Getting Away with Gluttony

Kabanata 35

Gusto ko tuloy iuntog ang sarili ko dahil sa mga nakakahiyang bagay na pumapasok sa isip ko.

Na-misundertand ko pala ang pagkakasasabi ni Pastor ng "Tatay Xenon".

Haaay. Nalusaw na ata lahat ng brain cells ko sa dami ng iniisip ko the past days.
The coffee was served afterwards.

"Forty na po kayo? Parang thirty lang po." Gulat kong tanong. He doesn't look old. Siguro nasa good grooming din iyon. Saka genes.

"Narinig mo? I looked young." Tatay Xenon proudly said to Emilia like proving a point.

"Oo, kaya lumalaki taenga mo." Pagbibiro ni Emilia na napag-alaman kong 28 years old na pala. Akala ko talaga teenager lang siya. Mga 18 years old ganoon. Ang baby face kasi.

"Basta, napagkakamalan ka pa ding tatay ko." Muling biro ni Emilia kay Tatay Xenon.

"Mukha ka lang bata, pero pa-expire ka na sa kalendaryo, oy. Welcome to the club, Yang." Ganting biro naman ni Pastor dito.

Nang malaman kong single pa pala silang dalawa, napagtanto kong may something. And watching them like this, I can confirm my suspicion. Nahihiya lang akong mag-usisa.

"Pero hinihintay mo ako?" Pang-aasar ni Emilia sa kanya.

Pakiramdam ko, naghihintayan silang dalawa, eh. Uminom na lang ako ng kape. Agad ko ding naubos ang cassava cake na nasa platito.

Ang sarap nito. Makapagpaluto nga kay Nana Mercy. Kukunin ko ang recipe mamaya. I take note of it.

Nagkwentuhan kami ng mga bagay-bagay tungkol sa church, tungkol sa kanya bilang pastor, bilang painter, at tungkol kay Emilia bilang isang teacher at volunteer worker sa church.

They are very good at conversation. Hindi sila nawawalan ng paksang pwedeng mapag-usapan. I never felt being left out, OP, or even intimidated. It feels like I've been friends with them for a very long time.

My turn finally came. They never asked me about anything. They just let me open up until I became comfortable enough to tell them my whole story up until the reasons I got into this place.

I've told them about my visions as well. It was a huge relief on my part when they believed me and didn't freak out about my dilemma.

"Maybe, you've been given the gift to prophesy."

"Prophesy po?"

Tumango siya. "Like what the prophets in the Bible do."

Then, Tatay Xenon explained to me everything that concerns prophesying. Malaki ang pinagkaiba nito sa panghuhula. It is more like being a messenger and telling the nation what the Lord will do for His people.

Ang bigat pala ng pwede kong maging role sa mundo. 
Pwede. Kasi I have choices. Either accept or reject that gift. Wala naman daw pilitang magaganap.

Taray. Pinagpala pala ako ng lagay na ito.
We are made of free will to decide for our own sake, ayon kay Pastor. As long as it doesn't put yourself in danger. So, decision-making ang labanan.

"Pero bakit, para sa iisang tao lamang ang nakikita ko at hindi para sa kapakanan ng karamihan?" Tanong ko. Q & A portion kasi kami.

"Spiritual gifts are like talents. It can improve in time. If you choose to accept and embrace it, you must free yourself from sins."