Charity Sunday

After 9 hours of working alone, because my teammate was on leave last Saturday shift. I headed straight to my friend's (Gel) place, who lives in Pasay. Gel offered to use their family pick-up truck to transport my new sofa. I logged out at 7:10 AM, went to the front of the building and bought myself a cup of taho. As I finish that cup of warm and sweet soya product, I chit chat with my the agents who littered the sidewalk as they burn their lungs out. After a while, I finally went to the bus stop and then to the MRT-Ayala station. On a Sunday, I was surprised that the MRT going to Taft was full.

I arrived at Gel's place at around past 8 AM, I was tired and sleepy. While we were waiting for the sofa to arrive, Gel opened some of the balikbayan boxes that littered his room. There were a lot in every corner and at the middle, some boxes from his trips abroad for the past several months have barely been opened. Anyway, he let me try on some shirts that he haven't worn yet. "Nice" I said to myself, free designer clothes! Gel's a tall guy, stands around 5'8" or 5'9" while I', only 5'3". It's nice that his clothes fit me well because I have grown bigger... in fat! He gave me several long sleeves from Calvin Klein! To add, he also gave me two ceiling lamps from Ikea that he never used. Wow, how generous. The trip to Gel's place was like a charity ukay-ukay heaven!

After an hour two, our friend Tess arrived. So we were headed to our boss's place. After picking of our boss who lives in Makati, we then head to our boss's boss place which is in Mandaluyong to get the much awaited sofa. We waited at the basement. Our big boss finally went out of the elevator with her two maids and with them is a mustard yellow two seater sofa, the upholstery is weaved with patterns of little maple leaves, the feet are of dark wood and the fabric looks still quite new. My eyes popped, 'coz I did not expect that the sofa that's going to be given to me will be that nice! Oh, it has two throw pillows that came with it too! We then loaded the sofa unto the back of Gel's pick-up truck. AS we loaded and tied the sofa, the two gay men suddenly became butch!

We then travelled to Cubao to pick up our friend John. John has been a close friend of mine for a decade. Stands 5'8", ultra fair skin, hairy, chinito, with an evil smile. He was one of the first one who knew about me having HIV. We arrived at his place and we was still sleeping so I went up to his bedroom and hurriedly woke him up. He greeted me in a dozy way saying he'll be ready in a bit. After a few minutes of waiting I got a text message from our boss's boss that it's already raining in Mandaluyong. The moment that I was reading the text, I suddenly felt little drops of rain. Gel started running to me saying we have to wrap-up the sofa in trash bags. He did not bring the cover for the pick-up's loading bay because he thought it can't be use with the sofa anyway. I ran to the nearest 711 and bought the largest sized trash bags I could find. It took us 30 minutes to entirely cover the sofa with trash bags and tape. Rain started to pour when we were done. It was an ultimate downpour.

The five us, me, John, my boss, at the back passenger seat, Gel and Tess at the front. Cozy inside the pick-up truck as we bravely drive in the already flooded streets of Cubao. I was terribly worried that the sofa will get drenched despite of trash bag coverings we made. We drove into the horrendously hard downpour. Gel was so careful because it was getting more and more difficult to drive with the lowered visibility caused by the rain, not to mention to flooded streets we have to drive by through.

We had fun by looking at the half naked men bathing in the rain along the streets. 3 gay guys and two single ladies packed in one truck in the middle of a downpour are such a crowd. I was the navigator as we headed North of Quezon city to my place. We have a long drive ahead of us and more half naked men to watch.

We drove along Maginhawa street in Sikatuna Village and then to Teacher's Village. Ironically, the drive was not maginhawa at all because of the river like flood that Gek and the pick-up truck had to endure. Because of the passing tricycles that keeps on passing by, our hopes of making it up north were brightened. After a few minutes of braving Maginhawa street, we finally got out to Commonwealth highway. I called my boyfriend P, who was at that time cooking lunch for us; I told that I was not able to buy rice because of the rain, he then said he's going to cook rice instead of us buying some.

After an hour of driving, we finally arrived at our building. I was a bit sad that the sofa got wet., although not entirely drenched. I had the maintenance crew come over to unload the sofa to the building cluster's foyer... there I saw the sides and back of it drenched and had watermarks. THe happy mustard sofa was then gloomy and wet... so emo, I thought. We headed to my unit.

P, was already preparing the Japanese table. He cooked pork sinigang and chicken adobo for lunch. As we eat, we nervously waited for my friends' feedback of his cooking. They all said in a happy voice, "ang sarap"! I can see P's little smile brighten his face wit the utter of those words.

My friends spent an hour or two eating on the Japanese table while sitting on the floor as we watched ASAP and watching Party Pilipinas. P surprised them with ice cream that they gladly consumed like little children. All of us were tired after a few hours. Good thing I bought disposable plates, utensils and cups to save us from the torment of washing the dishes.

My friends went home in the early afternoon and we escorted them to the pick-up truck. We bid them goodbye and saying thank you for visiting us in the almost provincial far north. Me and P then walked back to our building and looked at the wet mustard sofa resting in the foyer. He said it's going to be alright and we will just wait for the sun to come out, perhaps tomorrow. P and I went back to our flat.

I'm very happy things turned out great in spite of the rain and of the sofa getting wet. It will still be used and it will be alright. I am thankful for my friends for giving me the stuff I needed as well as some clothes, most of all, I thank them for the friendship.

I am very thankful for P. I am thankful that he's my man and for him being a gentleman. Cooking is never easy and coping with my mood swings, I know it's sometimes annoying. Thank you P for everything, not only that you are a good cook, but you are a good boyfriend as well. The final furniture piece has been given to me and I have a great partner.

My home is now complete.