Up the Hill

We were walking around in a cold place, Baguio or Tagaytay I am not so sure. There were houses that looked like they were built in the early nineties. Most of them are unoccupied small bungalows. It serves as a rest house for guest maybe. As we were walking, we saw a good friend inside one of the houses seemed to be writing something on his laptop at a table across the big window. He let us in and I was a bit confused upon entering. The house seemed and feels very familiar. There were white paperboards covering a wall and big iron shelves at the middle of the small unit. It is a weird set up for a rest house and looks more like an abandoned warehouse instead. We were talking for we haven’t seen each other the longest when we were suddenly interrupted by someone. I looked at her lips, her jaw line, he face. I was star struck. There was as if a light shining down upon me when I realized who she was. It was the first pinay beauty queen. She was so pretty. I was all over the place complimenting her. She was like an apparition. She never talked but she kept smiling. She seemed to enjoy and absorb all the compliments I shower her. I decided to stop praising and turn away politely. When I turned to my friends and talked with them more famous actors and actresses, singers and performers came in the room. It’s as if it was their dressing room and they just came in from a show. I am not normally star strucked with TV personalities and I won’t, definitely, talk to them and praise them like goddesses. I thought, in the real world, they get that all the time and adding up would only nurture their star complex that might build arrogance. So it’s enough for me that I’d be one of those who reject to praise them, but not hate them.

After realizing that more and more people are coming in the room, I invited my friends to eat out. They were just finishing something and agreed to go with me. Before leaving, I saw a group of dancers pealing the paper board covering the wall. I personally knew who the dancer was and I somehow knew what lies behind the paperboard on the wall. It was sheets of papers where there are writings on it. It was as if a notebook was torn into pages and individually glued to the wall. I didn’t bother though and went out of the house full of local stars taking a rest after their performances.

There were few people in the street when we went out - only locals, actually. It was starting to get dark and I was walking up the hill behind everyone else trying to feel the cool breeze. It feels good. From all the houses around, I somewhat got lost where they went into; but I felt confident I can find them. So a few more steps and I was sure that the next house up the hill was the restaurant they got into. I was right. They were there taking their orders.

Upon entering the small canteen, I suddenly felt good. It was warm. I felt welcomed. I was starved and they said they have ordered so much food so we can really enjoy a fiesta. The grilled chicken was being served as I sit down my chair. An officemate was a bit annoyed while her food was being served. She said the guy is hitting up on her despite knowing that she's already married. Her face was irritated like a child but I can see she stopped and think deeply. It’s as if she realized she regret deciding to marry so early. But instead of blurting that comment out, I decided to keep quiet. I was hungry. I suddenly turned and looked at my phone. I slept 3 hours already. It’s time to force myself up to write my articles for work. It was a good dream.