Look Ma, I'm a Writer!

Tomorrow is my seventh birthday.
Papa will take me to Enchanted Kingdom.

Papa and Mama divorced before my first birthday.
Mama said Papa ran off and married a witch.

“Tomorrow your Papa has a surprise for you,” said Mama.
I asked her what kind of surprise will I get.
She said, “Tomorrow you shall meet your half-brother.”

I asked her what a half-brother looks like.
Is he all-left? Or purely right?
Is he like a manananggal, just waist-down? Or waist-up?

Mama laughed and explained to me that my half-brother was Papa’s son, but not hers.
“Who is his mama?” I asked.
She answered, “Why of course, it’s that witch your Papa married.”

I tried to imagine what a witch’s son looks like.
Probably a hunchback with one eye and a nose full of warts.
__________

Today I met my half-brother.
He wasn’t a one-eyed hunchback.
He wasn’t all-left or purely right.
He wasn’t like a manananggal.
He looked like me.

Today I spent my birthday in Enchanted Kingdom with Papa and my half-brother.
At the Ice Cream Parlor, we bought the same flavor.
At the video arcade, we played the same game.
At the Haunted House, we screamed in fright at the same ghost.

We both had the same smile.
We both had the same laugh.
And we both had the same tear in our eye when our day ended.

“Good-bye, Kuya!” my half-brother said.
“I hope you come on my birthday.”
__________

Tomorrow is my half-brother’s birthday.
His mama is not a witch.
His mama is rich.
Tomorrow we are going to Hong Kong Disneyland.


*circa 19 Jan 2007

(Isang katotohanan: ang isang bala ay hindi
nakapananakit sa labas
ng chamber nito.)

Ganito ang pagbuo
sa isang Amaru .357:

Una, pagsamahin ang bolt¹ at ang carrier^2
1bolt─ang isip:
tagapaglikha ng teorya.
na siya nating tesis
²carrier─ang laman ng salita;
binibigyang-katauhan bilang praktika,
ang antitesis

Ipasok ang napagsamang³ bolt at carrier, at itulak ang handle⁴ pasulong
³ang pinagsamang teorya at praktika
ang nagiging konkretong
kilos
⁴handle─ang susunod na tesis
ay kinakailangang itulak
nang pasulong upang mkalikha
ng isang panibagong kontradiksyon.

Ihanay ang hammer⁵ kasama ang trigger^6
5hammer─ang konsiyensya
nararapat ilinya sa
⁶trigger─ang pagpapasya
na lumikha ng mga moral.

Hilahin ang lock-on spring guide⁷ na siyang nagpapahintulot sa ‘yo na mailagay
ang cover⁸ pabalik sa chamber⁹.
⁷lock─on spring guide,
upang panatilihin tayong naka-linya
⁸cover─pagpuna
patungkol sa ‘yo,
inilagay ang sa itaas ng
⁹chamber─ang pagpuna
sa sarili: ang iniisip mo
patungkol sa sarili mo.

Tapos, ipasok na ang isang punong magazine¹⁰, tanggalin¹¹ ang safety¹² at ikasa¹³ ang handle
¹⁰magazine─puno
armas ng mandirigma ng mamamayan.
Upang masundan ito nararapat na
¹¹tanggalin─ibukod:
ihiwalay ang sarili mula sa
¹²safety─ang pamilya, ang paraan ng pamumuhay
ay nararapat
iwanan nang hindi
lumilingon.
¹³ikasa─ihanda ang sarili
para sa susunod na kontradiksyon

Ang Amaru .357 ay regalo
bigay ng Cuba sa Pilipinas (mula kay ate para kay dite)
dalawang hija ng Inang Espanya.
sapilitang pinakasal
sa mabahong G.I. Joe
sa halagang dalawampung milyong dolyar.

Ito ang siyang armas na ginamit ng Cuba upang barilin ang kanyang asawa,
ang siyang nagpatupad sa diborsyo.


*narito ang bersyong Ingles