ch. 30 - at the bar

CHAPTER 30
AT THE BAR


Narrator: Out on the sidewalk where Erich’s broken phone was sitting in the front of the bar, two Filipino dudes approached the building, talking. Then one of them wearing a black and gray striped long-sleeved shirt noticed Erich’s cell phone on the ground.

Guy 1: (approaching device) Wow… (picking it up, takes good look at it) May na iwang cell phone dito at sira pa. (laughing)

Narrator: His friend was wearing a red cap and a white long-sleeved shirt covered by a dark green large plain T-shirt.

Guy 2: Pare, anong kikita mo sa scell phone nayan? Eh sira pala.

Guy 1: Basta, nan dito pa rin yun SIM card, o? (taking it out of phone, showing it to his friend)

Guy 2: So ibig sabihin nanakaw mo nay an kahit sira na?

Guy 1: Eh I ayos ko ‘to. Wag ka maalala. Tara na. Pasok tayo dito.

Guy 2: (as they head for the entrance to the bar) Grabe ka talaga, pare.

Narrator: Inside the bar, a Filipino male bartender named Shadi was serving two glasses of hard liquor to two white guys sitting at the counter.

White guy: (bushy hair) Thanks.

Shadi: No problem.

Narrator: Then he saw the two Filipino guys arriving at the counter.

Shadi: Oy, Jerry! (referring to the guy wearing a black and gray striped long sleeve shirt)

Jerry: (nodding and smiling as he and Shadi high five one another) Ahh pareng Shadi! Long time no see!

Shadi: I know! Anong may bago sa buhay mo ngayon?

Jerry: Wala. School lang.

Shadi: Ah ganun?

Jerry: O Shadi… etong ibigan ko ay si Hermit.

Hermit: Sup (as he and Shadi shake hands)

Shadi: Saan ka pinang anak?

Hermit: Sa Pinas, siempre. (laughing)

Jerry: Alam namin, o? (light shove)

Hermit: Sa Quezon City.

Shadi: Ah talaga? Pinang anak rin yun ex ko dun.

Hermit: Ah… swerte ka, ah? (as Shadi smiles) Ikaw?

Shadi: Sa Maynila.

Hermit: Wow… maraming Filipino ng pinang anak dyan, ah?

Jerry: Oo nga, noh?

Shadi: So paano kita tutulongan ditto, mga luma at bagong parekoy ko?

Jerry: Shadi, meron ako I pag kita sa iyo.

Shadi: Ano yun?

Narrator: Jerry took out Erich’s broken phone and showed it to Shadi.

Shadi: Ah… saan galing yan?

Jerry: Dun lang sa labas, o? Sa harap ang bar.

Shadi: Ah ganun?

Jerry: Oo tapos may kasama pang SIM card. (showing it to him also)

Hermit: Ano talaga gagawin mo sa card nayan? Saan mo gagamitin yan?

Jerry: (puts hand on Hermit’s shoulder) Wag ka maalala. Hahanapin akong bagong cell phone para sa rili ko, at tatransfer ako yun lahat ang mga contacts o dyan. Tapos lalagay ako yun SIM card ‘to sa dating phone ko na I gamit ko ngayon.

Shadi: Bakit? Diba magandang phone mo ngayon?

Jerry: Tsk ehmm… gusto ko sana yun I Phone.

Shadi: Mahal namang bayad para dyan.

Jerry: Okay lang. May pera naman ako eh.

Shadi: Eh mabuti.

Hermit: Oo. Lagi siya ginastos yun pera niya para sa mga clubs.

Jerry: Di naman ganyan lagi eh.

Shadi: Ang buhay mo talaga, Jerry. Sige na. I pili mo na yun drinks mo.

Jerry: I’ll have a Vodka with Red Bull.

Hermit: Para sakin June Bug.

Shadi: At your service. ID’s please?

Narrator: So the guys pulled out their driver’s license cards, showing them to Shadi. After Shadi checked them both…

Shadi: Okie.

Narrator: So as he was preparing their drinks, Jerry looked around the bar.

Jerry: ‘La masyadong tao dito sa bar ngayon, ah?

Shadi: (pouring in Jerry’s drinks) Siempre. Wednesday lang naman eh.

Hermit: Oo saka… wala masyadong babae sa ganitong horas.

Shadi: May girlfriend ka ba?

Hermit: Ako?!

Shadi: Oo naman.

Hermit: Wala… ikaw?

Shadi: Dati.

Hermit: Sino?

Shadi: Di mo siya kilala. Si Roxanne.

Hermit: Teka, Roxanne… Guinoo?!

Shadi: Oo. Paano mo malalaman?

Hermit: Classmate ko siya dati nung high school.

Shadi: Ganun ba? Kilala ko siya sa dagat eh. (smiling)

Jerry: Sa dagat pa, ah? Maraming singles dun. Diba, Hermit?

Hermit: Oo nga eh.

Shadi: Oo mas mabuti pa na I meet mo yun mga babae either dyan o sa bar. Madali yan mag karaon ang girlfriend, least a couple days or so.

Hermit: Talaga??

Jerry: Oo naman, noh?

Shadi: Hermit, kung pupunta ka dito ulit, dapat Friday o Saturday. Mas crowded dito saka mas madami pang babae.

Hermit: Sige! I’m DOWN for it naman!

Jerry: Huy! (slaps Hermit on side of waist) Tahimik ka lang dyan.

Shadi: I hop sana mag kikita tayo ulit sa Friday night. (pouring in Hermit’s drink)

Narrator: As Jerry was looking around, he suddenly noticed a group three hotties, two of them around his age and the other a little older than him. Two of the girls were Hispanic while the other one was a Filipina, the one who looked at his age. Jerry started noticing her face more clearly now, the beautiful brown eyes giving him the sense of familiarity, the long light brown hair straight down to her shoulders as she was pulling it back, laughing. Then that gorgeous smile attracted him even more. Now he looked down on her outfit – there was no doubt that black sleeveless top she was wearing made him want to socialize with her. Jerry, shaking his head, smiled with excitement.

Jerry: (patting Hermit on arm) Huy, pare! (as Hermit turned to him) Babalik ako dito, ah?

Hermit: Saan ka pupunta?

Jerry: (moving his head toward the girls’ table) Dun lang, o?

Hermit: (as he takes quick look at the table, then back to him) Pwede ba ako sasama? (smiling)

Jerry: Mamiya na lang. (naughty smile)

Narrator: So Jerry got up and headed over to the other table, leaving Hermit and his mouth WIIIDE open (lol).