Tag: Buwan ng Wika 2020

TATLONG beses ko lang nakitang magbestida si Ate. Ang unang beses ay nang ikasal siya. Naaalala ko pa ang yari ng gown; wari’y agos ng dagat ang pagkakabagsak ng puting seda. Ang mga beads nito’y nagmimistulang bituin kapag nasisinagan.  Ngunit higit pa sa gown, tanda ko ang abot langit na ngiti ni Ate, na siyang pinakamaganda sa lahat. Ang pangalawang beses ay mula sa retrato. Mayroong larawan si Ate ng kanyang cap ceremony. Napakalinis niyang tignan—mula paa ay nababalutan ng puti, habang ang ulo naman ay napapatungan ng pinakaaasahang cap. Sa pagkamit ng pangarap ay kitang-kita ang kanyang pagkagalak. Kaya nama’y gulat ang inabot ko nang isang hatinggabing nag-videocall kami, isang mukhang dekada ang itinanda ang bumati. Bakas kay Ate ang pagtitiis sa pamatayang sh...

F MARIA PAMELA S. REYES

I remember the silent drive to my hometown after the suspension was announced. I was itching to leave the campus right away to avoid being stuck in traffic. But little did I know, this would be my last time traversing these routes. If I only knew what was about to come, returning to our house in Guagua would not have been my first thought that day. I would be spending the next five months inside it anyway. Even now, I still scramble for some semblance of normalcy in my life. I find it at my work desk; as I open my laptop and remove the tape that covers the webcam. For the umpteenth time, I checked my appearance in the camera before putting the headphones on. "Agyu mu yan," I whispered to myself as I pressed the button. "Good morning, class!" On the other end, I ...