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a love story nobody earnestly believes in except some; well, I don't
it goes something like this
there was a man named Seinen-san
who suffered from midlife crisis
whose life in his heyday is fancy
married once until it had gone awry
divorce drove him into a quiet misery
one day, Seinen-san walked around to sit and chill
a girl greeted him with a smile, he was frozen still
a smile so bright Seinen-san saw a halo
the name's Pina-chan as the stories go
Seinen-san saw a reckoning
Pina-chan became his salvation
Pina-chan is worshipped to become
an icon of his redemption
money here
money there
dangle the yen everywhere
Pina-chan is a little mouse
remittance money is a cheese
to lure and to domesticate
for Seinen-san,
it's a swaggering ease
"piece of cake," Seinen-san quipped,
"here, kitty, kitty, kitty
that's right
come to your sugar daddy."
by the way, did you know?
Seinen-san is sixty-nine
while Pina-chan is fresh out of eighteen
Seinen-san initiates a pursuit
sniffing for Pina-chan all around Makati
what you will see
is the famous Japanese sex starved tourist
a reputation cemented throughout the Philippines
one of them is Seinen-san, a veteran
knowing his hitch
as he looks for a delightful tryst
with Pina-chan
Seinen-san came and dally
Pina-chan, ah, his cheerful optimist
somewhere in Cebu
somewhere in Makati
Seinen-san, ever the sleazy,
after being jolly
going merry-go-round with his side chick
he packed his bag for the summer
but then his friends knew it's over
so they tried to snap him out of it
but what Seinen-san does instead
is to sell all of his assets
for Pina-chan
"I will give everything!
I will do everything!
Marry me, Pina-chan.
I will lay the moon and stars
in front of you
because you are the one."
legend says, he was dead broke
figuratively…
literally…
but what about the muse in question?
can we at least sketch the allure of this siren?
who destroyed and ruined all the brave men
of those who dared
for the disinterested eyes
Pina-chan is a simpleton
pretty in pink
but what they did not realize
beneath it,
Pina-chan is a sharp calculator
she's a wife and a caretaker
an honorable unpaid labor
except for pension (wink)
Pina-chan's goal in life
is to escape the difficult times
such as high inflation
and help her family
that latches on favors
like easy money
Pina-chan is a hardworker
don't wonder how did she enter
when she heard about this easy money
flowing somewhere in mizushōbai
Pina-chan has skills,
Pina-chan has a knack of intelligence,
she caresses Seinen-san with a smile
while Seinen-san squeezes her thigh
I guess, you can call it mutual?
but who does it best?
anyone interested, take a bet
so this is a love story told a hundred times
except this love story is not like any other
this love story is filled with landmines
for example, Pina-chan's family member
who drinks and plays card all day
plays jueteng from Pina-chan's remittances
her mother's favorite snack is one pack of Marlboro
when it's gone like her money going zero
after playing mahjong
after gossiping with her kumare twenty four seven
she would call Pina-chan and ask for another proceeds
because she gave birth to Pina-chan
Pina-chan must observe filial piety
an eldest daughter duty
after all, in Filipino culture
regardless if your mother is a gambling addict
"she's still your mother," is the defensive line
of the most insecure Filipino parents
whose view on parental debt of gratitude
is a twisted sense to insist
that their children is their retirement plan
Pina-chan's mother included
who commented this hot issue on Facebook
where her generation reside
"Pina-chan, I'm gone with money," says her mother,
"Can I ask more in advance?
I don't want to borrow money if I'm already wealthy."
Pina-chan's mother puff out the smoke of her Marlboro
"But I just sent you a week ago?" replied Pina-chan
"Where have they gone now?"
Pina-chan's mother was irritated
Pina-chan's mother clicked her tongue
"Don't make too much of a fuss, got it?
When? Can't you see how I'm struggling?
Can't you see all the sacrifices I've made?"
began her life story
the best entry for primetime telenovela
Pina-chan's mother a nominee for best actress
in the category of drama
it's true
Pina-chan's mother struggles playing poker next to mahjong tiles
that's why she lost her bet
she couldn't even hit the numbers in jueteng
no matter how many times she steals a spider's egg
as for the sacrifices she made
it's probably the labor of pushing Pina-chan out of her womb
whether a salt and left over rice begged around restaurants
are what her children eat sometimes
most times their stomach is empty
thus salt and stale rice is a luxury
or whether she encouraged Pina-chan and her siblings
to run around and beg on the streets
such is the sacrifices of Pina-chan's mother
at the very least
among them
Pina-chan came out better
since Pina-chan's siblings
are either in jail
such as her brothers
or have children by sixteen or fifteen
such as her sisters
by the way, last week,
Pina-chan's mother was feeling beautiful
so the last stretch of her remittance deemed bountiful
she gave herself a makeover
now, her hair is a rebond
straight and burned-out brown
also smelling like a stench of harsh chemicals
today, she has no money
at least a moment ago, her wallet was thick
but since luck did not favor her mahjong tricks
no longer can she feed
her daughters and her newly issued grandchildren
since for Pina-chan's mother’s discernment
with an empty stomach
her daughters are used to it
it's time that the new babes are trained
the Spartan way
survival of the fittest
to keep up with her appearances
Pina-chan's mother chose her rebonded hair
over her daughters' children now mewling
in the language they know such as crying
moving on,
Pina-chan has to grind
when a call came for a while
and heard her sister pleading
if she still have her savings
now, Pina-chan was doing laundry
she checked every pockets
in Seinen-san's trousers
in Seinen-san's pocket
she found a roll of many thousand yen
instead of having it returned
she hid it for herself
save some for tomorrow
Pina-chan have a family member waiting to be fed
whether she knew what her mother do
that is up to Pina-chan's imagination
Pina-chan goes on cooking and preparing
when Seinen-san arrived
"honey, have you seen my cash withdrawal for a while?"
Pina-chan's answer is no
Pina-chan didn't see those
this is a love story
it's kitsch
yes, believe me
it's a love story
this is not a pipe
the happily ever of this life
is that Seinen-san passed peacefully
whether his carcass was thrown in Manila Bay
or if whether he's swept by the waves
until it reached the South China Sea
floating out and about
until it was found
by a Chinese coast guard encroaching
around his Chinese nine dash line
he's already gone to know
don't worry,
it's a natural case of aging
you know, aging fast in Philippine sanitation
believe me, no murder had been done
only Seinen-san had a heart attack
when he understands that his bank account
had been drained
by none any other than Pina-chan
except Seinen-san grew to love
for Pina-chan
he had forgiven
the next day, he was dead
by his loving yet failing heart
and probably by stress
of what Pina-chan had done
the end.
