Phone conversation
06 NOVEMBER 2017, 9:21 AM
AMARTYA:
(cheerily) Good morning, Father Io!
FR. EMILIO:
(hoarse) Hello... good morning.
(Short silence.)
FR. EMILIO:
(clears throat) Wala ka bang pasok?
AMARTYA:
Wala pa po! Hapon pa.
FR. EMILIO:
Eh gagawin? Requirements?
AMARTYA:
Siyempre... meron. (yawns) Pero mamaya ko na gagawin iyon. Tinatamad pa ako.
FR. EMILIO:
Naku, masama 'yan.
AMARTYA:
Wow ah. Kung makapagsalita kayo... (mumbles incoherently) Bakit, ni minsan ba, hindi kayo tinamad magtrabaho?
(Instead of answering, Fr. Emilio laughs, leading Amartya to a snort and a chuckle. The two then fall towards silence - which goes on for seconds - until it was broken by loud chirping on the priest's end.)
AMARTYA:
Ginagawa niyo pala?
FR. EMILIO:
(deadpan) Nagdurusa.
AMARTYA:
Yikes... hangover ba? (clicks tongue thrice) (proceeds in a reprimanding tone) Ayan kasi... inom pa more! Ano ba kasi ininom niyo kagabi at nagdurusa kayo ngayon?
FR. EMILIO:
Ewan... (murmurs incoherently) Halo-halo... ata.
AMARTYA:
Ano?
FR. EMILIO:
(groans) Hindi ko na alam, Marts. 'Wag mo nang tanungin—
AMARTYA:
Halo-halo talaga?
FR. EMILIO:
Depende kasi sa table na madadaanan. (sighs) Kapag may inaabot na baso, lalagukin na lang.
AMARTYA:
Wow. (reprimanding tone) I can't believe that you're such a pushover. (clicks tongue) Kung binigyan kayo ng lason, iinumin niyo rin ba?
FR. EMILIO:
(nagging) 'Wag mo na akong pagalitaaaan.... (mumbles) (buries voice beneath something dense) Ang sakit, sakit ng ulo ko ngayon, Amartya. Sobra.
AMARTYA:
(softens tone) Tubig lang 'yan, 'der. (laughs) Laklakan niyo ng tubig.
FR. EMILIO:
(clearer voice) Halatang manginginom ka talaga.
(Short silence ensues.)
AMARTYA:
(clears throat) Anyway. So, Father... second call, na 'to, ah?
FR. EMILIO:
Second? (murmurs incoherently) Mali...
AMARTYA:
Ha?
FR. EMILIO:
(clears throat) Ang sabi ko, mali. (short pause) Seven.
AMARTYA:
Seven?
FR. EMILIO:
Ika-pito na tawag mo na 'to, Marts. (heavy breathing) Naka-lima kang tawag sa akin no'ng lasing ka... isa no'ng nasa Castallon ka pa... tapos ito. Bale pito.
AMARTYA:
Oh.
(Short silence)
AMARTYA:
(gasps) Teka— binibilang niyo?
FR. EMILIO:
Hindi... (chuckles lightly) Naalala ko lang.
AMARTYA:
(teasing) Wow, ha. Napakatibay naman ata ng memory niyo?
FR. EMILIO:
(boastfully) Siyempre naman. Hindi naman ako lasenggero, eh.
AMARTYA:
Anong connect sa alak?
BINABASA MO ANG
Ang Kwento ni Amartya
General FictionAmartya's goal for her senior year is straightforward: to finish her senior thesis in Nueva Castallon, graduate, and dip. Constantly crossing paths with a young clergyman named Emilio was out of the list... and so is discovering that her sister is h...
