Say Yes Part One: Doing it all over again

JB

"Pare ano yun?" 

Pikon na pikon pa rin si Arthur after this meeting of sorts. Alam mo yung feeling na para kang na-double team sa wrestling? Ganun na na ganun yung nangyari sa best friend ko. Yung pang-aalaska ko sa kanya in a normal setting, wala lang yun. Hindi yan napipikon sa akin, kahit sobrang below the belt na mga hirit ko. Pero this girl is something! I should say, yung mga hirit niya, double upper-cut! She single-handedly knocked out the high and almighty Arthur Lesaca.

"Pare, It's a great idea having Jess for that project. She's witty. Talented. And she has real production experience. And we definitely need her for the Carl project."

"Give me a break! That girl is so full of herself! have you read her script? Ampanget! Title palang, "Ikaw ba tatay ko?" Anu yun? Kada eksena kakalabit yung pulubi sa isang mama tapos tatanungin niya, "Ikaw ba tatay ko?" That's the biggest crap I have ever seen! Mas malaki pa sa Tae mo nung isang araw na hindi natin ma-iplush for eight hours!"

" Grabe ka naman, "tol. Maayos naman yung atake nya sa script. Medyo may mga flaws lang sa ibang part, pero maaayos natin yun. Probably..."

Well, sa totoo lang, I agree with Artie with this one. Wala nang pag-asa yung script ni Jess. Yung atake sa materyales niya, pwede siguro pang animated film or children's book. Pero as a live action film na gagampanan ng isang pulubing nawawalan ng ama, malabo.

But you have to give this girl some credit. She has this raw talent in writing, creating witty dialogues and placing good milieu for each scene. Sobrang sabog nga lang siya pagdating sa sequencing and sa plot development. I know major flaw ito sa script niya, pero magagawan pa ng paraan itong batang ito.

Ang nagustuhan ko sa kanya ay yung natural ability niya  to keep up with ideas. Open-minded siya and alam mong willing to learn new stuff. I could feel that she is willing to accept criticism and improve on her mistakes. I became interested of her, not because of her piece (no, definitely not) but because of her personality.

But more than that, I think she would be a good match for Artie. I think Artie has suffered enough for that mishap of the year. One year is good enough for wallowing, it's time for him to meet new people. Judging from this first meeting, pwede kong sabihin na Jess is smart, fun and most of all, Burning hot. I mean kung di lang ako committed at hindi titigil itong si Artie sa kaartehan niya, ako mismo ang didiskarte kay Jess. Believe me, Artie will thank me later.

"Pare, sinasabi ko sa'yo. sakit lang sa ulo yang si Jess. Narinig mo bang humirit? Akala niya kilala na niya ko by just watching that stupid, mother fucking video!"

"Give her a chance. You can't blame her for your video being viral!"

"I should blame you then! Ikaw kase nag-upload nun,e!"

"Hindi nga ako. Ang kulit mo rin,e!" Hay, ang Kulit. Paulit ulit naman tong kaibigan ko,e.

" I still think it's a bad idea. Anong alam niya sa ganitong projects? Saan ba kase si Abby? Kabisado na niya tayo, e?"

"Nanganak nga. Di ba isinugod sa hospital last week?"

" Hah? Kelan nabuntis si Abby? Ba't di ko alam yun?"

" Pre, kailangan pa ba niyang sabihin yun? E di ba nga, nagfile ng leave yung tao last week? Pinirmahan mo pa nga,e."

The thing with Artie is that he doesn't know what happens around him. Seems like the world turned and left him in the same spot when Janine dumped her.  Tingnan mo itong nagyari kay Abby. Monumental event ito for the company not only because mawawala siya for a month but because she's delivering a baby. He even signed her leave form. Di ba niya binasa yun? Paano kase, dun lang siya naka-focus sa business side, sa project side. Nakagawa na nga kami ng projects for a month, without Abby as our production assistant, pero as proven today, di niya ata napansin yun. Half of his time is on the projects, the other half wallowing for Janine.

When Jess gave me a call for a meeting, I think we have an opportunity waiting at our door. Like hitting two birds with one stone. We could hire her as a temporary replacement for Abby at the same time, match her up for Artie. The Cinemalaya thing? Not even part of the plan. I know the script was crap from the start (My friends in the industry tipped me off about that script earlier on. basura yun talaga.)

" Come on, Artie. Give her a shot. You have to admit that we need an extra hand. Here comes someone served in a silver platter, tapos tatanggihan pa ba natin? Be reasonable, man"

"E paano kung nalaman niya na kaya lang pala tayo nakipagmeet sa kanya e para kunin siyang assistant? Nakita mo naman kung paano niya tayo hinarap di ba? I don't want someone bickering while we are in the middle of something!"

"E pumayag naman siya di ba? At least for this Carl project. Once she realizes that she's part of a team, dun, pwede na tayong gumawa ng gusto nating Film. Yung pang Cinemalaya. We all want the same thing, man. You, me, Jess. "

If ever matuloy yung Cinemalaya thing, We really have to start from scratch. I was serious when I told Jess na kailangan namin makilala ang isa't isa bago kami sumabak sa production. kung seryoso kami sa pagiging actual filmkmakers with one good project, kailangan from conceptualization process hanggang sa editing, nakatutok kami. Hindi yung may ipapasa lang sa aming material tapos bahala na kaming mag-interpret. I don't work that way. Lalo na si Artie.

" Bahala ka jan, Jeybs ha. Pag ito pumalpak, kasalanan mo."

"Don't worry about a thing, my friend. It will all go smoothly. So bukas ang start ng working experience niyo together. Ito yung itenerary: pupunta kayo sa Dangwa to canvass for the roses. In the afternoon,Divisoria para bumili ng lights and other stuff. Kakausapin din natin yung mga performers, like yung string quartet and yung mob players. Ayaw pala ni Carl yung dance number so scrap na natin yun"

"Teka, do you mean to say, Kami lang ni Jess gagawa ng lahat ng ito?"

"Yup. kayo lang dalawa. Consider it as a working date. Parang ganun."

"E san ka pupunta? Baka nakakalimutan mo, kasama ka sa project na to."

"Oh I can't make it tomorrow. Actually I'm on my way now to the hospital para bantayan ang mag-ina ko."

" Mag-ina? Anong kalokohan 'to?"

God, He's so thick. Seriously, after being with us this whole year, di niya napansin? I never told him just because it's too obvious. I assumed he'd figure it out on his own. Apparently, I assumed too much. His wallowing got the better of him. Can't blame the man, though, pero naman. Ganun na ba talaga ka Manhid tong bestfriend ko?

" Dude, ako ang tatay nung baby ni Abby."