushy beard. Maybe I had to make myself more likable. Just a little bit more. Maybe this time she’ll spare me a smile, a nod, or even just a second look. If luck is with me, that idea of a dream date I’ve been nursing for months might just pop out to reality.

As I grabbed my razor to replace the dull Gillette it had in place, a few drops of magenta stained my pearly white sink. Damnit. I’m not really this clumsy. I should have just put on my glasses in the first place. Rushing out towards my bed, I started to search on my bedside table for my ever reliable golden frame glasses. After having put on my glasses, my ungashed hand fumbled for the medicine kit I knew I had beneath the stash of papers inside the drawer. The first thing I got was that small bag of rags and stuff I kept for cleaning my gun. Dumping the little bag and the pile of papers on my bed, I finally found a couple of Band-aids and a small bottle of alcohol at the far end of the drawer, beside the dusty gilded box where I kept the wedding rings.

After patching my gashed finger and proceeding with my ceremonial shaving, I started tidying up the mess I left on my bed. “Maybe I had to clean up my gun,” I murmured, flipping the bag over to where my newly pressed clothes are.

“Today is really never just an ordinary day.”

[373 words]

Sir_Ando777’s Blog: February 12, 2009 11:21 P.M.

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Just a Picture

What a day. I just finished browsing that latest issue of Business Mirror I bought earlier this evening, trying to dispel any jittery thought about Rachelle. God she was stunning.

As I gently placed it on top of the musty, creaking bedside drawer without giving the act a single glance, the poor magazine accidentally slipped off the edge and settled behind the drawer, slumping on the equally dusty floor.

Slightly bending down from my bed to pick it up, I noticed beside the magazine an old brown 3×5 picture frame with its flaking paint, the mirror cover all smashed and the corner of the photo sticking up. Peeling off the picture from the now useless frame which seemed to stay there for ages, I found myself face to face with the last photo I had taken with my ex-wife.

That was five years ago, during our three-day vacation in Baguio. She was still wearing that damn wedding ring, and so was I. But that was beside the point.

Taking a closer look at the picture in front of the illuminating bedside lamp, I noticed some hastily scribbled lines peeking through the shiny photo paper. Flipping it over, it read:

Fernando,

God knows how happy I was the first day I found myself beside you, staring at the sleeping you, thinking you were the one I wanted to spend my forever with.

I never finished. The smashed frame was gone. The gaping trashcan clanged contentedly.

Yes you were my first love. And I thought you were the last. But so what? I’ve moved on. Thank God Rachelle came.

[267 words]

Sir_Ando777’s Blog: February 12, 2009 3:03 P.M.

Practice Makes Perfect

“I envy you guys”, I muttered as I slowly twisted the can of green and red pellets.

Using my index finger and thumb, I plucked out a few granules and raised them overhead. Bubbles began to loom as the yellow and orange creatures raced one another for the floating prize from above. My hungry pet fish were oblivious that this was the calm before the storm at Zip-e Internet Cafe .

A light knock on the door signaled the storm’s arrival.

“Sir Ando, these kids were wondering if they could occupy the last few computers of the room?”, asked Rachel, stunning in her white laced top and flattering black pants, with shadows half her size standing behind.

If these kids were regular customers, I would have probably bent my rules for them. However since it was Rachel asking, I didn’t even think twice about my answer.

“Sure, Rachel” I said with a smile.

With the sound of the chime, another group entered the scene. Big groups of teens were the staple of afternoons. They would all be wide-eyed, faces screaming with delight as they entered the cafe. It isn’t too hard to see that they’re all itching to play WarCraft.

As Rachel turned around to approach the new customers, I felt the urge to tell her how much I appreciated her as a part of my life. My jittery hand immediately grasped her forearm before she could even walk away. She screeched to a halt, obviously surprised by me, her employer and benefactor. She slowly turned her face around with eyes wide open, prepared for anything.

“Rachel, …t-tell Alex to prepare the bills of those two groups beforehand. I don’t want another mix-up like the other day. T-tell him also that I don’t want to make his grandmother cry if he gets fired due to another mistake”, I ordered while looking straight into her eyes.

I couldn’t say it to her face. I just couldn’t. That was just another humiliating attempt that ended up in a discussion about Alex, our cashier. No offense to him but I really don’t care much about Alex, I just care about his grandmother, my former nanny.

She manages to nod at my order while slowly turning around to assist the new customers. At the other end, I wait for Rachel to be seated before slowly closing the office door while viewing through the ever-thinning gap between door and frame.

“What the hell was that? Alex and some bills? God! You suck!”, even my thoughts hated me.

Everyone would be busy this afternoon, myself included. As I collapsed unto my leather chair, I reached for the men’s magazine, FHM, that I recently bought across the street. I definitely need more practice. Surely, I’ll get it next time. I better get it next time. Before I open the first page, I take a good hard look into my aquarium.

“I envy you guys”.

Sir_Ando777’s Blog Entry: February 12, 2009 12:27 P.M.

Lunch

I feel dizzy. I must be getting old or I’m just worn out after disposing some dusty old books and magazines, except the old Business Mirrors and the wildest copies of FHMs in which I will try to review later about the proper way of giving women unearthly pleasure. What am I thinking? I know that I’m too old for Rachelle and I look more of a father to her actually. But I can’t help it. Everytime I see her or even the mere thoughts of her reminds me of the time when I was young, adventurous, and energetic.

Tomorrow is Valentines Day and a lot of pairs, whether couples or not, would do crazy stuffs out of love or mere attraction. I wonder if Rachelle would be willing to do some crazy stuff with me. How should I tell my inclination to her? Would she be angry? Maybe yes, she might be shocked and worst, she might resign which is the same as bankruptcy. Or maybe not, after all I’m her benefactor. I would even double her allowance if things get along well.

These thoughts make me more dizzy. I guess I’m just hungry unlike Mimi, Fifi, and Gigi who are still full. I have an idea. I would ask Rachelle for lunch in a nearby high-class restaurant. To avoid suspicion, I will invite her while she is alone in her desk and I will give errands to others to keep them busy temporarily.

But I did not find Rachelle in her desk, so I ask Alex where she is. He said she is in already having her lunch in a carinderia which is just in the neighborhood. After hearing this, it seems I have lost my appetite. I just lost an opportunity for further ‘opportunities’. I’ll try again. I’ll just talk to her later after work about her studies and other matters.

Sir_Ando777’s Blog: February 12, 2009 10:23 A.M.

Just another day at work for me.

I woke up and tripped over the box of textbooks I had been fixing to dispose of because they’ve been gathering dust. I momentarily thought about how things would be had I continued teaching, but I immediately brushed the thought away. I thought of disposing of the old wedding rings along with those textbooks as well, but they’re still there sitting on the drawer beside my shabby old bed. I just noticed now that I haven’t bought new sheets since she left. Not anything new for the room at all, actually, save for my pile of FHM’s and Business Mirrors. Then I fed Mimi, Fifi and Gigi. Showered, shaved, and took a look at myself in the mirror. Same old thing. Thought about looking at the Svenson promos, but it’s demeaning to go. I threw on my favorite polo shirt today–blue, threw on my slacks. Wiped my golden glasses until it shone. I felt like looking extra nice today, for Rachel. Valentine’s day is nearing.

I went down just to oversee things. Business is good. Rachel looks prettier than usual today. I can see her from here. She saw me looking. I greeted her with my best smile, and a wave that was a bit too much. She smiled at me, and even if I’m paying for her education, we aren’t really that close. I wish we were though, but I don’t exactly know what to say.

Oh well. Gotta fix stuff in the office now. Check what the cashier is doing, cause I don’t know if he knows. In the meantime I must think of what I should do about Valentine’s. It’s been lonely after all, and this morning, I felt a sense of newness. I’m finally ready to move on. Things have been stagnant after all.

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