ISLA AMORE || Vicerylle

Chapter 19 : His World

      Vice pushed upwards the cover of the small glass window on the plane he was in as it was taxiing down the runway.  He gazed at the utility vehicles  and the people outside who were near the aircraft  busy doing their thing.  The atmosphere inside the plane was also abuzz with excitement.  OFWs, expats and a few foreign nationals were talking excitedly and some were even clapping their hands at the same time.  People were happy that the plane had landed and that they are finally back home to their motherland.   'Well, I guess...I'm home,'  he thought as he stood up and reached up to retrieve his small luggage from the overhead compartment of the plane.  He was one of the few who was able to get off the plane first as he was in the business class section. 

      He walked purposefully towards the immigration area to be checked.  As he was going down the escalator, he could see through the glass partitions his beki (gay) friends already from afar.  He knew it was them because they wore the brightest if not the most outrageous outfits.  Vice was not sure how he would react to them whether to laugh, get angry or be amused by them.  Vice wondered what went through their minds when they were choosing their attire.  Those outfits do not look 'comfy' in this kind of weather in the Philippines. Vice shook his head in disbelief and sighed, "Definitely not a good choice. Oh dear..." he muttered to himself. "  Ahaaah...I get it...I  think they were just trying to impress me somehow."  Vice smiled at the thought.  Those beki friends of his are pretty much the same even after years of not seeing each other. 

       It has been almost seven years since he left the Philippines to study fashion and design in one of the most prestigious schools in New York.  It was hard at first.  It took awhile for him to get adjusted to New York's way of life, the  food and particularly the weather.  It was terrible. The cold weather in New York is no joke for someone coming from a tropical country like the Philippines.  It almost made him give up, pack up and move back home to the Philippines.  But  he persevered.  Besides that, he just  couldn't pass up the opportunity to  study fashion and design through a scholarship grant. The swimwear collection he had designed six years ago got recognized and won that coveted scholarship grant to make it to New York to study fashion and design.

      He has made a name for himself  now in the New York fashion world and his brand is starting to get recognized worldwide.  He wanted to expand his reach and go to Europe to further promote his brand of clothing and designs.  His designs not only focused on women's clothes but he also tapped on men's apparel.   Vice also dabbled on men and women's accessories like handbags, wallets, belts.  He now has other plans to include shoes in his collections. VC  (Vice Collections)  is his name brand. The shoe designs will be his new baby project that he will work on next.

      Vice walked towards the airport carousel to get his luggage and proceeded to load them into a trolley.  He exited the building and was walking out to meet  his friends but was surprised when his friends just passed him by and did not even seem to recognize him at all.  Although he noticed that they were ogling him earlier as he was walking towards them.   "Well, what the heck...Maybe it's the glasses that I wore. Am I really that unrecognizable?" he said to himself.   He turned his head and started walking back towards his beki friends. 

Vice   :  (in a sarcastic voice)  Excuse me po.  Miss Maganda,  may hinihintay pa po ba kayong iba na darating?

His beki friends turned their heads simultaneously towards Vice.  It took them a minute to recognize that it was him and were astounded seeing  Vice standing in front of them now.  Beshie took a step back to look at him again.

Beshie :  Meme Vice, ikaw ba yan? Weeehh...Oh my ghaaaad....Ang gwaaaapooo...

Vice   :  Eh bakit, may iba pa bang Vice diyan na hinihintay niyo?  Kakaloka kayo.