Ang Dragon ni Jennifer

Fearsome or Fearful

Nobody dares to look him in the eye.

The Mayor in his white Barong-tagalog walked towards the rostrum to give his honorary speech for the opening of this tree-planting event. The audience fell into silence as he wobbled his way. He is a tubby man with a clean-shaved head, a rebonded mustache covered his upper lip like it’s some bangs. 

“Ehem, Ehem”, he tikhim-mized upon reaching the rostrum. He leaned forward for the microphone and before he could say a word.

the audience boomed in an applause.

“I love you Mayor!”

“Mayor pautang!”, they cheered.

And because of that he forgot his speech. He reached for his left pocket and pulled out a copy of it. He also pulled out the bell choker he bought from ToxicKitty, a gift for his child. It gave him confidence.

“Go Mayor! Kaya mo yan!”, he heard from the audience.

As he read it, his mind shifted to deep thinking, a multi-tasking ability he learned in sumo class which he joined when he was so young.

He thought to himself:

“I am feared. A man of my physique. I am feared.

Before time I was applauded because they admired my strength, my ideals. I was appreciated for my potential in leadership and not for the things that they fear me to do.

I was disliked. There were people who were against me. I had critics.
And I was corrected for my mistakes, and I learned a lot. And now they've disguised themselves as sheep in my flock. They tremble at the idea of getting me angered with all they had to say. I gained comfort with all their praises but lost honest feedback.

A lot of friends popped in my way. I missed the times when my classmates called me names. They made fun out of my famined head and we would laugh at it. Now they would just hold their breaths, and stare at the ground as I pass reflecting sunrays over them like a disco ball with my shiny scalp.

I exchanged my life to spread my principles and I chose politics for a vessel. I did not join the game for the sake of ambition, I wanted change. And I am one of those people who could sacrifice a life less scrutinized, for the betterment of many.

Dictatorship is never a dream. I never wanted my people to live limited in fiery fear. Reality hit me. Everything could go wrong, even for a well-executed plan with back-ups and alternatives. They fear committing crimes because they fear the punishment. And they abide by my words forgetting that I am still a democratic man. 

I still believe in the law of the land. But up to now I've lived seeing the promise of justice shatter. It may be a dirty tactic, beyond moral authority to hold a creature for the sake of another, but this dragon behind me is better than any written law."

And suddenly he was interrupted by one of his body guards. 

"Mayor! Mayor! Emergency!", the body guard called as he ran to the side of the stage.

"Sandali lang dong, i-end ko muna speech ko...", Mayor whispered at him. He turned to the audience and said,"OUR DREAMS WILL NEVER DIE!"

At the back of the stage, they huddled to discuss this emergency. And Mayor was approached with a tragic news. 

"Mayor, ang tumbler ni Jennifer.", said the body guard, in his hands is the dusty melted tumbler. "Ito na lamang po ang natagpuan namin sa zoo.

May isang hayop po na kahawig ng isang dragon ang nakita nila sa scene." 

"Ano ang hitsura dong? Describe mo raw dong?", Mayor asked.

"Yung nasa cover po ng story na 'to sir. Ganun ang hitsura...", sagot ni Bodyguard. Best way to describe a character. Ever.

The Mayor grabbed the tumbler, his hands shaking. And he thought to himself:

"I am feared. A man of my reputation. I am feared.
But more than that, I am a father who fears for the life of his child."

And he broke into tears, he fell to his knees, he looked up the heavens and called, " JENNIFER!!"

Nasaan si Jennifer? May mangyayari kaya sa pagsigaw-sigaw ni Mayor sa pangalan niya? Bakit tagalog na sa part na ito? Bibili ka ba sa ToxicKitty? Click external link, please?

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Habangan.