take this as my last entry for 08

10:27pm.
december 31, 2008.
visayas ave.
the whole avenue calmly swallows the noise from speeding vehicles, shouts from passers-by, and poppings from fire crackers.

house.
sala.

light emanates either from the christmas tree, the garage, this laptop, or the altar in the corridor. everything else is left in shadow.
the maid has retired to her quarters and will come back some time before midnight.
mi abuela, sitted on the sofa, is trying to look for something in her bag. the 3 dogs are trying to sleep near the sofa.
the laptop is playing Aerosmith's Dream On. repeatedly.

for some reason, i am not interested on the top songs that will be played on the radio's yearend countdown. nor the top news stories of the passing year. that's why neither TV nor radio is turned on. i'm contented listening to Aerosmith, hearing the noise of firecrackers outside, capturing some light from the christmas tree, monitoring mi abuela, and standing up every now and then to check up on the dogs.

not many people in the house. my mom's not here. she's in bulacan. watching over the dogs there. my sister's having dinner with her boyfriend. my brother's back in novaliches with his family. my younger sister's on duty. my dad's outside. here, it's just me and mi abuela with some special participation from aerosmith as their music is filling the darkness.

i temporarily stop typing as mi abuela asks assistance to stand up so she can go to the bathroom.

outside, the rain continues to fall.

i check my character's status in mob wars. Energy: 16/18. in less than 7 minutes, my character will be able to rob another liquor store. more points.

...The past is gone

It goes by,

like dusk to dawn

Isn't that the way...

i check on mi abuela. still in the bathroom.

...I know nobody knows

where it comes

and where it goes

I know it's everybody's sin

You got to lose to know how to win...

i turn to read an online article, Forecast for Horse of 2008. last year's forecast for my chinese sign. says avoid hospitals, take caution of your health. funny. was confined in one this year. for a month. surgical reasons.

...Lived and learned

from fools and from sages..

mob wars. Energy: 18/18. i do another liquor robbery. unexpectedly, my cash reaches more than USD20k. enough to buy a Crown Vic for drug deals. decisions. i choose not to spend yet and gather cash robbing liquor stores.

..You know it's true
All the things come back to you..

forecast 2008..horse worst luck in the 12 Chinese zodiac signs in the year of Rat. career turns worse...big mistakes for the year. yeah..guess, this meant when i resigned. then i took it back. bad move that one. horse romance, horse won't roll his hoop in love area. guess, this is referring to that 2 year infatuation that ended badly. as you are unlucky in 2008..so it's called unlucky when you're given the combo, an ugly serving of health, a bad slice of career, and a chunk of bad romantic life.

..sing with me, sing for the year..

no wonder i find contentment. under the christmas lights, in the dark, listening to Aerosmith, and just taking in all the noise from the neighbors' firecrackers.
i think im seeing a new year ahead. not as lousy as this one but better. the hair on the back of my neck starts to stand on its end. my phone vibrates. a name appears. i read the text message...and smile.

like the gorilla mum once said, things can only get better.

.. sing for the laughter,

sing for the tear..

my dad comes in. says he'll go to the nearby 7-11 store.
mob wars. Energy:12/18. i do another liquor robbery before heading out to take a video of the neighbors' fireworks.
11:29pm.

..sing with me,
if it's just for today
Dream On Dream On Dream On

Dream until your dreams come true

Dream On Dream On Dream On

Dream until your dream comes through

Dream On Dream On Dream On..