ch. 16 - jimbo

CHAPTER 16
JIMBO


Narrator: Meanwhile, with Erich, Denise, and Brenda, they entered the Powerhouse Arcade through the open double door. Denise noticed two white young dudes playing Air Hockey, a Chinese long-haired girl playing Para Para Paradise, and a very skinny white guy with eye glasses playing the Shock Volt game, until his glasses broke as he released his hands in pain.

Denise: Eeeiii…

Narrator: Once the girls reached the prize encounter…

Brenda: O Jimbo!

Narrator: The young Filipino dude about in his early 20’s was wearing eye glasses as he smiled, nodding at his friend.

Jimbo: Musta n a?

Brenda: Okay lang.

Jimbo: Sinong kasama mo dyan?

Brenda: My friends. (points out to Erich and Denise) This is Erich and Denise (Denise waving at him with a big smile).

Erich: Hi. (shaking his hand, smiling)

Jimbo: Nice meeting you.

Erich: Meron din akong ibigan na may pangalang “Jimbo.”

Jimbo: Talaga? Filipino din siya?

Erich: Oo naman.

Jimbo: That’s nice. (points to Denise) Ikaw si Denise?

Denise: Yep, that’s me. (as they shook hands) Pleasure to meet you. (laughing)

Jimbo: (laughing a bit) So ano ginagawa niyo dito?

Brenda: Just… chillin. (laughing as Erich laughs)

Denise: Yeah… chillin’ kasi malamig sa labas. (laughing)

Jimbo: Ah ganun? Di naman masyado malamig sa labas, o? Supposed to be low 70’s ngayon.

Erich: Kanina pa yan sa tanghali. Ngayon parang medyo malamig ang konti.

Jimbo: (noticing a small group of people crowding over the DDR Supernova machine) Whoa look…

Narrator: The girls turned their backs to the DDR game where one Asian dude wearing a cap facing backwards was at 350 combos and rising. The other dude, a Vietnamese who looked about the other guy’s age, only had 146.

Jimbo watched with his very eyes as he kept watching the two, the Asian hitting note after note while the other broke his 100+ streak hitting only 55. After the song ended, there were few cheers and applauses for the two.

Jimbo: Mabilis yun song, tapos ng 500 combos pa yun isang Asian ang lalaki.

Denise: Oo nga, noh? Susko… kita mo gaano na bilis mag tama yun paa niya sa arrow.

Jimbo: Yan ang extreme pro. Walang ibang kalaban who can be at his level katulad yun isang Guitar Hero pro nung ng 100% siya sa Dragonforce.

Brenda: Jim naman, o?

Jimbo: Bakit? Na sabi ko lang ‘to tapos ng irita ka agad sakin.

Erich: Eh kasi puro video games ang usapan mo.

Brenda: Oo. Babae kami, noh? Wag basta I mention sa amin ang ganyan.

Denise: Pwede ka mag salita yan sa mga ibigan mong lalaki, pero hindi sa amin.

Jimbo: Hayy… ang ganda pa kayo kasi eh.

Brenda: Oo nga, noh? (pulling her hair back, acting sexy) Kaya we’re not much into video games, ya know.

Jimbo: Ah ganun? Well, I dare you then to play the Shock Volt right over there. (points to game sitting beside darts game)

Brenda: Hell nah! Sirang ulo mo talaga.

Jimbo: (laughing) Natatakot ka pa dyan? Parang massager lang yan, o?

Denise: Di totoo. Ng kita ko kanina na may isang lalaki ng laro yan, tapos ng bali pang salamin niya.

Jimbo: Di kasi ng tangal muna agad yan.

Denise: Kahit na. Basta hindi bagay sa amin ang mga ganyang klaseng laro.

Brenda: Yeah. Tara na, girls. Mag laro muna tayo.

Jimbo: Gusto ko mag kita ka mag DDR.

Brenda: Ako? DDR?? Di pa ako magaling, noh?

Denise: Saka wala pa ak sa medium, o?

Brenda: Si Erich ang galing.

Erich: (laughing shyly) Di masyado.

Denise: Oo diba magaling ka sumayaw?

Erich: Sa tunay, oo. Sa ame, hindi masyado.

Denise: Parehas naman kayo ni Maja eh. Ang galing niyo talaga.

Erich: Mas may style pa si Maja pag sayawan kesa sakin.

Brenda: Eh simple simple lang sayawin mo kasi, pero dancer ka pa rin.

Denise: Yeah.

Jimbo: Ang galing ka pala, Erich. Sana ikaw na lang mag laro yun DDR.

Denise: Yeah, Erich. Go for it!

Erich: Di na. (shakes her head)

Brenda: Sige na, Erich. I’ll go if you go.

Jimbo: Gusto ka pala mag laro eh. Kasama mo siya.

Denise: Oo nga Erich. Do it naman!

Brenda: Yeah, once lang. (holds up her left index finger)

Erich: O sige na nga! I’ll go.

Denise: Ata girl!

Jimbo: Oooh I can’t wait to see this… (rubs his hands together)

Narrator: So the three girls headed toward the token machine on their left shoulder.

Suddenly, a group of three white dudes entered the arcade. Actually, they were my friends: Chris, who wears glasses, Bobby, wearing a dark blue polo and a red New York Yankees cap facing front, and Robby, the red-haired one who works at Disney’s California Adventure.

Robby: (noticing white young girl wearing black leggings playing the Shock Volt game) Hey Chris. Would ya try this one? (points to it)

Bobby: ‘Course he wouldn’t. He’s scared.

Robby: What about DDR, the one Jay plays?

Bobby: Yeah right.

Narrator: But then Robby spotted Erich and her gang at the token machine.

Robby: Ey isn’t that Jay’s girlfriend? (joking)

Bobby: Who??

Ummm… I think it’s either Maja or Bia (he meant “Bea” for Bea Alonzo).

Bobby: Which one is she?

Robby: (points to Erich) Umm… the one in a white long sleeved shirt and skinny jeans.

Bobby: (looking closely at her laughing with Denise) She’s Filipino, isn’t she?

Robby: So is her friends. (laughing a bit)

Bobby: It don’t matter, though. She’s hot.

Chris: I thought yer not into Filipino girls at all.

Bobby: Except for her and Jay’s sister.

Robby: Who’r ya goin’ for, though?

Bobby: I’m goin’ for BOTH for em’.

Chris: Yer crazy.

Bobby: Duude, ya know me. ***[next sentence omitted]***

Chris: Yer tryin’ ta go for all of em’. Some player ya are.

Bobby: Shut up and mind yer own fuckin’ business.

Robby: Lemme call Jay and tell him. (as he takes out his cell phone from brown jeans pocket)

Bobby: Do it.