Chronicles Revealed

Chapter 8: In the Box

Yesterday, we were at a seaside mall in the south. The last time we were there was on its inaugural opening in December last year. Dubbed the biggest mall outside of Metro Manila, we went there more for the sake of curiosity than anything else. From afar I could already see an architectural ogre that seeks to hide the fact that it is no more than a shoe box, as its original concept was, with about five floors each divided into so many cubicles of various shapes and sizes on each floor.

He was still with us at that time. Though going with us to malls was something he thought he had long outgrown, he nevertheless went with the family in that occasion and enjoy the day out with us.

On the way up the spiral staircase with the kids to go to the skating rink, he met his friend Jake who was with his family. Like us, curiosity, not to splurge, brought them to the new mall. They shook hands in their own way and hugged.

This place is huge but I haven't seen a store yet that you can't find in other malls. New place, same stores, same products, Jake commented. I think they need to improve their parking system. It may be good for five thousand vehicles but it is not easy to park, Jake added to say. It's confusing. They need traffic signs to guide the drivers.

I haven't been around yet but you are right it's just another mall, bigger and more modern maybe, but still just an oversized store! I agree with you 100%. You see so many parking spaces but it is difficult to get to one, especially if you want to park nearest the entrance, my son replied.

How are you, Jake? Long time no see. Where have you been all this time? You weren't there in your cousin's birthday party. They were looking for you, my son remarked.

I've been looking for a job and it seems getting harder to do. I'm not like you who is good with computers and you can easily groove in to these BPOs and call centers. How do you do it,?  Marie is getting irritated with me already. She is now the working horse and spending for us. Jake said with a tone of frustration and a bit of despair.

Don't think too much about it. You'll be okay. I have to go. The kids are waiting at the rink. Take care all of you, my son said to Jake. See you.

Did you have to hug him, my son overheard Jake asking Marie.

He took charge of the kids while the rest of us spread around the mall, singly, in pairs, or as a group, in a sort of reconnaissance for the next trip, which could be months away. The kids wanted so much to try the skating rink. They, actually, hadn't seen one before. Sliding and gliding and playing catch on the ice was going to be an experience of a lifetime for them.

He accompanied them there and he was quite amused watching the kids go up ahead of him in expectation of a one of a kind fun and excitement. He must have thought of joining them in the rink, too, and show off to the kids his ice skating talent! Much to their dismay, they found the rink jam-packed. There was no chance the kids could skate on the rink even if they were to wait until evening.

When he was about the age of the kids, he skated, too. There was a skating rink in one of the older malls. It was supposed to be a big attraction. Maybe it didn't get that much compensating attention based on their business computation, so they removed it unceremoniously and had it converted into an activity center.

He learned to skate on his own in his first attempt. No trainer. Of course, he looked clumsy and hopeless at the start. He fell a number of times but he looked at it as a part of learning. It seemed he enjoyed the falls and the getting up more than the skating itself. After he was through, his pants and0 underwear were very wet and Mama had to buy him new ones. Sport was quite natural for him and he liked most sports, including cricket, which I just couldn't understand, a reflection of his competitive spirit.