The Coño Boy 3: Love What You Will

Chapter Eighty-One: To Drive is Longer Than The Walk To Calvary

The sun has yet to hang low upon this pre-summer sky and as dramatic as the late afternoon light is hitting the church patio right now, the drama that's taking place here is too much for me to handle. I shift my gaze between Jake and Joaquin and I turn my back at this lean chinito guy, just about my height wearing a red shirt with Superdry printed across the chest.

He was supposed to be some random stranger that may have accidentally parked sa spot ng carroza ni Santa Martha pero yung name na Iñigo at Iggy coming from the mouths of Joaquin and Jake does not make him a stranger —to them, at least.

I could see him staring intently past me.

Staring at Joaquin.

I don't have to turn around to see who he's looking at.

Iñigo: Excuse me. I'll just move the car.

The guy who had all three of us frozen onto our spot walks past us to get to the driver's side of the van. He opens the door, gets inside, starts the engine, and manoeuvres the SUV to get out the church patio. All we could do was get out of the way.

I could not take my eyes away from the SUV that had quite a tough time navigating the people, the carrozas, and the three of us —all equally puzzled at the presence of this guy that looked like he wanted to get away from there as soon as possible.
_ _ _

6:47pm

Calle BurZaGom

I don't want to know.

I don't want to ask.

I don't think it should matter now.

I keep telling myself that all throughout the procession. Jake's being awfully quiet too as I walk behind him. He keeps checking on me. He tries to hide it but I can see when he does make those supposedly discreet turns as if he's looking at Santa Martha para ma-guide yung mga kuya that make tuhog the electric wires so that hindi sumabit yung corona ng poon pero he steals a quick glance at my direction.

There is a duty that I have to perform for my family. This drama of the saints under the dark Good Friday sky is more important than the petty quarrels of teenagers right now.

Speaking of drama, guess who's following us about ten people behind?

Mestizo, Tall, speaks Tagalog like he's gargling it at times, and mas matigas pa ang ulo sa kahoy na santo!

*So what? Viernes Santo ngayon kaya dapat mag-penitentia din ako?*

The procession took the same route as last Holy Wednesday pero in the counter-clockwise direction. At parang ang tagal niya matapos. I feel as if everything sa araw na ito is moving slower just to let me endure it a little more.

_ _ _

8:27pm

Church Patio

Little Girl 1: Ang ganda niya, ano? Pati yung mga bulaklak niya.

Little Girl 2: Pagka-blessing mamaya ipapa-agaw na nila yan.

Little Girl 2: Paano kaya tayo makaka-kuha? Ang dami nang naka-abang eh.

I overhear two girls about 11 or 12 years of age talking behind me as I stand a few feet before the carroza of Santa Martha. The procession's tail end, yung calandra ng Santo Entierro at yung Mater Dolorosa, has yet to reach the church patio. Jake's already on guard duty as he and the rest of the kasamá have encircled the carroza. Santa Maria Salome's carroza just made it to the patio.

And Joaquin?

Lola Idang's grown rather fond of him since silang dalawa ang busy talking with the other Taga-Gitna in front of the Señor's carroza about 20 feet away from where I'm standing. He keeps on aiming his "I'm-so-kawawa-please-talk-to-me-na" expression every time I look their way.