When Stars Align
And so it was that on the 16th of July in the year of the Lord 2005 that the cosmic Powers That Be have aligned the stars so that the following historic meeting could take place: McVie meets Badinggerzie!
Actually it was really like this: Badinggerzie meets Imogen, then McVie meets the two who were chatting outside Komiks Bar in Malate.
Rewind to a few hours earlier: I had finished my work in the office (after waiting for several hours and making that song title list in the previous episode) and was just waiting for my officemate and friend—let’s call him Ed—to finish so that we can both go to Bed. Ed had a date that night, a 21-year old he had met via Connexion; they twice had sex already, and this was their first real date. The 21-yr old had never been to Bed, and was scared yet excited to go there for the first time. Me? I was playing fairy godmother to Ed while trying to act more than just a glorified driver for the two. Thank goodness we were supposed to meet other friends in Bed, so I didn’t have to feel like a third wheel the whole time.
While on the road, I received a text message from an unidentified number. The message read: “Hi, this is Bernz. Are you anywhere near Malate tonight?”
Gasp. I had emailed him before, giving him my number so that he can text me the next time he was in Malate. This is it, I said to myself. This is really is it!
When we got to Bed, we immediately went inside. Apparently Mr. 21 Years Old has to leave by around 3am so that he can be at home before his dad wakes up, or else. Gosh, at may curfew pa ang date ni Ed! Ampootah! Inside I texted Bernz: “Where are you?” He replied that they were still outside Komiks Bar because it was still too early for them. So I excused myself from Ed and 21—they didn’t mind me leaving them there—and went outside.
The first person I saw was Imogen; he was with two other guys. Eenie meenie minee moe, which one of them is the fairest blogger of them all? Then one of them noticed me and said: “Ahhh. McVie.” He then stretched both arms in welcome.
Bingo!
In the interest of preserving the online anonymity of Badinggerzie, I will not describe him in detail here. Let me just tell you some of my impressions upon meeting him.
First, I had a mental image of someone a little bigger and bulkier, someone who can physically go head-to-head with my mental image of Varsity Captain. Eh my mental image of VC is Chris Evans, the Human Torch himself in the movie Fantastic Four. Instead the person who greeted me was shorter than I expected, and more svelte than I thought. Also he had an aura about him, an unflappable casualness that can easily mask any inner turmoil that we’ve been privy to in his blog.
When he started talking, I realized why VC and Boy Next Door can easily fall for his charms. He fixes you with a penetrating stare—a very Scorpio trait, if you ask me, since most Scorpios I know have that—like his full attention was on you and you alone. And when he talks, it’s as if he dips his words in honey before speaking. No wonder he’s in events—he has to charm not just clients but also talents, celebrities and other creative people involved.
I also got to meet the other cast of characters in his blog, his circle of friends, including his “young Padawan learner.” They all look so young, like fresh-out-of-college young. Either that or I really am old. I felt like a grand mama beside them. After a while I had to leave them because I had to go back to Ed and 21. After several minutes they followed.
Seeing their group huddled together on the dance floor, ogling the go-go boys gyrating half-naked on the ledge, I couldn’t help but remember back during my time when my friends and I would all troop to Malate and have dinner in Penguin, then have drinks and dance the Macarena in Zoo Bar, before trooping at midnight to Giraffe Bar in Makati and dance the Macarena on top of the sofas and tables. Those were heady times, less cynical times. I’m sure they’re not as innocent as we were during our Giraffe days, but I’d like to think that they are still full of hope, that maybe Malate can offer them something more than just an escape from the doldrums of life. Maybe one night they will meet their Prince Charming, their Knight in Shining Armor who can take them all away from this place.
Or maybe I’m just overly-romanticizing the moment. But the image I have of them that night is the one just before I said my farewells—they were on the opposite ledge, dancing the night away while hooting at the sexy go-go boys. Bernz had tossed his head back, his arms raised, like he had not a care in the world. It was a picture of bliss.
Actually it was really like this: Badinggerzie meets Imogen, then McVie meets the two who were chatting outside Komiks Bar in Malate.
Rewind to a few hours earlier: I had finished my work in the office (after waiting for several hours and making that song title list in the previous episode) and was just waiting for my officemate and friend—let’s call him Ed—to finish so that we can both go to Bed. Ed had a date that night, a 21-year old he had met via Connexion; they twice had sex already, and this was their first real date. The 21-yr old had never been to Bed, and was scared yet excited to go there for the first time. Me? I was playing fairy godmother to Ed while trying to act more than just a glorified driver for the two. Thank goodness we were supposed to meet other friends in Bed, so I didn’t have to feel like a third wheel the whole time.
While on the road, I received a text message from an unidentified number. The message read: “Hi, this is Bernz. Are you anywhere near Malate tonight?”
Gasp. I had emailed him before, giving him my number so that he can text me the next time he was in Malate. This is it, I said to myself. This is really is it!
When we got to Bed, we immediately went inside. Apparently Mr. 21 Years Old has to leave by around 3am so that he can be at home before his dad wakes up, or else. Gosh, at may curfew pa ang date ni Ed! Ampootah! Inside I texted Bernz: “Where are you?” He replied that they were still outside Komiks Bar because it was still too early for them. So I excused myself from Ed and 21—they didn’t mind me leaving them there—and went outside.
The first person I saw was Imogen; he was with two other guys. Eenie meenie minee moe, which one of them is the fairest blogger of them all? Then one of them noticed me and said: “Ahhh. McVie.” He then stretched both arms in welcome.
Bingo!
In the interest of preserving the online anonymity of Badinggerzie, I will not describe him in detail here. Let me just tell you some of my impressions upon meeting him.
First, I had a mental image of someone a little bigger and bulkier, someone who can physically go head-to-head with my mental image of Varsity Captain. Eh my mental image of VC is Chris Evans, the Human Torch himself in the movie Fantastic Four. Instead the person who greeted me was shorter than I expected, and more svelte than I thought. Also he had an aura about him, an unflappable casualness that can easily mask any inner turmoil that we’ve been privy to in his blog.
When he started talking, I realized why VC and Boy Next Door can easily fall for his charms. He fixes you with a penetrating stare—a very Scorpio trait, if you ask me, since most Scorpios I know have that—like his full attention was on you and you alone. And when he talks, it’s as if he dips his words in honey before speaking. No wonder he’s in events—he has to charm not just clients but also talents, celebrities and other creative people involved.
I also got to meet the other cast of characters in his blog, his circle of friends, including his “young Padawan learner.” They all look so young, like fresh-out-of-college young. Either that or I really am old. I felt like a grand mama beside them. After a while I had to leave them because I had to go back to Ed and 21. After several minutes they followed.
Seeing their group huddled together on the dance floor, ogling the go-go boys gyrating half-naked on the ledge, I couldn’t help but remember back during my time when my friends and I would all troop to Malate and have dinner in Penguin, then have drinks and dance the Macarena in Zoo Bar, before trooping at midnight to Giraffe Bar in Makati and dance the Macarena on top of the sofas and tables. Those were heady times, less cynical times. I’m sure they’re not as innocent as we were during our Giraffe days, but I’d like to think that they are still full of hope, that maybe Malate can offer them something more than just an escape from the doldrums of life. Maybe one night they will meet their Prince Charming, their Knight in Shining Armor who can take them all away from this place.
Or maybe I’m just overly-romanticizing the moment. But the image I have of them that night is the one just before I said my farewells—they were on the opposite ledge, dancing the night away while hooting at the sexy go-go boys. Bernz had tossed his head back, his arms raised, like he had not a care in the world. It was a picture of bliss.
posted by joelmcvie at 10:37 PM
1 Comments:
hahaha!
macarena..na-addict ako dun nung kabataan ko.
exam week will be finished in another week.
lalu akong na-excite sa post mo, si bernz ay nakakausap ko lang sa kanyang chat box, he seems nice, no he's nice. :)
can't wait to meet you guys.
patience..more patience. :)
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