Saturday, July 23, 2005

like splitting the hairs of rambutan

the week that was started early monday am as i took the first trip of the weena bus. at 3.30a, the alarm of my cell phone is screaming like mad. prodding me to leave the comforts of my bed and step into the cold morning. still dark, but it would have to do. i wanted to spend sunday in davao to catch pinoy blonde and do a walk-run for a cause for ninin's kids.

if that was any indication for the week ahead, i had no idea yet as monday, tuesday then wednesday progressed. wednesday was in fact dreary with me writing up a report and staying at the office with a cough and a queasy stomach. for which i sent an email to ben.

when i arrived, that's when things started to hit high gear. all those hoola-baloo went down to one thing. we need to fast track a project that as of tuesday was put into a shelf because the elements are not cooperating (the weather for one, the barangay captain for two, and the the loose community organization for three). but in a matter of a phone call, everything changed.

the scenario,bossing wants us (or should i say the motunan community) to finish a 30 x 40 sqm. of solar drier and a health center by the end of july. 10 days to go from wednesday. in short bossing wants us to finish everything in 10 days on a project that almost took a month for sambag.

amazing!

at the end of friday, i have a stiff neck (read:naa koy panuhot, perting sakita sa akong likod na halos wala makalihok ang akong liog). i have approached the likings of a flu. i had lunch at 2p. i twisted the arms of so many people to deliver 100cc of gravel, 235 bags of cement and 550 pieces of hollow blocks. i helped shovel some gravel to a three fourths (i do not know why they call it that, but it looks like a six wheeler jeep) that made my body shake after a few minutes.

notwhithstanding the pressure, there were only 60cc of gravel, 40 bags of cement, hollow blocks all accounted. fair enough, at least the community can start today (saturday). heavy rains prevented the delivery to carry on further.

but how do you wring someone's arm to continue delivering when she can see rain, whereas you as basking under the heat of the noon sun? i had to call, text up to my last peso. even asking a few good friends for some more load. (beh, how do you reload in the middle of a barrio load? thank god for friends!).

and so there i was, hunched at the last seat of the van bound for kidapawan, reminiscing the events of the past 2 days. i was snacking on rambutan. somehow, it provided the most comfort for me in the weeks just past. for one it counteracted my hyper-acidity and has been a cheap alternative for a quick lunch, when i had to run to midsayap and back. amid sticky fingers, red and yellow peelings, seeds i noticed one beauty of rambutan that i have not bothered to see before.

when i press the fruit between my thumb and the other four fingers to break open the skin, some rambutan hairs would be caught up in the rapture and split right down the middle. it looks like a couple of threads pulling apart from each other in time for some juice to squeeze through my fingers.

the beauty of it all is that it happens everytime, that it gets to be taken for granted. sometimes when i take in the work that i do, i miss the splitting hairs of rambutan. those unlikely circumstances that makes the experience unforgettable.

rereading the last part of this entry in this light, this doesn't sound like a rant one after all.

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