I realize have several books by
Francisco Sionil José more popularly known as F. Sionil José. I also realize I still have to buy more, which means I have to save a bit from my allowance so that I could buy all if not most of the rest of the titles that I do not have. This also reminds me that I planned to go to Solidaridad Bookshop in Padre Faura to have them signed by the old man, and perhaps, have the chance to talk to him, have a photo-op with him. That should be inputted in my celfone as a reminder, lest I want to forget again.
Having an autograph is something new to me or does not catch my fancy. Not ever in my entire life until the year 2003.
I have worked for two Presidents and rubbed elbows with
one of them. I had the chance to work for Canadian and US Ambassadors, had the chance to mingle with the who’s-who in politics and government. Believe it or not, while others run berserk just to have a photo-op with them, I just stay in one corner or even offer to take their photographs. You may think how snob and smug I am. Well, maybe. But I am just too shy, that is why. Plus, I always have this eeky feeling during photo-ops. It is just too
jologs.
Kahit na sinong Poncio Pilato pa sya. (I hope you get what I mean).
Call me smug! But hey, not anymore! I said earlier in my
promo blog about Bayang Barrios, I finally succumbed to somewhat borderline
fanaticism. It was one afternoon sometime in 2003 when I left the office early to meet my wife at the mall. It was also the time when GMA 7 was also promoting its MetroPop album. It started with me buying their CD. The saleslady informed me that perhaps I would like to have the CD cover signed by one of the artists who would be performing. I asked who that artist was. She told me it was
Bayang Barrios and kept on talking just to entice me because the seats were still empty and there seems to be no one interested in the promo show. But her words became muffled like murmurs in my ears already growing deaf upon hearing the name Bayang Barrios. Perhaps, I would not overrate her when I say that, for me, her name is synonymous to something that is ethereal. I love Bayang Barrios—that is why!
Now I admit that I am
jologs. But I would like to clarify that my state of being
jologs is not the
jologs-to-the-max thing. My taste has a wide spectrum. Call it
tasteful jologism (So is this another
jologs morphology to justify one's self being a
jologs?). After all, I adore no less than F. Sionil Jose and the popular alternative music artist of our time. And I should not forget to include
Lea Salonga in my list (No. Not
Regine. She is my wife’s favorite.).
So I sat there alone while waiting for my wife to come, who eventually arrived in the middle of the show. We enjoyed watching Bayang sing her winning piece
Malayo Man, Malapit Din, which she wrote and composed. Then the time comes—autograph signing. I was glued to my seat. My right brain says it is time for me to go out of the enclosed area. But my left brain says I have to let go and take this one-of-a-lifetime opportunity (because it may never happen again). My wife even told me to go and line up. After all, it was Bayang Barrios and not just any teeny-bopper idol. Still, I thought that lining up in a long queue for an autograph was simply
dyahe. Someone I know might see me and would endlessly tease me about it. But deep inside, I have to have it signed and not just waste the opportunity. So, the logical part of me finally cooperated and says I have to have some strategy. I have to make it quick and with a style. So I waited until there were only ten persons left. While waiting for my turn, I prepared some words to tell Bayang, then it was time for me to have the CD cover signed.
I told her,
“Alam mo, noong Bagong Lumad ka pa lang with Joey Ayala, fan mo na ako.”She smiled and said,
“Talaga? Salamat!”
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