The Boy Who Stutters

I sat along the dike, having the scenery of a sunset. I stared. The sun finally set and I wondered why it does. The sky was covered with darkness and I wondered why it has to replace the amazing light. And so I thought, people only appreciate the light when darkness is about to come. We knew that anyway. I then thought that we only appreciate something when it is now too late. We love to see the sun sets but hate it when it finally does; we only appreciate something when it’s there but regret it when it’s completely gone. -TBWS February 9, 2016 Creative Writing - Final exercise: Write a 101-word story. Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Hi, first of all, no one actually called me R except for one person. This person used to love me and I used to love so dearly… before. That despite who I am and what I am, she accepted me but she belongs to the past now. That’s why I finally let other people call me that way; that’s my way to remember her. But I didn’t lie when I introduced myself as the boy who stutters because obviously, I do. This was worse when I was younger. I used to say "Ma-ma-ma'am, mememe-may I go to the cr?” I had this helpless facial expression that people find difficult to see. But little did they know how difficult it was, how difficult it is to be me. I’m not going to make this dramatic as it seems. I’m a changed person now or so I thought. I used to be depressed in high school that I isolated myself from people. I usually got anxious every time there is a reporting, recitation, or speech. Well, I still do now. I have stage fright. The idea of speaking in front and especially holding a damn ...

“Walang kikilos! Raid ‘to!”   sigaw ng pulis pagkapasok ng silid, subalit napahinto ito sa nakita. Binaba niya nang bahagya ang kanyang nakatutok na baril upang lalong matunghayan ang isa sa mga lalaking nakaupo. Nanigas ang pulis sa kanyang posisyon hanggang sa tinapik siya ng kanyang kasamahan. Hudyat ito ng pag-aresto sa mga nahuli sa aktong gumagamit ng droga. Lumapit si Indigo sa lalaki at kanyang pinosasan ang mga kamay, ganon din ang ginawa ng ibang pulis sa ibang nahuli na pawang walang bahid ng anuman kadungisan. Humanay ang limang naaresto at pinahakbang palabas ng bahay nang biglang nanlaban at nang-agaw ng baril ang isa sa kanila. Nagdulot ito ng kaguluhan sa operasyon. Nasawi ang pulis na nakuhanan ng baril; agad din namang nabaril ang lalaking nang-agaw. Sa kasamaang palad, nagawang makatakas ang dalawa sa mga suspek. Agad na hinabol ng mga pulis ang mga nakatakas at isa rito ay ang lalaking pinosasan ni Indigo. Para sa kanya, responsable siya sa pagkawala ng kany...

I miss you like crazy but then again it's only probably the chase - as always. Well, I hope so. I wish it's only the chase. That's why I'm feeling and being like this. I miss you and you know that - I hope. But things are different now, totally different now. You have finally opened yourself up to other people. Partly, I'm happy that you have, but partly, it saddens me. How ironic and predictable. Silly me. Good old days are gone. They will remain memories which we would remember when we have bad days. That's how it works, isn't it? What we have now always led to what will be and what can be. It's been so long since I wrote you a letter Would you mind? Of course, I'm not planning to give this to you but of course, you'll be able to read this as you do now. I lost a place in you already As I said before.  It seems like I got no one but myself to blame. And before you ever think of it - don't! No comfort, no sorry, no anything. Pl...

Another chapter of my life is about to come. Another year full of lessons and mistakes, failures and progress, and happiness and sadness. It’s guaranteed. The New Year had begun and I have a long journey ahead. I have new goals to set. These are the things I wish to happen this year: - Before January ends, I need to clean the mess I made. - By February, I need to stop being a jerk. - When March comes, I want to make my parents proud again. - When summer approaches, I hope to learn an instrument. - Before the summer ends, I wish to finish my book. - Before June starts, I have to decide what path to take in life. The first half of the year is affirmative. I can possibly guarantee those things, but I can’t for the other half. I don’t know the half of it. I lost my plans. I lost my purpose. I wanted to stop my schooling. I am unsure if I still want to continue. I might be ruining my future now from the decisions I’m making...

N1: Ito ang mga karaniwang problema N2: mga karansan Both: at mga kalokohan ng isang klase! o    Panibagong araw na naman ng pagpasok. Oo, ang paggising ang pinakamahirap na gawin sa buong araw pero pagtingin mo sa oras … (Tingin sa clock) “Late na naman ako.” o    Dagdag pa sa kamalasan mo, papasok ka na nang mapansin mong wala kang suot na I.D “Ay. Patay!” Gusto mong magbago subalit palagi nalang ganito kaya malabo! Number 1: Natural lang ito sa loob ng klasrum, ang MATULOG o MAKATULOG. Pwedeng puyat ka o sadyang antukin ka lang. Matatalo ka talaga sa labanan ng antok lalo na kapag sobrang boring yung klase. “Mr.Araos…….Mr. Araos? Mr. Araos? Mr. Araos?” Kung hindi naman tulog, nasa ibang mundo ang isipan tulad nito. Number 2: “Class, get a whole sheet of paper.” Pangalawa, walang papel. Isang himala na matatapos ang taon, wala ka pa rin papel. “Peram ballpen!” Ito pa, ito pa, ito pa! Mga estudyanteng pumapasok ng walang ...

18 is such a checkpoint. The rite of passage that we dreadfully await, hoping for a, if not better, newer experience in life.  Nope. I’m not going to put an effort into making a decent introduction for this one. What’s the point of painting a picture that is different from what you feel and think? Write a letter forgiving yourself for something you’ve been upset about.  My 2018 journal has ice-breaker sections such as this but I never truly reached that page because who am I kidding? I like writing diaries as much as I like the quality pages and slick covers yet having never actually consumed all of its entirety. We often think we like the thing but in fact, we only like the idea of that thing.  Sounds familiar? We are not in love. We just like the idea of being in love. At some point, we all have been there – not knowing what we really want. It kind of sucks – not knowing . But why does ‘ knowing ’ seem to suck even more? Knowing that something ...

Five months have passed since I entered the University. I got my official I.D., did not drop any classes yet, had my first production in one of my majors, received my final grades and passed them all. What a good start, my confidante says. Then I found myself to be back at square one . New people. New environment. New arena.  As I regularly go home every weekend, I bumped into a junior schoolmate of mine in high school who is now a senior and she wanted to ask me about life beyond the walls of JILS (acronym of my high school). She was probably all curious as I was when I badly wanted to finally graduate and go into college. And now she is about to and now here I am! What is it like? I thought I already knew the obvious disparity between high school and college but boy, the ironies they are. You were asked to always stand every time you recite in class before until you always have to remind yourself not to when your professor calls you - or else, you will be asked to pleas...