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7.05.2005

Wake Up Call


Crash landed to bed Friday night, I was hoping for long, blissful hours of sleep. I had said goodnight to family and friends, dimmed the lights and lulled myself out of mental activity with Jewel's foolish games playing and replaying in my head.

I was a thread away from deep slumber, somewhere between being half awake and jumping off the cliff to neverland, when my cellphone started ringing. I would have ignored it but the fact that I live apart from my dad and kid brother prompted me to think that it might be an emergency.

Groggily, and without even bothering to open my eyes, I picked up the call. I felt the color drain off my face when I heard the voice on the other line. This must be how Ebeneezer Scrooge felt like when he was visited by the ghost of christmas past. My pulse raced and my heart thumped inside my ribcage. How did you find me? After five long months, why bother to look for me?

Flashback to the days when sun cellular's 24/7 still worked.

Regardless of how late I turned in the previous night, I would promptly give you your six a.m. wake up call. Deep sleeper that you are, it would normally take me 30 minutes to an hour to rouse you from sleep. This daily ritual equalled to bonding time and bedroom talk rolled into one.

Given your unpredictable schedule and field assignments, its impossible to tell when the next text message or phone call would be. These wake up calls are our only time to talk about everything-- plan the next date, bitch about work, laugh at crazy stories as the faint morning sunlight streamed through my window.

No, we never exchanged I love you's at the end of every conversation. You weren't the lovey-dovey type, you would always tell me, just like you weren't one who believed in exclusivity and commitment. What were we then? Very good friends who treated each other really well, you said. In other words, Friends with Benefits.

(This meant you were free to play the field and at the same time act like an ogre whenever a guy showed the slightest hint of interest in me. Remember that one you were sorely jealous about? I hate to break it to you mahal, but he's gay and was always laughing behind your back for being so obviously miffed at him.)

Wake up call after wake up call was made and concluded. Several months after I felt this freedom in the form of tears stinging my eyes. Mr.-No-Commitment, the elusive bachelor, was finally tied down, but not to me. That was the end of the conversation. I had just become a dropped call.

Flashforward to 11 pm Friday night.

For the life of me I could not understand why you went to great lengths to look for my new number. Why you were suddenly so concerned that you have disturbed my peaceful sleep and robbed me off precious rest.

"Sorry for the wake up call, I just wanted to see how you've been".

Oh, so you and girl are now an uncouple. Is there no one to wake you up at six tomorrow?

"Yes I'm doing well, thanks for the call. But it's late, I'm afraid I would have to let you go now. Oh, no it's okay, you didn't wake me up."

Click.

I didn't lie. You can't wake up someone who's no longer dreaming.

allvoices

2 comments:

jheric said...

ang angas... palaban ang anghel...

Stephie Cruz said...

kapag natauhan na, nagiging matapang na ata. hehe