#Yatiz is a story focusing on the lives of young people in a small seaside municipality called Carmen in the southern part of the Philippines. The name is based on a cuss word here, "Yati/Yatis" that has no English equivalent but is closest to WTF.
...
"IT'S FINE. I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO YOU GUYS AS WELL FOR CALLING THE WRONG GAB. I DIDN'T EVEN THINK OF ASKING YOU HER LAST NAME. IT WOULD'VE MADE THINGS EASIER."
Gab bursts out into laughter. "Okay lang, girl. At least nakatawa ta diba?" She puts some of the beef stake on her rice. "Mangaon ta."
"IT'S FINE, GIRL. AT LEAST IT'S SOMETHING TO LAUGH ABOUT, RIGHT?"
"LET'S EAT."
"Enjoy. Pahumanay na pud ko."
"ENJOY. I'M ALMOST DONE."
"Ikaw Pam?"
"AND YOU, PAM?"
She hesitates for a second, but quickly decides against it. "Sige lang. Kaon lang dira."
"I'M GOOD. YOU GO AHEAD."
Maya also continues eating her lunch.
"Naa ka'y giapilan nga org, Maya?" Pamela asks.
"DO YOU HAVE AN ORG, MAYA?"
"Wala."
"NOPE."
Pamela and Gab exchange a knowing gaze.
"Kuan man gud..." Pamela leans in closer to Maya. "Nagplano ko ug buhat ug kanang...channel gud siya para sa school. Kanang parehas sa mga American nga skwelahan ba. Kanang ginapakita na nila everyday before mag sugod ang klase. Pero kanang dili lang siya balita. Naa pu'y lahi nga mga segment. Mura siya'g...kanang lingaw lang siya. Kato, nagapangita ko'g pwede muapil. Basi'g gusto ka muapil."
"WELL, YOU SEE..."
"I'M PLANNING ON MAKING A KIND OF...CHANNEL FOR THE SCHOOL. LIKE ONE OF THOSE IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS WHERE THEY SHOW IT EVERYDAY BEFORE THE CLASSES START. BUT IT'S NOT ONLY NEWS. LIKE, THERE WILL BE OTHER SEGMENTS. IT'S KIND OF A...IT'S GOING TO BE FUN. SO YEAH, I'M LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO HELP ME WITH IT. MAYBE YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN."
Maya appears a little taken aback by it. "Aw, nganong ako man?"
"OH. WHY ME?"
"Nganong dili man? Try lang gud uy. Naa gani'y quote nakita nako sa internet, 'Life begins outside your comfort zone.' So tisting lang gud. Wala ma'y mawala."
"WHY NOT? IT'S WORTH A TRY. I THINK I READ A QUOTE SOMEWHERE, 'LIFE BEGINS OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE.' SO JUST TRY. YOU LOSE NOTHING BY GIVING IT A SHOT."
"Pero..." Maya looks at the boys. "Pero naa man ta'y ingon ana, diba? HUMSS man diba ang in-charge anang mga ingon ana? Noel?"
"BUT..."
"BUT DOESN'T OUR SCHOOL ALREADY HAVE ONE OF THOSE? HUMSS IS USUALLY IN CHARGE OF THAT KIND OF STUFF, RIGHT? NOEL?"
Noel shrugs.
"Mura'g naa mi'y ingon ana nga club pero wala'y member kay wala'y mu-commit," JR says.
"I THINK, YEAH, WE HAVE A CLUB FOR THAT THING SPECIFICALLY. BUT NO ONE WANTS TO COMMIT. SO THERE ARE NO MEMBERS."
"Pero kinahanglan man ta mananghid ana sa school diba? If ever." Maya asks Pamela. "Unsaon mana?"
"DO WE NEED PERMISSION FROM THE SCHOOL TO DO THAT? IF EVER..."
"HOW WOULD THAT EVEN WORK?"
"Dili pud ko sure ana. Of course, idiscuss na later on. Pero sa karon, nagatapok lang sa jud ko ug mga members."
"I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT EITHER. OF COURSE, WE'LL DISCUSS IT LATER ON. BUT FOR NOW, I'M JUST TRYING TO GATHER PEOPLE."
"Okay."
"So, unsa man? G ka?"
"SO, WHAT DO YOU SAY? ARE YOU IN?"
"Sila diay?" She points toward the boys.
"WHAT ABOUT THEM?"
JR and Noel look at each other.
"Murag mupass lang mi ana Maya," JR says. "Kay busy baya pud mi sa Drum and Lyre."
"OH, NO MAYA. WE'LL PASS."
"WE'RE ALREADY VERY BUSY WITH DRUM AND LYRE."
Noel nods in agreement.
Maya purses her lips and glances at Pamela who is waiting for an answer. She exhales. "Sige. G ko."
"OKAY, I'M IN."
Gab and Pamela make celebratory noises, some rice even falling out of Gab's mouth.
"Erm...Naa pud ko'y kaila ba basig gusto pud to siya muapil. Okay lang nga ingnan nako siya?"
"ERM...I ALSO KNOW SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED. WOULD YOU BE OKAY WITH ME TELLING HER?"
"Okay lang. Mas nindot gani no para mas daghan ta. Ahh!" Pamela pats her own cheeks. "Excited na kaayo ko!" She eagerly spreads her arms towards Maya, waiting for a hug.
"SURE. THE MORE THE MERRIER. AHHH!"
"I CAN'T WAIT!"
Maya awkwardly goes in for it, confused.
"Thank you," Pamela says.
"Welcome," Maya says as she pulls out of the hug.
"Wala ko kapangutana ganiha ba. Naa ba sila'y libre sabaw dinhe?" Gab interjects.
"I NEVER MANAGED TO ASK. BUT DO THEY HAVE FREE SOUP HERE?"
Everyone looks at Gab, not quite sure what to make of the timing of her question.
---
1: PART: is also another word for "bai". It evolved from the Tagalog "pare" and then localized to "parts" and now "part". English equivalent could be "dude" or "bro".
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