Despedida

Mrs Pengson (forever the same) and I are meeting regarding the Blue Flame. We're laughing and it's the most pleasant meeting I've ever had with her. I tell her what I want the Blue Flame to be and she agrees! She agrees to everything I say! Ms Abiog walks and in listens and agrees. I think, wow, why can't it be like this all the time?

The bell rings and I realize, fuck, I have class and I look at my schedule and I have 4-S. Everything is how it should be which makes me wonder if everything else that happened was just something I made up. I ask my class, "Um, okay, where are we? What are we supposed to be doing today? Can you check your syllabus?" And this is what it feels like when all the good aspects of my different worlds merge - just soooo unbelievably pleasant. They take out a copy of the syllabus! The one I gave my students at CSB! They check it out and inform me, "Miss, today it's The Components of Art. So I say, "Okay. I'll be right back with your handouts."

I dash back to the cabinet I share with Sunshine and look for those handouts but I can't find them. Time is flying and I keep looking and it's handout after handout of Art Movements, Literary Movements, Modernism and Postmodernism but no The Components of Art.

It's dark soon and I still can't find those stupid handouts. Chukis comes to pick me up. And I can't stand it so I tell her, "You know what? I had this crazy dream that I left you all. I'm glad it's not true."

She says, "Miss, you did leave. Well, at least you told us you would. Today is your last day and we have a surprise for you."

When we get to the room 312, everyone says, "Surprise!" And in the middle or the room is Moe. And I laugh and he laughs and everyone around us is all smiles and Balot says, "Miss, we want you to be happy where you're going."

And that just makes me cry.

Then Moe says, "Come, we'll be late for our shift."

We laugh all the way to Ambergris and I ask him, "Was that despedida a dream?"

***

Hong Kong.

I've overextended a day and only have a few HK dollars left. I join a group who are on their way to watch a play. I realize I don't even have enough money for the bus. I'm a few dollars short. I say to the driver, "Sorry but I don't have enough money!" He shakes his head at me because he's really annoyed but his Chinese guy overhears us and says, "I got it," and he steps up to swipe his Octopus card by the censor. I'm so relieved. "Thanks so much," I say then ask, "how much do I owe you?" He says, "700 dollars but you can pay me back when we get back to the Philippines."

It's a great night and I'm really careful not to spend anymore of the little money I have left.

On the plane, our way back to the Philippines, I disobey the rules and use my cellphone to call Paolo to give him my monetary status, "So, it's like this. I owe this guy 700 dollars which makes it 14k pesos. Could you have the money ready so when I get off this plane I can just hand the guy his money?"

But when we land, the Chinese guy is nowhere to be seen and the 14k pesos feels like it's burning in my hand.