Additional Feet to the Spider

An assignment to one of my subjects this semester. I know that it was not the best, but I hope it was good enough. It was actually supposed to be an additional chapter to the book Gagamba written by F. Sionil Jose. But I think mine was not that connected to the novel. Here it is:

He was a typical Filipino, with the same skin tone, with eyes of a dark brown shade, with lips which is always ready to smile and an aristocratic nose which seems out of place but in actuality it only made him look unique and handsome. He was wearing eyeglasses with a thin black frame that will make him look intelligent if he was not yet. He was tall, having a body as if athletically built. He has an aura which gives anyone the idea that he was approachable. He looks friendly and has a readable expression only if you have known him for a long time. In a normal day, he can be seen in an elegantly pressed Americana or long sleeved polo, which he then paired with dark colored slacks and shiny black leather shoes. Today, like every other Sundays, he was in a simple polo shirt and a somewhat worn out jeans paired with a comfy step-ins or sandals.

He was on his way to his parents' small shop. It was one of the shops surrounding Camarin. It was this shabby looking shop. Anyone who has been there or has heard about it knew what this shop is and will enter it with no hesitation. But for someone who does not know what it was, he may not consider entering the shop for it does not seem to be something that still has life. It looks gloomy and kind of scary from the outside, dusts and grimes can be seen from outside, it seems its owner have no time to take good care of it. Seeing it for the first time, it may have been considered abandoned.

This shop was owned by Ryan Perez's parents. They have acquired it during their first few years as a couple. Based on what his parents usually tell him, they had this when he was five and his brother eleven. He was now twenty-four, that makes it around nineteen years old. The length of time that passed explains the horrible appearance it now has. It resembled the other shops that run down the street, old and unkempt.

Based on the memories he had as a child, the shop was one of the most decent looking in the row of shops found in the street of Ermita. It was alive then, and the situation it is in now was far from what it had been. During those times, his parents declared weekends as their clean up days. Whether it is their house or the shop, it is presentable and welcoming. Its appearance changed only when his big brother passed away seven years ago. He was a victim of hit and run, a very rare case during those times for people owning cars were very few. And, cars being very expensive, only a few can afford. He knew that his parents tried to go after the culprit, but knowing the way the government works during those periods they believed that they can give no justice for their son. If only they were stronger, richer, they would have gained justice for my brother. After his brother’s death, the three of them undergone depression and emotional instability.

For a few second, he stared at the situation it was in from outside. He can see the product of the nineteen year old uncleaned dirt and smoke that stuck to the old, rotten wood that held the glass window, which is at the same situation, in its place. Even the plastered name of the shop cannot be read from the window because it was covered with a thick sheet of grime that has accumulated there. Upon entering the shop, a faint scent of old wood, old furniture and rusty metals came into his senses. Even inside he can see and feel the oldness of the shop. The light that was emitted by the bulb above his head was abnormally dim, maybe due to the dusts and web that have been uncleaned.

It was a weekend, specifically a Sunday morning. His father was stationed in the cashier, which can easily be spotted for upon entering it is the first thing to be seen on the right side of the shop.

"Good morning, Tay," he greeted his father while taking his right hand to his forehead. Mr. Perez gave him a slight nod. "Where is Nanay?" he asked. "There at the back," his father answered pointing at the location of his mother. If only he looked around, he would not have asked for her location was easy to spot. She was sitting on an inclined chair while reading the daily newspaper. His height of six feet would have been useful because the shelves inside their shop were barely four feet which would have allowed him to look around.

He greeted his mother as well and asked her what the news was about. He sat on the chair beside her. They had a little chit chat, being disturbed only by entertaining the customers coming in. After a while, he stood and walk towards the nearly opaque window.

As he was looking through it, his thoughts drifted to the events that happened to him for the past weeks. The weather, the shop, his parents, and what the future holds for them.

Today, the sun was shining brightly in the sky. It dries up the tears of the sky that had fallen from it. It seems like something cheered the sky up for it was brightly smiling.

He noticed the dusts that have accumulated in the exterior part of their shop. The rain had come yet it was not washed away, it had remained in its place. The changing weather might have made it stubborn and its hold to the surface strong. It was like an individual, his stubborness increases as time passes by. Also, his experiences make him strong, strong enough to hold onto life. Varying weather and different experiences, made the dirt and the person stubborn and hold onto the surface and life strong. A rain or a storm, or problems, may come to his life that sometimes made him want to loosen his hold, made him want to give up. But he sure know that it will soon stop and the sun will come and dry it up, and that this problem he can solve. Ryan thought that he was like this stubborn dust, strong and persistent.

He thought of his parents, they have experienced lots of things. It seems like they have lost their reason to live. He knows that, because even he had that feeling as well. That time had stood still, that he does not want time to continue. He was able to move on but his parents were not able to. His studies helped him; he had something to focus on unlike his parents. Their house and the shop were full of his brother's memories that may be the reason why his parents were not able to move on. They were always haunted by his memories.

When he was out of his trance, he looked at the time. It was thirty minutes past twelve noon. He decided to have lunch. He went to Camarin, the nearest restaurant in their shop. As he was about to enter, he saw Gagamba, he was a sweepstake vendor. He occasionally buys one from him. “Hey, Gagamba!” he greeted him.

“Ryan,” Gagamba said.

“I’ll buy one,” he told Gagamba. He got his wallet from his back pocket and got some bills. He gave it to Gagamba and he said “Thank you.”

He got inside the restaurant and took a seat near the door. He ordered his food and while waiting for his meal, he drifted to his thoughts again. He decided to renovate their house and help his parents move on with their lives. And enjoy the remaining time they have. He will let them take a vacation maybe that will help. He will have their shop cleaned as well. He will have it renovated to something that is alive unlike the state it is in now, gloomy and sad.

“Yes, that is what I am going to do.”

By that time it was a minute to one pm.

nalimutan

Normal na araw ng linggo...

gigising ng mga 10am, manood saglit, kakain, maliligo, magbibihis, aalis na,

pero bago yun, sisiguraduhin muna na walang nakalimutang dalhin. Pero nung linggo, may nakalimutan ako dalhin, yung cellphone ko. Ewan ko ba kung bakit hindi ko nadala. dati naman, lagi ko siyang hawak bago umalis. Parang lutang lang ako. haha

Di ko naman malalaman na nakalimutan ko eh, nagkataon lang na may mga naka-save na mga pahina ng mga istorya mula sa site na Wattpad na nais kong basahin. Kaya ayun, naalala ko. Ngunit nung maalala ko ay huli na, ako'y nakasakay na ng traysikel na maghahatid sa akin sa may sakayan ng dyip. Sayang, kung sana ay naalala ko agad.

Nung mga panahong napag-alaman ko na nakalimutan ko ang aking cellphone ay medyo nalungkot ako. Lagi ko kasi siyang kasama at ginagamit., lalo na kapag wala akong ginagawa at gusto kong wag muna gumawa nang mga bagay na dapat gawin. haha katamaran eh?

nung malaman ko na hindi ko siya nadala, parang nakadama ako ng kahungkagan. :) haha. Pero totoo, parang bigla na lang may kulang! Hindi maganda sa pakiramdam.

Yung pakiramdam na kahit hindi mo ginagamit, alam mong andiyan lang siya at maaari mong magamit ay iba sa pakiramdam na hindi mo siya magagamit kasi wala na siya sa iyo.

Pero siguro may magandang maidudulot iyon sa akin. malalaman ko, Isang buong linggo ko din siya hindi magagamit eh..