Marven’s First Novel, chapter #08

“Just Like Ballroom Dancing”

A month has passed since the rainy season came. The cities and towns have experienced frequent moderate rains which brought, with it, cold weather, minor flooding on lowlands, and heavy traffic especially during rush hours, consequently difficulty in commuting. Good thing for Aldo, he experiences it only minimally because his schedule is an hour earlier; and he feels sorry for those who, on a daily basis, have to fall in kilometeric lines at terminals or wrestle with others to get on in the train. Besides, his destination is Manila. Who would go to office in Manila, especially from their neighborhood? Perhaps he’s the only one. Manila is more like a place of culture, the refined Filipino culture, than a place of business. Almost all fine-looking young people in their neighborhood set out to Makati, Taguig, and Quezon City every morning. More than that, there is an unimpeded ancient highway that leads straight to downtown Manila. Should he be able to save enough money from his salary, he can definitely invest on a high-quality and durable bike and its corresponding gears and then pedal his way, as a biker, to work, which is feasible based on his point of origin. And once in the building, he can cool himself down, even outdoors, wipe his perspiration, and then change outfit. Or he can ride the boat and sail along the stretch of the river to avoid traffic. But, at this point, he hasn’t considered those options yet. He, as well as others, has gotten so used traveling by the city roads. And at this point during the rainy season, it might still be health-risky for him to ride a bike. Perhaps he should just sail on the boat.
Yes, the rainy season had finally begun. Aldo would wake up almost everyday on a gloomy morning, rouse himself from the lethargy of the disheartening climate, prepare, and then set out under a drizzling cloudy sky, sometimes a heavy downpour, which would force him to make use of an umbrella or run from portico to portico everytime he failed to spring the thing open and cover his head with it. This had become the daily reality in his life during that middle of the year. But sometimes, the sun would shine too; and it would be majestic.
It was in one of these rare sunny days that he decided, one afternoon, to go out and play. When he came to the recently-landscaped new sub-area, he noticed that the recent rains have made the soil neither dusty nor muddy but rather grainy and absorbent, which is excellent. The bulldozers that during the summer months ran to and fro can no longer be seen.
He tilted left and approached one of the empty blocks. When he stopped and stood on its edge, he saw that that it has become a shallow pool amongst a meter-high outgrowths of grass. The water was clear and not muddy, maybe because of the porous and pebbly substance of the soil.
Then he turned the other way around and saw the very-distant volcano-like mountain. This time, unlike before, it has become more visible and distinct, as if it had
developed the characteristic of becoming plainly visible only after a heavy rain as if the latter could drive away the mist that surrounds it. The thing really looked magical. After musing on this mountain’s magical characteristics, Aldo again went straight ahead.
When he came to the hardware store, he approached it and was greeted by a male attendant who asked him what he wanted. Aldo replied that he was just canvassing, that he was just interested to know the prices of wood materials. Thus, he pointed one by one on the 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 plywood, on 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 solid lumber, on 3/4 edge cover, and others. He inspected them too. The attendant gave all the information that he needed. Aldo thanked him and then approached the counter and asked the female storekeeper about the prices of drawer slider and wood glue. She gave him the information he needed. Then Aldo proceeded to buying a quarter measure of 1 1/2 nails and a number of 1 1/2 screws and door hinges. After receiving his change and the receipt, he stepped down from the counter and went back on the street. He kept his purchases on both his pockets.
When he came to the last block, he saw that the construction site on corner lot has made significant progress. The would-be house was now about half a floor high. But there was no construction work that day, and he just saw it bare. As he was observing this, he was already feeling disappointed because to his right was a mere quiet empty field. There was no game going on although the net still stood and has not been taken down. He walked towards the edge and looked over the field. It seemed to have become muddy. The rain seemed to have melted the hard soil away. Therefore, he just took his usual homeward route almost hurriedly.
When he came past the water tower, he thought he would come across Beatriz again; but he didn’t. Maybe it was because it was still early. When he got home, he took from his pocket and set down on the table his pouches of nails, screws, and hinges. Then he again reclined himself down on his wooden bed to rest and continue thinking about things.
The following week came. One afternoon, halfway his trip home, Aldo got off and dropped by at the financial center where he used to apply daily and obsessively and went to a place for strolling. He entered a book shop to browse for titles that might interest him. For the past few days, he has devoted his leisure hours at home exploring his old books and putting them in a better condition. This is what constantly filled his mind now. His old books gave him a preview of what areas and subjects he might interest himself in and possibly be good at in a way he never dreamt of before. They introduced to him new concepts and reintroduced to him old ones that he didn’t take much seriously before but now he has learned to value. The books advertised to him and enticed him to look for new materials about these concepts that have taken his fancy and attention. And this is where now his feet took him, that human locomotive at the bottom dictated by the brain at the top.
While browsing at a particular shelf, as he looked up by chance, he saw on its other side through the long horizontal opening a familiar face. It was languid, confused, and seemingly out of place. Such limited view sufficed for him to recognize the identity of the person and thus be curiously surprised. “Really?” he whispered. He instinctively would have called the person out; but he thought he might as well see the latter fully in order to make sure that that person was who he thinks it was because he might just be mistaking the person for someone else because in this world, some people, though totally unrelated and far apart, simply look alike. Therefore, he decided to just ignore, look down, move aside, and continue browsing. Finally, he went out of that aisle.
As he took a step forward along the wider center aisle, someone coming out of the next aisle also did the same thing but in the opposite direction: exactly and directly towards him. That person didn’t seem to have developed a habit of looking where he was about and where he was going. The result was a loud and solid thud and the person falling straight down, mindlessly and defenselessly. Good thing Aldo instantly caught her by the wrist with his right hand and by the back with his left and thus suspended her like in the finishing step of a ballroom dance. This commotion was seen by some shoppers and by the lady cashier. In that split second, he noticed that she was quite feeble and would probably end up injuring herself had he not been quick in responding, which is rare because he’s usually slow. It was only this time that he fully recognized the person as the same one whom he saw earlier on the other side of the shelf, a person whom he had known in the past, a young woman of the same age as he is; that is, 25. Her wrought face, beautiful despite sickness and made fully visible and enhanced by the yellow ceiling light, somewhat struggled to open its eyes and make something of its environment. When the young woman directed her gaze towards the person who caught her, she gently and hoarsely said, as someone clearly not well:
“Aldo, is that you?”
“Yes, Mauricia. It’s me. I’m really sorry for this. It was very clumsy of me. It was my mistake clearly.”
“It was my fault.”
“No. It wasn’t.”
“Where am I?”
“What? We’re in a bookstore, Mauricia.”
“A bookstore? In the bookstore? I thought this was a pharmacy.”
“A pharmacy?” Aldo looked about him and then raised her up.
Mauricia stood up feebly, looking down, revealing her well-proportioned and slender physique which was an inch or two shorter than Aldo’s. She was wearing a perfect-fit long-sleeved polo whose sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and whose underside was tucked into her black formal pants. She also wore black pointed shoes. She brushed her hair with her hand. Then she looked up to Aldo’s face and stared at him for about three seconds.
“Hi. How are you? Are you okay?” Aldo responded.
Mauricia replied by drawing close, leaning on his shoulders with both hands, and resting, helplessly, the full weight of her head, sidewards, including her neck and shoulders, on his bosom as she closed her eyes. Afterwards, she just fully embraced him.
“Okay?” Aldo replied as he enclosed her too with his left arm and held her head with his right.
“I’m glad that you’re here,” she said.
“I’m also glad to see you after many years. Am I correct to suppose that you’re sick? What ails you?”
“I am a little. My head hurts and I want to rest.”
“I think you need to. Do you want me to take you home? I heard you have returned. We’ll go home together.”
“Okay.”
“In the meantime, let’s get out of here. We’re making a scene in a bookstore. My goodness.” Aldo took Mauricia to a short trip towards an avenue where taxis usually ply in that area. “I just have a little question,” he said.
“Huh?” Mauricia struggled to reply.
“I actually don’t know where your house is. Until now.”
“Huh? ... Uh...” Mauricia again struggled to reply.
“Nevermind. I’ll just ask you later when we get home. Just relax. Sorry.” Aldo ceased talking to her as they continued walking, she resting her head on his shoulder and he wrapping her back and holding her head as they moved gently and slowly.
When they reached the taxi route, Aldo got them to stop and stand fixedly on the sidewalk and Mauricia woke up and looked about her.
“Do you remember this place?” Also started.
“Yes. I used to go this way too and get off here too.” She resumed placing her head on Aldo’s chest to rest.
“Are you cold? Sorry. I didn’t bring a jacket with me. Because why would I? I look like an idiot in a jacket. Can you imagine me wearing a jacket?”
Mauricia smiled faintly.
“See? That’s what I thought. How are you feeling?”
“This was just mild this morning, and I didn’t want to absent. But as the day went on, it got worse until, at the end of the day, my head started to become excruciatingly heavy and painful, and I felt like the surrounding is whirling around me. I usually don’t tell anyone what I feel, so I went out keeping my face up. And it slipped my mind to visit our company clinic.”
“You have a company clinic?”
“Yes. It was late that I realized this. So I just dragged myself towards possibly a nearest pharmacy, but it seems I ended up in that bookstore because I sometimes go there too. How dumb was that?”
“It happens.”
Mauricia again smiled faintly.
A taxi finally came, and Aldo hailed it. Aldo gently led her in and himself afterwards. Once inside, the driver asked the destination. Aldo mentioned the name and location of their community and even asked the driver if he has heard of it. After wondering for about three seconds, the latter finally said, “Ah, yes.”
Mauricia continued to sleep on Aldo’s shoulder, and Aldo again had to wrap her back with his arm and hold her still by the forearm and stay put that way for the entire duration of the trip in order to allow her to sleep fast and comfortably and not disturb her to the point that all his limbs became numb for lack of blood flow. At first, she shut her eyes tightly and curled her forehead, perceivably feeling the grind of the migraine. Afterwards, sleep thankfully overcame her and her eyes shut profoundly as she fell into a deep slumber, drawing warm breaths which Aldo felt in his neck. Sometimes, he would lull her by stroking her hair on the crown of her head and humming too.
Eventually, Mauricia woke up from Aldo’s gentle yet firm nudges as she heard his voice, saying, “Mauricia, we’re here,” becoming more distinct and louder. She faced him and softly and hoarsely said, “Hey.”
“Good morning.” Aldo smiled. “We’re home. Now tell me where your house is so that you can completely rest.” Aldo offered Mauricia to untangle herself and asked the driver to move on. Mauricia did so slowly and turned to the driver, resting her arms on the headrest in front of her, and navigated him towards an area near where her and Aldo’s former classmate Beatriz live.
“Oh... So this is your block,” Aldo said in wonder.
Mauricia extraneously rested her head back on Aldo’s shoulder.
“How are you feeling?” Aldo asked.
“Better. Thanks for taking me.”
“What a great surprise to see you back there. I’ve really been thinking of the possibility of seeing you again after I talked to Beatriz. Has she told you about me?”
“Yes, she has, incidentally.”
“Therefore, you’ve also been aware of me?”
“Yeah.”
“That I’m still here... while all of you are already there, yet I’m still here.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you self-pitying on me right now?
“No.”
“Will you not think about it much? What’s important is what you’re here and I saw you again and there are still perhaps a lot of things you can do in life.”
“That’s right. Sorry.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I say you’ll always be the same for me no matter what happens.”
“What? Oh. Thank you. That’s very nice of you.”
“Uh-huh? You just wanted to hear me say that. Didn’t you?”
“No. Not really.”
“You were just fishing for compliments.”
“Fine. Maybe.”
“There you go.”
“I think you should have just absented.”
“Why? I have a lot of responsibilities. It’s not my style to just absent without a very valid reason.”
“Oh.” Aldo looked away and mused for about five seconds. Then he continued, “You know, I tried so hard to be able to work in that place... All in vain. I guess it’s not for me.”
The taxi finally stopped in front of a two-story concrete house that have terraces, a front yard, and a garage. It was still afternoon when they got home. Out of the vehicle came Mauricia who approached the smaller of the two steel gates. The car then moved away. Mauricia knocked a few times. After about ten seconds, a corpulent middle-aged lady emerged from the open ornate wooden door, approached the gate, and unbarred and opened it. Mauricia went in and took the lady’s hand and touched her forehead with it. The latter noticed her temperature and lack of energy.
“Are you okay? What’s the matter?”
“Fever caught up on me at work. I need to rest.” Then she proceeded inside the house.

tentatively titled, “Just Like Ballroom Dancing”
from The Simple Adventures of a Simple Simpleton
by: Marven T. Baldo