Musta mga 'Mate

another splendid piece of writing from yayes! uragon sano! payt!

by Yayes Basares


I presume all of you are already in 40’s. I took the presumption because I would enter the 40’ish bracket in two months time and in our class I am the late bloomer. So late perhaps that until this date I continue waiting to bloom.

I never had an occasion to celebrate my birthday, I do not have the taste for it. So my 4oth comes in tell tale signs, indirectly telling me how old I have become since I met me. Regretfully doctors call it the signs of ageing. That’s what I hate in doctors – they always tell the truth. Especially dentists . . . .

I just had this mild stroke thing a week ago. It’s the transient ischemic attack thing. Suddenly I felt severe chest pain and simultaneously my left arm went numb and for a few minutes my jaw locked. It took me three days to live with that damn chest pain. I promised myself to start exercising the next day but I did not set a date for that next day. It is better that way so I can continue reminding myself.

At present I am considering an early retirement from my full time job – as Student Affairs Officer of a private educational institution in this city. I dropped my Sunday subjects and retain only two subjects for Saturdays – Labor Relations and Civil Procedure, both major subjects. The first is my favorite as an HR Practitioner under Atty Alwyn Talde (sano batch 83) whose style suites me best – always absent. In some instances, he is present when I am absent, and absent when I am present, ay ambot.

I continue to write for Erwin newspaper (Sorsogon Now) on a weekly basis for the past three years now. I am happy to report that I managed to make the paper come out on a regular schedule sans my shortcomings and lapses in proofreading. And typical of our classmate Erwin, he has taken care of me. Saen ka nakakita nin empleyado pirmi advance an suweldo – only in Sorsogon City. The opportunity provided by Sorsogon Now and our classmate Erwin opened doors for me to be invited and assist upcoming newspapers in the province. Obviously they have the money but cannot write while I can write but do not have the money. But over and above it, what started out as a mere hobby in college became passion and is slowly evolving into a source of livelihood. Perhaps a career . . . ? ? ? ?

Erwin unselfish as always did not prohibit me from accepting these invitations. So far to date, I have already submitted three articles with one group yet the paper, which is ought to be also on a weekly issue, remains to be seen. With another group who invited me for a monthly news magazine of 20 pages its maiden issue is set to come out this last week of February. Let us see thereafter. I wrote all the articles inside it (although they produce the materials and other data needed) designed and worked the lay-out. I have just finished with it this day and tomorrow it will be submitted to the printing press for production. Let us see where this will lead me.

Meanwhile, one senior citizen in the city made representations and is asking me to write her autobiography. We are still in the thick of negotiations and working out details. I said to myself may urag man palan ako maski nag uurag urag lang.

Truth to tell, from time to time I also try to whip some butts with my pen. Mala ngani iuuragan sako an iba na pulis didi. But where else do you find but here where a school kid out to buy pandesal early morning get held up? And four hold-up/robbery cases in a day, one after another along the same stretch of highway? – only in the city of Sosogon. Anyway that is another story.

Perhaps I should start considering a full time career in local newspapers. But I fear one day I may be blamed for contributing to the mental retardation of some. You see MEDIA IS DANGEROUS TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH!