Chapter 10 - Deep and Shallow

Andie already enrolled for an NPTE review in some review center at Morayta. She had another set of classmates in the interim. On the first day of classes, she sat at the back beside a lady of her age who will be taking the stateboard as well. She introduced herself to the lady then became her buddy. They would hang out after class just strolling along the street of Morayta where they saw bulks of pirated CDs being sold everywhere.

“This is a good record,” she said after checking the back cover for the titles.

She was hesitant to buy the CD coz she only has enough money for her fare back home.

“Have you found one, Charie?” she asked her new classmate.

“No, I’m just checking a new music. I have hundreds of mp3’s in my computer already,” she stated.

“Really?” “Did you buy all those?”

“No, I downloaded them from the internet.”

“Wow!” all she could say.

“If you want I can give you a copy, I’ll just have to write it in a disc.”

“Write? How’re you going to do that?” she was curious.

She was not inclined to the emerging technology that time. She only knows how to turn on and off the computer, open the word doc, save and delete files and that was it.

“I have this CD writer in my computer, I just have to save the selected mp3’s in one folder then I use real player to play and save the music to the disc, in less than 10 minutes I already have your CD,” she excitedly told her.

“Wow really? “So are you gonna give me some sample?” she was smiling.

“Sure, I’ll bring it tomorrow…so see you!”

(we don’t encourage piracy!)

They both went home. Josh and Andie already set another schedule. She told Josh not to pick her up from the new review center as there’s no parking lot available for the guests. They don’t meet as often as they used to but when they see each other, it was really evident that Josh was thrilled to see her. It was never a bother to Andie if she doesn’t see him. She would only text him if she feels like doing, which really upsets Josh. She thinks that’s how friends are supposed to be.

One afternoon after their class, Andie texted Josh to meet her in Robinson’s Galleria. He was very excited about it.

“Hey I have something for you,” she told him while inside Sbarro.

“What?”

“I’ll give it to you later.”

They were on their way to EDSA when Josh remembered her gift to him.

“What do you have for me?” he grinned.

“Yeah I forgot,” she was searching from her bag.

“Here,” she excitedly passed him the CD.

“Hey thanks!”

“I remember I haven’t given you any gift since. It’s not that expensive though.”

“It’s fine,” he said.

“Okay, play the CD!” she was excited.

Josh slid the disc on the deck then pushed the play button. He waited till the first track starts.

Oh Baby, I by Eternal was first played and Josh was surprised. He was laughing actually. He wasn’t expecting the songs would be so mushy.

“What?!” she eyed him.

“Nothing!”

It was already on the sixth track when Josh laughed harder. He can’t believe he was playing a Tagalog love song.

“Hey, what’s funny?” “I think that Torete song was cute, so stop laughing!” she was embarrassed.

“Okay I’ll stop,” he said but still grinning. He couldn’t help himself but felt it was irritating her more, so he stopped.

“I didn’t know you were that sentimental!” he was teasing her further.

“Forget about that CD, just keep it if you don’t like it,” she was serious.

“Come on I was just kidding! I think the songs were nice,” he was smiling.
At red light, Josh read all the titles and discovered the songs were very pop.



“Hmmpt…be sure to keep that!” she told him.

“Of course, that’s a gift from you!” he was still smirking.

****

“tnx 4 the pizza
& the ride,
tc on ur way home!” Andie texted after dropping her home that night.

“tnx 4 the CD
hehehe,” he texted back.

****

“Hey what happened, did he like the CD?” Charie asked as she sat down beside her for their first class.

“I’m not sure!” she replied in a worried tone.

“What do you mean you’re not sure?” she was curious.

“He said the songs were too mushy.”

“Really? “Those were the best songs I have,” Charie replied.

“Don’t mind it, they’re just songs, and the guy was too shallow!” Andie told her then they both laugh.

“By the way, when do you plan to take the stateboard exam?” Andie asked her.

“In a month, I need to check the Prometric for my schedule first.” “What about you?”

(Prometric* is a body who schedules the stateboard exam with the date of your choice within the eligibility period).

“Still undecided,” Andie replied.

“Why?”

“I haven’t received my Eligibility Letter yet.”

(Eligibility Letter is sent by the state jurisdiction to the applicant stating that the examiners are qualified to take the stateboard exam after the Credentialing Commission verified their college credentials.)

“I called the FCCPT last month and they said I have a deficient 1 unit in my Statistics, you know how bad it goes?” she told Charie.

(FCCPT** is the Credentialing Commission)

“What did you do?” Charie was surprised.

“I told them I’ll fix it before they junk my credentials, good thing my co-intern from other school offered to help me, and said they’ll take care of that subject.”

“I wonder what happened to it,” she was hesitant.

“You only have 60 days for your stateboard completion so you better hurry,” Andie reminded her.

“Yeah, but if you can catch up I’ll wait for you,” Charie told her.

“Charie, you better move, don’t keep your future waiting.”

“It’s okay, I don’t like to work abroad anyway,” she was definite.

“Really? If you ask me, if only I can swim through the oceans of US, I’ll do it just to work there as soon as possible,” she was smiling when she realized she doesn’t know how to swim. Josh’s picture while teaching her to swim suddenly appeared on her mind.

“You know I envy you for that. I can see how eager you are in working overseas that’s why I’m motivated,” Charie told her.

“We need to work on this really hard so we can see each other in the US soon,” Andie chuckles.

“Yeah, and I really missed smoking in the busy streets of Houston,” she grinned.

“You’ve been there?”

“Many times and that’s where I’m going again.”

“You’re too far from my place!” they both laugh.

“But I hope to see you there, Charie.”

“Yeah me too, you’re the only good influence kind of friend I’ve got,” she laughed harder.

*****

“how r u?
u home alrdy?” Josh’s text goes.

“home and tired
werya at?”

“home 2
im burning a CD
4 u, hehehe.”

‘wow reli?
thats the best
txt i got fr u.
hahaha,” she teased him.

“ill give it 2 u
tom, r u free?”

“yup aftr class
ill b goin 2 taft.”

“ok, I’ll pick u up
aftr ur class.”

“no just meet me
in megamall
tom, ill txt u.”

“ok c u then.”

“wait! i bet the CD
was trance or house
music.”

“of course not,
it’s better than
the one u gave me
hahaha.”

“what??!
ok let me c
tom.”

“wat? u want
2 c me tom?
i knew it, u reli
miss me!”

“hahaha ur
charm doesn’t
attract me, josh.”

“ok be lyk that! :(”

“kidding!
nyt josh.”

“nyt ms. dancel
dnt stress urself
2 much, IMU.”

(I wonder how many text messages they waste everyday, peace out Andie!)

“I’m going to meet Josh after this, wanna come with us?” she told Charie while they’re eating in KFC Metropoint Mall in Pasay.

“No, I’m going home after this, I wanna give you both a privacy,” she teased Andie.

“Privacy? Don’t say that!” she laughed.

“wer r u?
meet me at
megamall
in 30 min,” she texted him.

“I dont lyk
megmall, lets meet
in fvw mall.”

“no, i nid 2 check
sumthing
in megamall,” she insisted.

“dnt go 2 far
fvw mall is ryt
beside ur house.”

“megamall
pls!”

“wer r u?” Andie texted again when she didn’t receive a reply from him.

“im alrdy in
sandigan, goin 2
fvw mall.”

“wat? I told u
2 meet me in mega!”

Andie then rode the MRT infuriated, “This guy is really stubborn!”

“Where are you?” Josh said on the other line.

“MRT Annapolis station, you?”

“I’m here at my landscaper’s house in Visayas Ave., where are you heading, so I can pick you there?” he was laughing.

“What? I thought you’re already in…..” she was tricked.

“Okay, I’m getting off at Quezon Ave. station, try to park at McDonald’s, I’ll wait for you there.”

“Is that the only McDonald’s in the area?” he asked.

“Yes.”

After a few minutes….

“im hir in mcdo,
wer r u?” Andie texted.

“ok 10 minutes.”

“Hello, I’m here in McDo already, where are you?” it was Josh on the phone.

“Okay got it, bye.”

She walked toward McCafe searching around the parking area but he wasn’t there.

“Hello, where did you park?”

“I’m here beside McDonald’s.”

“Do you see the train?” she asked.

“What train?”

“Oh-oh, what do you see?”

“I see the footbridge.”

“Footbridge?” “Do you see Henlin or 7-11?”

“No, I only see Mercury Drug, National Bookstore in front…..”

“Gosh you parked at the wrong McDonald’s, where’s that place?”

“McDonald’s Quezon Ave. going to Espana.”

“Espana??!! Too far! Okay, meet me in SM North instead, I’ll just ride a cab, bye.”

Andie crossed the bridge of Q. Ave Station going to the next street.

“hey, ive seen mcdo
in EDSA alrdy
wer r u?”

“i alrdy crossed
the bridge.”

“ok get back
meet me hir,
sorry!”

Andie couldn’t believe how hard it was to meet him in such a short distance.

He was already waiting outside his truck. “I’m sorry,” he whispered while scratching his head in embarrassment.

“Tsk tsk, I already melt!” she told him.

“That’s your fault you didn’t tell me I’ll meet you in McDo EDSA.”

“What? Now it’s my fault?” she was shocked.

“I’m sorry I really don’t know the stations,” he was doubly embarrassed.

“Okay, we’ll ride the MRT, roundtrip!” Andie said.

“You sure?”

She was serious.

“Slide the card on that outlet.” Andie instructed him after she bought two cards for them.

“Hey I know that!” he was confident. But the card won’t slide though he was pushing it hard. It turned out he slipped the wrong side of the card, so the people behind him were stuck waiting for him to pass.

She was waiting on the other side laughing at him when he fainted. They stepped inside and it was half-full so they stood beside the sliding door.

“Wow, I didn’t realize it is fun! I think this one’s better than the bullet train I’ve rode in Japan.”

Andie’s eyes rolled again, this time she’s certain that he’s overreacting.

“Look at Galleria, it was better looking from the top!” he was amazed while pointing to the spots.

“Ssshhh put your hand down, you look like a first-timer.” She laughed.

“I don’t mind, I’m enjoying the view,” he commented.

“That’s what you miss from not commuting!”

They get off the train after their roundtrip then headed to SM North.

“Now you know all the stations, I supposed you won’t get lost anymore.”

He just smiled at her.

“But it’s really tiring to commute, don’t you think so?”

“It is, but what can I do?” she replied.

“Well if I commute with you I think it would be sweet,” he smiled.

“You wanna try sometime?” she dared him.

“Hahaha, I’ll think about it,” he laughs.

“I heard Ford pickup trucks are of high maintenance, so if you like to save some currencies, you better start commuting now….it isn’t that bad after all,” she suggested.

“Andie, I’m a businessman, can’t afford to be late….” he complained.

“Then you should know better,” she was laughing.

He mulled over.


*****


“So where’s my gift?” she’s excited and opened her palm to get his gift.

“I didn’t forget…..here.”

She raised a brow after reading the titles.

“You like it?” he asked.

The first track was then played.

“What can you say?”

“Play the 3rd track first.”

“No, I like the first track,” he insisted.

“Some songs were unfamiliar to me.”

“But they are good songs, better than your songs.”

“You really think so, huh!”

“Yeah coz your songs are too shallow,” he laughs.

“Hey that’s an insult, you think I’m shallow too?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you sound like it. You know the songs came from me and my friend, you better learn to appreciate that.”

“Of course I do.”

“Okay enough, just bury the disc,” she raised her tone.

“I think I need to play that CD everyday hahaha,” he teased further.

She turned quiet the whole time they’re traveling.

“You’re not mad right? Come on, they’re just songs.” He said after dropping her home.

“We’re cool.” “It would make us too shallow if we argue more. Thanks for the ride and the CD anyway.”

On her room, Andie was checking her list of classic songs that night so she can ask Charie to burn it in a disc.

“Too shallow huh, now dig this!” she thought to herself after collating all the songs.

She gave the list to Charie the following morning. Charie wasn’t familiar to some of the songs either and felt it would take her so much time before she completes all the songs.

Already on his bed when Josh felt restless. He thinks Andie is offended by his behavior the other day he gave the CD to her. It was a few weeks since their Subic trip and he is wondering what the real score between them is. He moved up and saw the notebook on his lamp table. He took it and started reading the remaining pages he had left. He was suddenly weakened by the name written.

Luke.

It was the page that he has constantly been skipping but that night he dared to read. He wanted to understand how and why love between people really exists. He was hit. The perfect example is Andie’s love for Luke.

As he read line by line, the envy (or should I say jealousy) almost embraced his body. Then Andie narrated their story.

“It was during the warm summer in Olongapo when I first saw this handsome young man standing in front of Hannah’s vacation house. His gaze on mine was undefeated. I was attracted by his tan skin the moment we were introduced. His hands were cold and trembling as I reached for it. His eyes were breezy but burning. His smile was weak but genuine that struck my heart to finish the bossa nova and returned to regular rhythm. He looked so cautious and full of mysteries that warrant me to discern his reality. I wasn’t sure whom his eyes were constantly tracking at. Must be my friends who were thinner and prettier than my so called “plain features.” I envy them because they can converse with him boldly. But as I was stilled in my position, he came to me. That same weak smile that fronted me almost kept my feet off the ground, “Am I just dreaming, he left my friends to keep me company?” Now I’m flying! That’s the start, that’s my first. Day in and day out, I found myself faithfully spending time with him until it was too late. I’m caught. I’m trapped. I couldn’t go back. I’m down with love. I’m uncertain if he feels the same way but I didn’t mind just as long as I see him smile. And on that viewdeck, I finally heard what I’m longing to hear. His whispers of I Love You suddenly stalled my revolving world. His gentle embrace weakened my bones. Everything seems right and sure but when I get home our distance is hard to endure. Weekends were my best times when I get to see him. It persisted for years but didn’t last a lifetime. Problems, arguments and jealousies surfaced. I shoved him away for the nth times but he didn’t concede until he felt tired. I thought I was too shallow but then again the circumstances were challenging. I began to skip classes and every skipping I made found myself standing in front of my great love’s place. He walked me off for the last time and then never come back. I just lost my first and would be the last person that I wanted to spend my graying days with. I’m unsure if I would ever feel that first great feeling again. I just hope it was him.”

Josh fainted and almost fell down on his knees after reading Andie’s story.

“She met him in Olongapo…..viewdeck?” he muttered.

When he recovered from a daze, he hugged the notebook and some tears fell from his eyes.

He suddenly laughs while wiping his tears when he realized it wasn’t him. He doesn’t cry over dramas. It wasn’t really him. But he was surprised it was the first time he cried since he was a kid. It was improbable what exactly made him feel dejected, but he is sure it has something to do with his feelings for Andie.

“Why won’t you let go of him, Andie? Why can’t I tell you I love you?” he thought to himself.


******


“I’m done with it already!” Charie told Andie while waving the CD to her, gesturing a successful relief.

“Thanks Charie!” she was so excited that she hugged Charie for it.

She immediately texted Josh to meet her that day at McCafe Q.Ave/EDSA. The safest place they could meet halfway.

“You look so refreshed today,” he grins.

“Yup, here I have another gift for you,” she laughs.

“Not my birthday yet!”

“Hahaha that’s to keep you company when you drive alone,” she replied.

He was silent while checking the titles.

“Better?” she asked.

“A lot better! I like the songs Andie, where’d you get this?” he was curious.

“Not from a swallow mind!” she teased him.

“Okay, I’m gonna buy that.”

“Honestly, the songs were great. I like the song Just Because, the lyrics are catchy,” he seriously remarked.

“I’m glad you liked it!”

“Yes, thanks and sorry about last time.”

“I bet you understand the type of songs you played reflect your personality but it doesn’t always mean you’re either shallow or deep. It just links to your mood. Got it?” she explained.

He agreed, but the surest thing on his mind was keeping his pace on the right track after discovering how Andie had become during her life with Luke.

“By saying something stupid, saying something stupid like I Love You…I Love You”

They both sang the song while the vehicle was moving. They were laughing as they repeat the song aloud, Josh emphasizing on the words I Love You while Andie is thumping on her thighs.

Life itself has its depth. Josh realized that learning experiences happened everyday, and everyday with Andie.

Belated happy birthday Andie!