The Archie Wedding Review (with Photos)

For almost 70+ years famous comic book character Archie Andrews of Riverdale, U.S.A. had to endure the trials and tribulations of an American teenager, like hanging out with his group of friends and going to school but most especially choosing who to date, the elegant and wealthy Veronica Lodge or the sweet girl-next-door Betty Cooper. Readers from all corners of the globe enjoyed the mishaps of this “average American teenager” but many really wanted to know: who will he choose to be his wife and have children with???

In 2009-2010 Michael Uslan (Executive Producer of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight movie) and longtime Archie penciller Stan Goldberg and inker Bob Smith gave the answer in the 6-part story entitled “The Archie Wedding: Will You Marry Me?”. The funny thing here is he chose both!!!

In the story, readers were treated to two realities where Archie chose Veronica and the other one where he chose Betty. It showed to the readers of the consequences from his pick, the effect it had from his friends to handling a pregnant wife and being a doting parent. The story made headlines through TV shows, comic book blogs and newspapers. It even made some violent reactions, even stating that he is bigamous because he gets treated to the best of both worlds. This wouldn’t happen if Archie chose to be a Muslim.

Either way, the story starts with Archie and the gang playing their last set in front of a crowd in their school as they prepare for college. Archie, being the sentimental fool, got a little worked up from leaving Highschool life and decides to take a walk outside to clear his mind. He stumbles upon the appropriately-named Memory Lane Street and made a decision to walk up Memory Lane Street instead of walking down. There he is faced with two dirt roads and walked to the left side.

After the walk readers were shocked to see that Archie is coming back from his stroll wearing a College jacket, seeing his parents a little aged and already psyched to graduate from College.

The Memory Lane Street became a big story element where deciding to leisurely walk the left or the right dirt road he is somehow “transported” to the future of either marrying Veronica or Betty. It was pretty far-fetched but what do you expect from an eternally young teenager who faced mad scientists in his youth and had an alter-ego superhero named Pureheart the Powerful?

The writing is pretty simple and straightforward, as it shows the pressure of preparations of a wedding and taking care of an expecting wife and the sacrifices a parent makes taking care of a child. Writer Michael Uslan delivered as well as artists Stan Goldberg and Bob Smith. Anyone who is familiar of the Archie series will feel right at home with the depiction of Archie and the gang. Although there were instances that the anatomy and facial features seemed…off. Like these for example:

But the most surprising awkwardness comes from a scene after the Archie-Veronica wedding and at the reception:

Yeah, I know, right?

Either way, it never really hindered the storytelling and there were a lot of visual treat shown in the series, like this:

Older Veronica kinda looks like pop singer Katy Perry, right? Sadly, Betty looks exactly the same as she was along with the other part of the gang. I guess it’s only fitting for Veronica to look different because she can afford a makeover.

There is even this:

I can’t believe that Archie comics could get away with this. But it seemed appropriate, since they are already married. So cut them some slack.

Another visual treat is seeing Betty and Veronica being pregnant and wearing maternity suits. This is like the first time I’ve seen them like this in this state.

As usual with preparations for the wedding and the ceremony itself there are a lot of heartwarming and tear-jerking moments. The story wasn’t left out, as seen here:

This is another rare moment, because Archie fans know how much a bumbling idiot Archie is, especially around Veronica’s father Mr. Hiram Lodge. It was pretty moving.

But the greatest moments are from the “Archie marrying Betty” reality. It seemed that the writer heavily favors Betty than Veronica. In the “Veronica” timeline, there’s nothing much eventful on the story other than the wedding and them having kids. Archie seemed to have it easy getting a job since his father-in-law gave him one in his multi-million dollar company, like it was just handed to him in a silver platter. And we haven’t heard much from Betty ever since she moved to New York to work there and when she met with Veronica and she told her news to Betty that she’s having kids and wanted her to be a Godmother.

With the “Betty” reality we are shown the hardships of Archie finding a job (mostly because during the time the story was written it was America’s recession period), going to New York to face the married life there, facing Betty’s top boss and other moments that changed them and their friends and loved ones forever. It’s definitely worth the read. Ask any storyteller/writer how to make a good story, make a lot of conflicts. More conflicts = Relatable characters = More interesting read. Some of them are:

Here we are shown how much Betty values Archie.

Then there is one part where after Archie proposed to Betty in their hangout, The Chocklit Shoppe after their graduation, Veronica was furious and marched out. A few days after Betty went to Veronica’s mansion and asked her to be her Maid-of-Honor. When she vocally declined this happened:

It was something special.

And also when the gang found out that Reggie proposed to Veronica and she accepted:

And after Veronica and Reggie got married in Las Vegas, Archie and Betty received some news from the newlyweds. Archie gave out one of the best lines ever in the whole storyline:

It’s a known fact that Veronica is extremely wealthy while Betty is slightly insufficient on money. But I never really thought they’d be this poor:

I guess it never hurts to have a little money (or in this case, a LOT of money) in times like these. However they made the Betty-Archie wedding so meager it almost seemed like a gag.

Another startling development in the book is Archie here is less of clumsy teenager, hinting at a little bit of maturity. But as usual, we are treated with the slapstick “Archie (Bad) Luck” on the labor of Betty and Veronica (after all, couples panic when they are already in labor.). Just so everything is right with the universe.

There is also a part on each “reality” where Archie confronts the “not-my-bride” and explains to her why she didn’t pick her. With Veronica it seemed a good excuse.

With Betty, well…

It’s almost the equivalent of a “OOOHHHHHHH… BUUURRRRNNNN!!!!”

There is one scene in the “Betty reality” that makes you think twice about Archie’s decision:

They were interrupted and their friends egged them to play despite without practice. Someone threw food at them just for fun and a food fight ensued. After the food fight stopped and the gang helped clean the place up Archie got back to Veronica and:

After this Archie talked to Betty over chocolate malt and then proposed to Betty. One would think that Archie saying “Uh…No need” is really Archie supposed to propose to Veronica but “settled” for Betty instead. Just a little observation.

But all in all, the storyline is a treat. It was something that fans wanted to see for a long, long, long time, even if it a sort of a “fantasy” story. It, as the writer said in the afterword of the graphic novel, “reawaken the interest of people of all ages and cultures to their heartfelt interest in and love for these characters…[we were swamped] with letters telling us that parents and children were reading the [story] together.” It’s worth a read, more so with the release of a spin-off Archie series that explored more the married life of each “reality”. So if ever you are a young kid who wanted to see how a wedding works out, as well as having kids, look no further than America’s favorite freckle-faced, carrot-top teenager to show you.

all photos copyright Archie comics

Rockin' Valentine: An Estrogen Valentine Concert Observation

February 14. The date is very well-known to people all over the world as it is the day that we celebrate Valentine's day, a celebration of love to a family member, girlfriend, boyfriend or your wife/husband. While some go to great lengths and cash to find a perfect venue for their Valentine date, others just settle for something different. Something...alternative.

This is what I experienced when I attended a Valentine Concert entitled "An Estrogen Valentine" at B-Side at the Collective in Malugay Street, Makati City last February 14. It was produced by my cousin who manages a music studio in Canada and an OPM advocate. The name of the event suggests that it is mostly women performing in front of a crowd. And it is not far from the truth.

I attended the place at a suited time, with my date in tow. She was opting for a Ogie Alcasid-Regine Velasquez concert at Smart Araneta Coliseum but I promised a long time ago that I'd support my cousin's concert. Besides, it was pretty close to where I'm residing. It was my first time to go to The Collective, so I really don't know what to expect. Turns out that it is almost what the name of the place implies: a place for a select group of people like rockers, skaters, art aficionados, food connoisseurs and music critics. There are stores that sell foreign food, skateboards, art toys and bars. The place is at B-Side, a bar as well. The ticket price is 200php/person, with a special rate of 300php for couples. There are 2 free beers per ticket and a free copy of December 2011 Esquire Magazine, with TV5 President Manny Pangilinan on the cover. The event was pretty big and had tables and chairs. The makeshift stage had the large amps installed along with party lights hanging from above. It also has some LED lights and a smoke machine placed on the stage for some effects to the music experience. Trippy. There are some air conditioners as well since it was outside the actual bar but there are places that the air conditioner doesn't reach, which is where we are at. It was a little humid but it can be tolerated. The place was dim but not dark. We were near the stage but we were facing the left side of the performers.

As usual with Filipinos, there is the notorious "Filipino Time" so the event started at least 3 hours late of the set time. But we could also attribute to the large traffic since it is February 14. Dylan of JACK TV's The PEEP show and UN radio DJ fame hosted along with a tall, foreign guy that I have no idea who he is. Sorry, guy.. The first performers were Flying Ipis. They're an all-girl band that plays indie-punk music. This is my first time to listen to the band but they're featured in FHM but I wasn't able to follow what they're playing. They're pretty loud, or that's one of the disadvantages of live music. The vocalist was going around in circles while singing, so their band name really applies to her. You almost want to swat her with a slipper. Their last song started with the vocalist screaming using a megaphone. It was a pretty good touch.

A filler singer-rapper came next, Urban Hope of Fliptop fame. He was the one who was supposed to play first but was late. He's disabled so he's on a wheelchair. But that didn't stop him from rapping about peace and the "hard life". He also sang the late Francis M's masterpiece, "Kaleidoscope World" to which the crowd sang to, especially the chorus part. He also invited some street kids that would be on Kitchie Nadal's act later on to sing with him, and the 2 kids were very talented.

Next on the act was Turbo Goth, a 2-member couple band that plays techno-pop-goth. The vocalist is a very statuesque female who models. The guy is the one who supplies the sounds through his guitar, tambourine and a synthesizer as well as entertainment in the form of him gyrating a lot and jumping all over the place. I kept on shouting after every song that he should be sedated. They were pretty good , they made a very explosive start. Their music is not that loud like the first band, but as usual I can't follow their songs except for their cover of "Bizarre Love Triangle". In the end they asked a friend in the audience to play along with them and if I didn't know better, they'd almost want to thrash the stage if not for the sake of other bands performing after them.

After some "parlor games" were done to give time for the band to sound-check their equipment and also to promote the event's sponsors, Imago was up. My girlfriend and I was really waiting for them to play because at least we can follow what they are playing. I was a little surprised that the vocalist was pretty small in person. But it was never a hindrance, just an observation. I'm glad that after all these years the band is still together with the original members still intact. Everybody in the crowd sang to their hits "Sundo" and "Akap". It was a good set.

Next came Kitchie Nadal. It has been a while since she moved to Canada, and she looked more girly than before, with leggings, a yellow sequined sleeveless top and a purple scarf. She played her new songs first, where I've noticed that it is more political than her previous songs about love and relationships. She also collaborated with some street kids who rapped and beat-boxed along with Kitchie's chords. She played a lot of songs, more than the previous band's, which also includes her old-time favorites "Wag na Wag mong Sasabihin" and "Same Ground".

Next up is a new band called Junior Oca Experience. It's like they're a filler band but they really delivered. They're the best example of a band playing live music. They're loud but audible. The vocalist sings very clearly. But they played almost for 30 minutes with 2 songs ("Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo" and "Englishman in New York") and 1 instrumental. Why that few? Because they played too long, with their saxophone, drums, bass guitar, lead guitar solos. There was even a part where the drummer went to the microphone and did some beatboxing as well as the vocalist using a voice synthesizer and imitating some guitar chords. It was entertaining and you get your money's worth but it was too darn long. I joked that if they would make a full-length album it would take 2 and a half hours to finish. And after they finished their set you would think twice about asking for an encore.

Finally Up Dharma Down performed in front of the crowd, and you could see that they are the ones that the people are waiting for. They got excited, and clamored to be in the nearest place to look and hear the band. The vocalist had a new hairdo and performed well, although most of the songs on the set are new to me. I only know one song from their set and it's the song "Oo". What I noticed is their sound requires a lot of sound-distortion technology. You'd see the guitarist step on the foot pedal that controls what sound his guitar is making numerous times. I humorously thought that when he stepped on one pedal his car would drive by itself. At near of the end of the set the vocalist urged the audiences to get really close to them. I guess she'd want their fans to get a good picture/video of them to show to their friends. She was very hospitable. In the end they looped a soundbyte that gave a surprising exit of the stage.

The show ended at 3am. It was tiring but the show was a success and made me renew my interest in OPM. It just goes to show that Valentine dates don't need to be really expensive as long as it makes you spend time with each other and learn a thing or two from your partner. Like girl empowerment. And knowing the meaning of the word "Estrogen".

-"the king"

P.S. I kid, I know what estrogen means.

all photos copyright 2012 Mari Arquiza

Rants Galore

- It has been a while since I've ranted on this blog. I had to sacrifice that so I could tell my story on the many, many women that I've caroused before. And now that it is done ( plus a "reaction paper" of sorts to those who have reacted ) I feel like I want to set fire to a building.

- I want to say a lot, I just don't know where to start.

- Heck, there are some things I want to say that are pretty political. Well, here goes:

- I think people joining the marathon as a way to "save the environment" is a big baloney. For one, the money that you pay mostly goes to the drinks that they would give to the thirsty runners, those numbers that you place on your body, prize giveaways, the rent of the road, the security to avoid having runners being run over by motorists and the goodie bags ( I remember a conversation one time that there was this one guy that joined a marathon just to get the giveaways like the tote bag and lanyard and didn't finish it ). So only 20% of your money goes to the environment. Sure, you could think about the sponsors and the government shelling out cash just for promotion and a humanitarian effort, but I still think they'd get money from the registration fee. So for me, run just to meet new people and to melt some few pounds.

- Because of the popularity of social networks, I find it quite irritating that there people complaining of an "invasion of privacy". PLEASE. There are "apps" on Facebook, for example, that tells your friends of where you are at that exact moment. So the "invasion of privacy" skit? You're creating your own ways of invading your privacy.

- Every time I go to the grocery, I'm quite impressed by the huge number of foods available, ranging from fresh produce to processed foods. So it is pretty impossible that there are lots of hungry people out there. We people of the world are just greedy, that's all.

- I also notice that the ratio of trees to buildings in a cityscape is 2:15. That's why there is that "global warming" thing. A lot of architects, engineers and the CEOs of those buildings can sacrifice a little space just for those trees to grow more. Sure there are still some that growing out of a condominium, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH.

- No matter how smart you are in this world, it's quite sad that men judge women by their cup sizes.

- Because of the humor website 9gag, many people all over the 'net would say juvenile things like "BITCH PLEASE", "stupid lvl over 9000" , "thank you captain obvious", etc. etc. Man, where is the substance?

- Die-hard toy collectors still look "single-by-fate", balding, fat and nerdy. When will that stereotype end?

- oh yeah, i'm back...

- "the king"

The Torpe Road Aftermath

It has been less than 3 weeks since I’ve finished my “The Torpe Road” series and I was glad it was over. Looking at my track record of making something, I have the tendency na hindi tapusin yung nasimulan ko. With that said, I was really happy to tell my story to the world and all the reactions I have gotten. There were times na nagugulat ako sa sarili ko at kaya kong magsulat ng isang passionate na blog post. Here are some of the quotes that I received from those who have read it:

“Ayos tong story mo man. I actually read the whole thing”

“nice blog dude”

“nice one”

“detalyado masyado nakalagay”

“thanks for the memories (teary eyed) hahaha...”

“nabasa ko blog mo. Maganda…”

“im now a fan…”

“ayos yung blog mo na the Torpe Road a”

“ok naman nakakarelate ...dapat sayo mag DJ kanalang pare se

ryoso“

“naalala ko ata lahat yan lol”

“kinda maganda”

“damn it! where is the like button? *fist bump

And of course I would get this:

“masyadong mahaba”

Lazy cretins.

One of most thought-provoking reactions that I got is from a friend on the office. She said that I seemed pretty proud for telling my story sa mga niligawan ko, that I seemed to embrace my failures and that the “The Torpe Road Series” exposed my personality more. Hey, without knowing your failures and learning from it, you wouldn’t get far. Hats off to her.

Anyway, what surprised me is I received violent reactions from the people I have written about 9 months after I have posted my story. At sila pa yung di ko ine-expect na magre-react (in fact, I was just expecting one). Alam ko naman na me mag-rereact, di ko lang inasahan na ganito katagal. Just shows how today’s generation got lazy and would prefer to watch the movie adaptation instead of reading the actual novel. That, and also walang magbabasa ng blog mo kung di mo binanggit ang isang kakilala mo, na ikwekwento ng kakilala nya, and so on and so forth.And the reactions from these people that they’ve posted are something else. I read them and kita mo na me pinaghuhugutan, na she didn’t like me ever since. And the other one misinterpreted my story on her. Kids today. Sheesh.

I felt it is proper to make a post on my blog to have my say on what they’ve said to me, ‘coz some of them are sorta low-blow. So what I’ll do is show to you people what they’ve said, and then explain more clearly my opinion and what they should understood…

Read this post first here, then get back here...

“For the record, kaya hindi ako nagpaligaw sayo kasi obvious ang desperation mong mgka-gf! My Gad! Sa sobrang desperate, pumasok ka sa callcenter kasi alam mo na dun madami chicks, madaming bading, konti lalaki. may 90% chance ka talaga mgka-gf dun! Yakang-yaka naman ang [my name]. Wag mag-feeling! (uunahan ko na, hindi ko nilalahat ang callcenter, karamihan lang!)“

See? Talagang me pinaghuhugutan. While she may be true that I was kinda desperate sa pagliligaw sa kanya, my reasons for working in a call center is because I want to get a high-paying job. To quote myself, “I know na medyo malayo sya sa pinag-aralan ko, pero one thing led to another. Besides, I don’t want to be that one guy na 8 buwan na naghahanap ng trabaho na related sa work nya at wala pa ring mahanap, or yung nakahanap nga ng ganung trabaho pero nasa isang environment na paulit-ulit ang tinutugtog na pambatang kanta at walang water dispenser sa pinagta-trabahuhan nila. Believe me, I know some people.” I never knew that the ratio of man to woman is 1:4 not until I was already there.

And by the way, hayop sa english skills ah! very..hmm..artistic? Sa uste mo natutunan?

Back then I was already well-versed in writing and speaking in English. I’ve already been writing blogs in Friendster. And hey, this is art in itself. Art is not limited to just painting strokes on a canvas. Art is, as defined by Merriam-Webster, “skill acquired by experience, study or observation”. A skater doing backflips, a speaker having his stand on pollution and writing a fictitious story is an art form in itself.

Read this post first here, and then get back here…

you do need a permission to use other peoples picture or they can sue you... (so think)

While this can be done, it just would look silly asking for permission to get a photo and that person asking you why, and then telling that person why. It would just complicate things. Di syapractical. It was a calculated risk. And besides, madaming mga Facebook fan page na kumukuha ng photos sa ibang tao, dapat ma-sara na sila kung ganun.

and people who think so low about teaching? what do you know? ...pati profession ko as a teacher tinira mo? ndi kana masaya sa mga pinagsusulat mo, matira mo lng ang isang tao dahil napaka bitter mo, yes we couldn't get that high salary they are paying in your field, but we meet and share life and grow together, I earn respect, love and happiness.

Now I never made fun of her profession as a teacher, what I’ve said was, “she pursued her passion for the arts by becoming an Art teacher at her High School. She had a handful with the students because she is teaching First Year to Fourth Year sections. Siguro kulang sa pera yung Alumni nya to get more teachers.” Clearly I am questioning her Alumni’s budget to get more teachers, and not making fun of Teachers. It just wouldn’t be right because I was also taught by teachers, that’s why I can do Trigonometry and speak in a large group of people.

So there. I had my say, if ever they wouldn’t invite me to any reunions, I’ll respect their decision. But honestly, I could care less, I want to write more and explore the world…

In closing, a colleague comforted me by saying that we are shock artistes, we live for reactions.

- "the king"

The Torpe Road Conclusion

And here we are again, to end all that needs to be ended. It was fun while it lasted, despite my unpredictability to keep the story moving because of my failure to keep the gears on my brain working. I mean, sure, I could have just write all of it in 2-3 months, but it just wouldn’t be the same. Mawawala ang wit, ang humor and most especially, the passion (naks!) to tell the most wonderful story ever done since The Notebook by Nicholas Parks. Or maybe Hachiko: A Dog’s Story (kahit di ko pa napanuod yung either versions sa DVD.) Again, before we begin, I would like to extend my gratitude to all those who read, natawa and nakarelate sa mga sinulat ko. You made this Torpe guy happy. Mas matutuwa pa ko kung na-recommend nyo pa ito sa mga kakilala nyo. At kung sinabi na “ayoko, ang haba naman” you have my permission to maul him/her.

Now that is out of the way what I find interesting is I promised myself na isusulat ko lang yung mga experiences ko sa mga niligawan ko, at hindi sa mga girlfriend ko. Pero I felt like it just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t tell my story on them. And besides, I only had 2 girlfriends (I’m a late bloomer, really), so this will be short. I decided not to tell all since some are pretty intimate.Sa amin-amin na lang yung ibang detalye.

It was 2008. So there I was, being dumped again for the 8^th time by Singapore at work. I was so frustrated at the world that I just want to piss at it. No girl is giving a damn on me so I felt like I just want to concentrate on work, be with my friends and laugh at everything and just let a potential girl come to me. Ayoko na maghirap pa. Kung me magparamdam man o wala, okey lang sa akin, I’m having fun without a girlfriend. It seemed the most logical thing to do during that time.

Until I met this girl at our office. She will be named Cubao. Cubao is of average height, almost at 5’6, has long shiny black hair, a distinguishing mole at her upper lip and a morena. One attention-grabbing thing here is she works as a security guard in our office. Now before you all raise your eyebrows and say something demeaning like “pumatol ka sa guard?, Lola na ba yan???” or “bumaba na standards mo p’re” hear me out. For one, she is not your ordinary security guard. She was statuesque. In short, seksi nya. In fact, what attracted me

when I first saw her at the front of the glass door separating our production floor from the lobby is her hubog. She had curves on the right places.

She was new to the agency pero di ko sya napansin until mga few days ago. I remember when really I saw her I did a double take. Parang, “wow, guard ito???” What’s really amazing about me and men in particular is sasabihin mo na ayaw mo na umibig ulet, pero once na me nakita ka na natipuhan mo, gagaling agad ang puso mong nasaktan. Which is what happened to me. I would go in out of the doors more often and talk to her. I remember when she asked me what my name is I gave a fake one. I gave Armando, if I’m not mistaken.

Then one time after work it was still in the afternoon and I was already at home since malapit lang ako sa office I have decided out of the blue to get her number. I mustered enough courage and reviewed the tips given to me by my friends and when I stepped out of the elevator I saw her with a fellow male guard. She was playing with a rubber ball since mga ganung oras wala nang tao sa production floor at petix mode na lang. I asked for her number and she obliged. I texted her in the evening and dun na nagsimula lahat.

Sa mga sumusunod na araw me routine na ko: after work, tambay muna sa office para makipag-kwentuhan kay Cubao. Then after her shift nagte-text-an kami. I learned a lot about her dahil sa pag-tatambay ko. She finished College from Davao but one thing lead to another that’s why she took the job of a security guard, likes Hamonado and treats her hair with hot oil. What I also found out that surprised me is that we have a 7-year age gap. But honestly, it wasn’t a factor. Heck, di nga pansin sa itsura nya. We clicked and I felt na me tsansa ako sa kanya. I guess we have that feeling.

A month or two after that first meeting, I asked her the magic question during one time na hinatid ko sya pauwi. Kung tayo na ba. She said yes and I can’t remember what happened after but I feel like a million bucks. I was the happiest guy on the world during that time.

After 23 years of being single, I’m a boyfriend to someone.

News spread fast on the office. Some of my officemates gave me a “mental fist bump”, congratulating me on the effort that I did. She is a looker, after all. There is also the usual teasing, like “uuyyy, si [my name] binata na”, “makakapasok na si [my name] ng kahit ano sa loob ng production floor” and “pag-swipe ng scanner nya me kasama pang kiss”. But I didn’t mind. Kasama talaga yun pag me nalamang balita na me jowa ka.

Speaking of kiss, with Cubao it was the first time I had an “intimate” kiss. Torpe as I am, I was not a “dude with no kiss experience”. I had my first kiss with a gradeschool classmate. Then after that I had some run-ins with some “bars” but it wasn’t passionate. There was no emotion involved. With Cubao I got that. I remember during Highchool a classmate of mine said to me that kissing a girl is no different from kissing your own skin. He even demonstrated by kissing his hand. I guess he has his opinion (and besides, gwapo rin sya so I’m sure nakarami na yun ng babae) , but for me, iba pa rin eh.

We were able to go out and watch movies and shop around on malls, despite her tight schedule. I was even able to meet her older brother one time. What I like about her is regardless of the age gap, or the “November-December” affair, she can be easily amused. Natatawa sya agad sa mga jokes ko. And her maturity helps when we have arguments; we can never be mad with each other for more than a day. I guess you could say I found the girl I’ve been looking for, unconventional as it may seem.

But alas. Things started to get complicated for me to handle and kapal man ng mukha ko, I just don’t know what to do that time, I LET GO… As I’ve written on a blog post years ago “…accepted a terrible fate and moved on.” While I cannot expound much on what happened, let’s just say that I was placed in a situation where I had to make a choice and my decision made me break up with her. She got hurt and I was depressed during the next few days. I wasn’t able to move on properly so I still “became friends” with her in the strictest sense. Kinakamusta ko sya sa work, tine-text ko pa at kumain pa kame sa labas. I know it sounds pathetic, but I thought that I’d let her first find someone then stop pestering her.

This occurred for a couple of months but then something happened in a way where I saw how she can get angry that I decided not to talk or pansinin na sya. Maybe it’s just karma for what I did to her before or a method from the Heavens to stop me from dwelling on the past, but I had to toughen up and just throw my lovelife in disregard. I remember na pinatugtog ko yung kantang “The Last Time” by Eric Benet habang naghuhugas ako ng pinggan sa bahay. This time, I had enough. My only consolation is I was able to experience being a boyfriend and at least di ako mamatay na single since birth. Hey, some people are a lot Torpier than me.

And well, you know what happened after that if you’ve been following my “Road” series. Our team had a new agent, fresh from training. She will be named Fairview.

Fairview is of average height, almost at 5’4. She has long flowing black hair up to her upper arm, has a petite frame and a very distinguishing face. I only saw her when she was taking calls when I was just about to go my respective station. I thought that she’s an agent from another team who took up our space because there are no more available stations. I was introduced to her and several of my teammates by my Team Manager. When I saw her she looked cute and wanted to get to know her better. I was given that chance when my Team Manager made me sat next to her because she needed someone to help her with the concerns of the callers. What was really amusing about that time is I “broke the ice” with some corny jokes.

Me: May joke ako sa mayonnaise…

Fairview: Ano?

Me: Wag na, baka i-spread mo eh… Ito na lang, me joke ako sa dahon…

Fairview : Ano yun ?

Me: Wag na, green eh…

Really clichéd as it is, it helped me introduce myself to her despite the forced laugh from her. I learned from our talks between taking calls that this is her second job, likes 90’s Tagalog romance movies (Jolina-Marvin, Rico Yan-Claudine, John Lloyd-Bea etc.) and rates Sinigang na Baboy as her favorite food. Nagustuhan ko na sya nun since she’s very down-to-earth and very girly, something I look for in a girlfriend. The only problem is she has a boyfriend that is still working on her previous company. Pero sinabi nya na medyo nagkakalabuan na sila because of the “things men do”. I just thought that I should just be there for her when she really needs it, most especially those times. What’s really outstanding about my time with Fairview is that di ako humingi masyado ng payo sa mga kaibigan ko. Every joke, comfort and any manly thing I did to her, sariling kayod ko lang. You could say that my “teachers” (Bone Guy, Air Man 2 and Smooth Guy, see Part 7) taught me well.

I just waited patiently for the time when they would break up so I would seize the opportunity. That time did come and I presented myself in a different manner to her. We ate at some nearby restaurants after shift and I would accompany her to her ride home. It was that moment where my brain asked a question that has been bothering me ever since I found out that she’s single: “Pare, di ka ba mukhang rebound lang nyan?”

That’s when I asked some advice to my “teachers” and a few officemates and all of them gave me the same conclusion: “Wag mo na isipin yun masyado”, “Sa tingin mo papatulan nya lang yung unang nanligaw sa kanya after sya nakipag-break dun sa jowa nya???” “Di importante yun, pake nila???” I heeded their advice and I even asked her out to watch a movie and she said yes. It was that time at the mall that I got to know her better. I even presented to her my passion for collectibles in a toy store. She even learned my time with Cubao. What was really touching and showed that she also had interest in me is she bought me a toy that I’ve been looking at for some time during our date at the mall. I’ve been meaning to buy it but it’s a little expensive. That was very memorable and sweet.

A few days have gone by and eventually I became a little demanding and on the last few minutes of the shift I said to Fairview that our time together would be useless pag hindi pa naging tayo. She checked the clock on her telephone where she is taking calls and marked it as our official time as a couple. I was very, very proud of myself.

I saw in Fairview a very sweet woman, who makes little gestures that makes you feel loved. She also loves my jokes and my constant commentary sa lahat ng bagay na nakikita ko. While we do have our differences on music and movie choices, it was never an issue. And while we do have our ups and downs, they are not enough to bring our relationship to an end. We’ve been to places, celebrated birthdays, gone on countless dates, ate at a dozen restaurants, saw a lot of different kinds of movies, laughed together, met the potential in-laws, met each other’s friends, shared stories and so on and so forth.

I’d like to think that the UPs are what makes it worth it in a relationship, while the DOWNs are the ones that make us think if it really is worth it. So is she worth the journey that I’ve been through? Is she the diamond in the rough na matagal ko nang hinahanap? Is Fairview my “End of the Torpe Road?”

Ay pare, p*t*ng*na, oo…

In the strictest sense ,for now,

THE END.