manong popoe

I don't know how I came up with this realization, but for the first time, some sort of "hula" about my life came true.

Of course, you remember my previous TL, Allan Poe, or PoPoe (though you might really not know him). Well, on our last team outing months ago, we went on an afternoon pool party at a village in Alabang, where a friend of our previous teammate (Kuya Berns!) lives. Anyway, on that pool party someone bought a deck of playing cards to play pusoy and for Allan's "hula" purposes. May reputasyon na kasi si Allan na magaling manghula, and even on our last overnight outing sa Bulacan (prior to this one in Alabang [sorry magulo, puro talaga layas gawa namin kay Allan]), nanghula na siya. Hindi lang ako nakasama kasi I went home at around 4am when they were still sleeping. I won't explain why.

So 'yun, hinulaan niya ako. And I tried to remember his exact words with the things that happened to me in the not-so-distant past. It kinda freaked me out that they all matched:

"Malabo pa ang promotion. Tapusin mo muna pag-aaral mo."
- I asked him about how my career with the company will grow, if it will, or if I actually have one to begin with. Well, a few weeks ago, nagsulputang parang kabute yun mga site ng TeleTech (Cavite, Bacolod, Dumaguete). Kahit sa sarili naming site nagkaroon ng opening. I tried my luck for any promotion to any given site. That time, the forked road confuses me as to if I shouled really enrol for next sem or try getting a promotion given the tenure. Sabi ko, one shot lang, kapag hindi kumagat, mag-eenroll ako. Well, one shot made way to another, and another, and another, na parang Jose Cuervo. No successful application. And MasterChoi decided to go back to school.

"Wala nang problema sa tatay mo. Pero 'yung nanay mo, ingatan niyo na huwag magka-stroke. Kasi 'pag nagkataon, budget mo ang masisira."
- My father underwent operation almost one year ago (June somethingth din yun e). Apart from his gallstones, nagka-infection siya sa sugat and it almost came to a point when he was about to get amputated, have we hesitated for a few days more. Now he's OK. And Allan said he'll be. Now, this year, my mother has been complaining of her eyes. Na sumasakit daw at lumalabo. A few tests were run, and she got diagnosed of glaucoma. Na in-born na pala. Luckily, months after Papa's operation I decided to get them both an Intellicare HMO membership, for cases as such. So when the year kicked in that's the first thing I did. So by the time Mama needed to undergo operation for her eyes, nagamit namin 'yun Intellicare. Payment of which won't be completed until June 10th. Kung hindi ko pa siya na-enroll dun, we would need P60,000 for an operation, additional cost if we prefer a laser treatment. So for weeks now, pabalik-balik kami sa Makati Eye Laser Center sa The Fort for a series of treatments. Thanks to Intellicare, pamasahe lang ang gastos namin. (This unaid advertisement is for blah blah blah). It was Mama who realized na naging totoo 'yun hula. It wasn't a stroke, but her ailment is somehow similar, sa mata nga lang. And it could lead to blindness. At sa loob-loob ko, "Holy sh*t! Nasira nga ang budget ko...!" Ang laki kasi ng kaltas ng Intellicare. Enough said.

"Huwag na kasi hindi niya nararamdaman..."
"Huwag na kasi masaya na siya sa kung nasaan siya ngayon."
-Hindi ko sure kung naikwento ko na. I asked him kung may pag-asa ba love life ko. I asked him about "the past." If I could still pursue her. Response A. I asked back, "Hindi niya maramdaman ang alin? Hindi niya maramdaman na may feelings ako sa kanya? Or hindi niya nararamdaman 'yung love para sa 'kin?" "Pareho." Ouch! Well, the second one is for "the present." If I could pursue her. Response B. Which is true. According to Dem, "she chose to be with someone she's already established a relationship with." Ow, pucha yun puso ko...!

We always have disclaimers na ang hula ay hula lang. That we make our own destiny. Blah blah blah. Ako, on my end, I'm not reliable on these things. It just turns out na nangyari talaga siya sa 'kin. Kudos Allan! Such great talent.