Tales Told at Marites Canteen

Chapter 1 (newly written scenes)

       Guard Joseph "Joe" Sase, had been at the school ensuring its safety and, of course, its students. In all those decades of service, his weathered eyes had witnessed everything... he smiled to himself as he took his time surveying the posh school canteen. Finally setting his eyes on the menu printed on the brightly-lit Panaflex signage.

He shook his head, some of the items listed on display are familiar to him, but the others? Not quite. In fairness, he thought they all sounded appetizing, some are pricey, to be honest about it. Certain food items on the list are too fancy for him and neither did he have any idea of what are they. He has no interest in those 'classy' sounding gourmet foods. He was and still is a simple guy.

He looked down at his dark-blue denim jacket and at the beer belly it partially hid. He smiled a satisfied smile and muttered to himself "sa kaha ko" (in my built)" shook his head again as if to damp the smile he kinda felt foolish, as he notice Simang, the canteen's part-time, part-time college student service crew, today assigned as one of the cashiers, approaching, with a genuine smile plastered on her face. She drew from her apron's large front pockets the waiter's notebook and a green ball pen. "hindi bagay" (it is not congruent) he concluded his thought.

He sniffed, savoring the mouth-watering aroma of fresh and still baking buko pie, a specialty of the canteen cook, Mang Silvestre. The smell of rightly cooked milky, buko filling and yeasted pie crust that is lazily drifting in the late, already darkening afternoon are superb and can make anyone grin a contended smile.

"Like what you smell, huh?" greeted the young lass

"Yes, actually, the pie smells good, please give me two slices, dine in" ordered Sase "and black coffee to go with that" he added before Simang asked for a follow-up.

"Un momento, my dear chief! The cook is finishing the egg wash on the pie" replied Simang, as she prepare the preferred coffee.

The elder guard sips at the steaming coffee mug as he waits for his pie, he inhaled the thin wisp from the beverage. A moment like this is a much-welcome end of his duty day for the school as the night part of the assignment is, most of the time uneventful, but restful.

Sase took a sidelong glance at the group of students huddling at the far right end of the counter. They saw him, they wave their greetings at the grizzled guard. He waved back. He always like those polite and courteous bunch together with their sweet adviser, Miss Ethel Gidget Ravelo.

He was familiar with almost all members of the group except perhaps, for the two or three grade 7 trainees among them. These aspiring young writers and broadcasters often entrusted their belongings, be they personal or equipment to him and the school security unit every time they are waiting for their dawn departure time whenever they competed in Press Conferences outside the school or when they arrived from a grueling contest.

"Mang Joe, here is your Buko pie" Simang gently place the plate beside the now empty mug. "Re-fill?" she offered.

Sase nodded, for he is already wolfing the delicious-looking slice of still-hot dessert. 'I didn't realize I'm this hungry' he mused.

"Glad you like it" The young lady refilled the coffee mug, and returned the coffee pot at the warmer. Sase countered with a thumbs-up.

Simang returned to her cash register as her backup counter person returned to duty coming from employee break. Her assistant is just in time for the final afternoon shift recess rush of customers.

Joe Sase is munching his buko pie when he was startled by the blaring sound of what sounded like a news program intro. He instictively looked at the source of the commotion and found the Journalism students.

Their leader, 'what was he called?' as he asked himself silently. 'Ah, Editor in Chief' apologetically smiling and bowing with palms pressed together, grinning a toothed smile and the other embarrassingly waving, as if to say 'sorry'. Their technician hastily rectified this by turning the volume way down.

The veteran security chief mouthed 'it's okay' and follow it up with a casual salute.

The team young Journo continued with their practice, albeit with a quieter stinger.

Manong Joe closed his eyes and imagined being at home watching, err, he corrected himself, listening to the news on the radio.

"Now for the headlines ..." announced by the well-modulated voice of one of the students.

The guard's phone lit, indicating an incoming message.

"... the school's Grade 10 Science Class takes home the grand prize at the national investigatory project contest for their aqueous solution with verifiable pH 16, the highest observed value ..."

He lifted the phone, and turned the screen on, it is from her daughter.

"... the sympathy outpours for Mr. T.G. Manriquez, the school resident world renowned Physicist, Nobel laureate and Nueva Escalante National High School science teacher..." boomed the third news anchor, a female student this time "... as news broke concerning the death of his entire family in a landslide in Isabela Province just this morning..."

Sase read the SMS she sent. He is breathing heavily, his eyes misty, he exhaled deeply and lets it out long. He is still staring at the screen even though the display went out minutes ago. He placed the phone near his bosom as if hugging the device on which his daughter sent her heartfelt congratulatory message, for the first time since forever.

Joe is a very happy man right at this moment. The Cafeteria, fondly called Marites Canteen by the students and employees alike for it being the source of stories whether true and made-up, is indeed a happy place, his cloud 9.