ALL IN A GAY’S WORK

Simula pa nang pag-return-of-the-jedi kez from Aklan eh witchelles na nakapagpahinga ang shortawan ko. It's the last quarter at ang raket eh kaliwa't kanan at halos lumaylay na ang dila ko, mind you wala pang hadang involved.

One morning eh nasa office akez ng St. Francis Condos sa Shangri-La Edsa for a meeting. I will be directing their Christmas party dubbed as "Masquerade". For almost a week eh I’m supervising rehearsals of the staff’s performance on their big party. I hired 3 choreographers to do the production numbers.

Then, mega-call si Art, isa sa mga director ko. Talak niya sa 'ken, na witchelles daw siya makakaattend sa production meeting ng isang raket niya. Another Christmas party ito. This time it’s for Paseo Center. He asked me, kung pwede daw na ako ang mag-assist sa kanya, he'll pay me my rate. Chika ko naman keri lang. Ask akez kung kelan naman ang production meeting, chika niya that afternoon at 3.

From St. Francis office, direcho akez sa Via Mare sa Shang to have lunch with Kiara and Gerard. I asked Kiara to make gowns for the Masquerade party. At nag-fly-in pa talaga ang lola ko from Aklan.

Lunch was great and so as the married couple.

Tapos eh umisquierda na akez paatak ng MRT Shaw. WELCOME TO THE LIFE OF A CARLESS PERSON.

Pumila ng slight. Nakipagsiksikan ng slight then viola! Buendia station.

Then, super-buselyas paatak ng AYALA at bumaba ng Paseo de Roxas. Around 2:30, on my way to the production meeting eh I received a call from LOVE. Si LOVE eh isa sa mga modil na niraraket namen. At isa siyang AGTA. AGTA, meaning negris, negra, negrita, African/American/Filipina. But mind you, isa siya sa mga pinakamabyondang agtang na-meet kez in my entire gay life. Finalist siya for Best Models (MTV FASHIONISTA) 2003 with Victor Basa, Anthony Maden, Daryl Rose, etc.

Samahan ko raw siya na umatak sa rehearsals niya for Mild Seven. Witchelles daw niya learn kung paano umatak sa venue. So, witchelles naman akez maka-hindi. Chika kez, mag-meet ever kame sa Starbucks Insular ng 5:30

Then, walkathon paatak sa Paseo Center.

Pag-enter kez sa office eh halos kumpleto na ang lahat ng members ng committee for the Christmas Party. Pero parang witchelles nila inacknowledge ang presence ko.

Hanggang tumalak akez at the top of my lungs.

"Good afternoon, my name is Bernard Garcia. Art sent me here. I will be his assistant director for your event. Shall we start?"

Naloka ang lahat at napanganga. Wala silang choice kundi jumupo around the table para simulan ang meeting.

Talak. Talak. Talak. Migraine atak.

Bet nilang gawing "WESTERN" ang motiff ng Christmas Party nila.

Biglang jumosok sa jisip kez . . . Clint Eastwood . . . . . cowboys . . . . horses . . . . cactus . . . . . not my type of scene. However, I need to spill out some good ideas, no matter how I hate the concept. The clients will always decide. Anyway, ang consolation ko lang eh ang BOOTS ni Jessica Simpson ang magiging theme song ng party. Yoohoo!

After two hours of brain-storming, we came up with the whole program. We're set. I said goodbye and we will work on the script.

15 past 5 na. I have to meet Love at Starbucks by 5:30.

Love was there on time, with her usual kinky-sabog hair, it's a big hair, trust me. Think of Mariah Carey in Diva's Live, then she's in a HOT PINK blouse, it takes a lot of courage for a black girl to wear something like that, then a micro-mini maong-skirt with her killer stilletos, and mind you, it's HOT PINK den. Suddenly, I wanna borrow the shoes. Kelangan ko lang mag-jisip ng powerful na event para majuot kez ever ang shu'es.

Anyway, para na agad ng taxi and we headed to NBC Tent for MILD SEVEN rehearsals.

Oh Fuck! Suddenly, I remembered, I have to pick up KEN and MIKI from a Manila Bulletin Photo Shoot. Ken is a Half-Jap model, who possesses the best abs in the Philippines next to Marc Nelson. Meanwhile, Mikal is Norweigan, with a face that can launch a thousand ships full of gay people.

Wit ko na pinostcard ang rehearsals ni Love, at around 6:30, paatak na akez sa Richmond Hotel to pick up the two guys. I'm almost half-hour late.

When I got to them, they're exhausted like hell. At sobrang Tommy Hilfiger daw ang mga umbao so . . . I have to feed them.

From Richmond back where I came from, Shangri-La Mall. Lafang with two gorgeous guys. That night, I'm sure as hell that I'm the object of hate of most of the people in the restaurant, both gays and girls alike. Parang feeling kez eh eynimomentz eh may kutsilyo na lang na lumilipad at tatama sa likod ko. Masyado naman kasi akong maganda da 'vah? Eh ang sweet pa ng dalawang umbao na yon sa 'ken. Sorreeeeeee!!!!!

But honestly, working my ass off most of the time in the events and fashion industry working with godly-looking people . . . . . I'm already kinda immune. I'm already used in seeing gorgeous faces and hot naked bodies without having a boner or without going immediately to the restrooms to you know what I mean. And somewhat, my idea of beauty is going a notch higher day after day. That's why when I look in a mirror, I'll let out a breath and say, "God, I'm so fucking ugly."

But, as they say, we do not have to be obsessed with the superficial and we must look underneath the shell.

On the contrary, I'm a fag, being obsessed with beauty and youth is my god-given right.

Sabay get ng number ni Vicky Bello.

Echoz.

We finished eating and drinking a couple of beers at around 9. For the first time that day, I had a break. My next appointment is at 10.

And so, I thought.

Bigla namang shumorwag ang SM ko for Barney's. Kelangan daw eh umataksiva akez sa Araneta THAT INSTANT. HALLER!!! Okay lang siya. Feeling naman niya isa akong Sang-re na kering-kering magteleport. Chika ko na witchelles pa naman akez kelangan doonchie. Sa susunod na araw pa ang call time key hey hey hey. Pero ang chika niya eh super early-bird daw dumating ang mga Aussie Crew. Andon na sila.

Do I have a choice?

So, jiniwan ko na yung mga umbao, masakit man sa loob ko, para ng shoxiebelles at direcho sa Araneta.

45 minutes akey nag-byahe at super portugal ng shorpik ever sa EDSA. At ang pinakanakakalokang eksena eh pag-arrive kez sa Araneta eh POSTCARD na ang meeting ever. Ay! Bet ko talagang talakan ang SM ko but I am a professional. I held my composure, smiled and apologised for being late.

Keri lang daw.

With a smile on my face I turned my back, went out of Araneta, fetched another cab, for the nth time and went to San Miguel One for my next appointment.

I arrived 11pm. I'm an hour late. Thanks to Barney's shit.

I'm also doing the Christmas Party of SYKES, in PICC Forum. Sykes is a call center. So, super meeting na with the pips na kelangan kong I-meet. A week ago, we have already came up with a theme. It's the four elements, earth, fire, wind and water . . . . . . in short, Encantadia. So gay da 'vah?

Chinika ko ang final developments in my checklist, may mga giants, dwarfs, fairies, fire-breathing men and all sorts of circus freaks roaming around the venue while the party is on-going. I've shown them the set design, the performers. Na-close na namen ang deal with Rivermaya and Francis M. I assured them that this will not be a corporate party that will bore people to death but rather a god damned PAAAAARTY in its purest sense.

After that, it's all in a day's work.

But not entirely.

When I left Sykes, super walkathon muna akez, instead of getting a cab. I need a breath of fresh air, or what's left of it.

So, nakarating akez ng EDSA at super waitsung ng buselyas.

2:30 na at puro nyordinary ang buselyas. Eynimomentz da 'vah? Bombing on the loose.

At sa wakas, nakasightchinabelles akez ng aircon.

Nasa second to the last row akey hey hey hey. Super happy dahil sa wakas eh napostcard na ren ang araw kez, keri ko nang jumuwelya, at maborlog peacefully.

Meron akez na sina-sight sa bagelya ko nang mapansin ko na yung isang menchus eh super-sight sa 'ken.

Was he looking at me?

Then I glanced at him. He was indeed looking at me . . . . . vividly.

Shet, at bumalek ang paningin kez sa bag ko at nakalimutan ko na tuloy kung aneklavu ang hinahanap kez.

Kakaloka. Pag meron talagang mega-shitig sa iyez eh kakairita. Parang bet mong chikahin na lang na picturan ka na lang to get it over with.

At mega-sight akez another.

Bigla siyang tumango sa 'ken.

Naloka na naman akez another, back to the bag.

What's his problem? Honestly, witchelles naman siya mukhang hold-upper noh. He's wearing a blue polo and black slacks, black shoes. He's even carrying a pouch and if I'm not mistaken, it is a GIRBAUD.

Was he checking me out?

Sight akez another.

Shit. Now, I realized, he's not that bad at all. Think of Yul Servo with bigger and more round eyes. His hair extends just below his ears and down to his shoulders. His soft eyes is being contrasted by the roughness of his unshaved mustache and goatee.

At that time, I realized, I am also staring at him.

And he moved.

I observed the slow movement of his right hand as it landed on his thigh and moved it higher until it reached the lump on his pants. Then, sight uli akez sa fezlack niya. Tumango na naman siya, but this time, his mouth opened slightly and his tounge slithered on his upper lip.

I felt my heartbeat as if it moved up to my throat and I felt my body temperature moved a little higher. FEVERISH.

Nakatitig akez sa kanya. Nakatitig siya sa aken. Nagtatalakan ang mga mata namen.

Then, nag-standing-ovation siya at nag-transfer sa pinakadulong upuan sa likod kez.

Follow the leader naman daw akey hey hey hey!

What's a gay got to do?

We're sitting side by side. The back of a seat in front of us and the almost-sleeping EDSA rushing pass us.

I felt it like an electric bolt when his hands started to stroke my thigh until he felt that I have risen up for the occasion.

A gay's got to do what a gay's got to do.

He unbuttoned my jeans and put his hands inside by briefs. I couldn't help but to let out small gasps. And then, nafelt ko na lang na bigla niyang inalis ang kamay niya at tumingin sa labas.

Ano naman ang eksena nento?

A voice interrupted my line of thinking. Yung konduktor.

Dumukot akez ng coins, "AYALA".

Givesung niya yung ticket at umisquierda.

Tapos, humarap uli sa 'ken yung menchus. Looking at me straight in the eyes as he unzipped and pulled down my pants. Shit. I never thought that I'll get a blow-job on a bus.

Then, he went down.

There's no point of being intimate and slow, I thought, coz nasa Buendia na kame. At felt ko, na learn din niyang malapet na ko.

He went as fast as he can, I wanted to scream, but I just held it. Witchelles siya humihinto, witchelles na ren yata siya humihinga, his head bobbing in front of me. I felt every stroke, every beat until . . . . .

Ayan na . . . . Malapet na ako . . . . .

Malapet na malapet na . . . .

Heto na . . . .

Hayun na . . . . .

Right there and then, he didn't let go until it's all dry . . . . . he took it all in.

I pulled up my pants, looked out the window.

Perfect cue.

Heto na nga.

I grabbed my bag. Stood and yelled.

"Para."