A little-known chapter of my life unfolds in a new home.
In the shadow of an active volcano, the town which I live lazes through a pleasant afternoon. Kids play basketball and from behind doors there is the sound of women singing their favorite songs. No one ever seems to glance the sign of the volcano. Small eruptions have come recently and it is due to blow again. As I drive from village to village around the base of the mountain, through towns that may soon be swept away by flows of hot gas, ruined by lahars, and buried by ash, the familiar response is a shrug. The mountain looks close but is really miles away.I climbed the dark flanks of the volcano and at the summit, steam emerges from between broken stones .I looked at a crack in therock and see a glow. It looks like the volcano's red eye, the implacable glow of its awakening. The red eye never blinks.
People from different villages are often scared of this usual scenario at my house- the volcano. Actually, the volcano serves as a shield of my extraordinary and a billion- worth mansion inside it. If you wanna come inside, you must write a 30-pages report about the Laws of Motion and a 50-pages history of the Philippine Government within 24 hours. If you really happen to finish those,a fire goddess will lead you to the grand entrance-the 3000 steps of the descending staircase. Be scared with the running mummies, laughing elves,crying fetus inside the bottles, talking lizards,bloody daredevils,marching Dracula and the everpowerful ghosts as you walk towards the stairs.The golden door will only open if you will clearly recite a poem or any sonnet by William Shakespeare.
Open sesame,now you can proceed to the first floor. Close your eyes and relax on my huge sofa embedded with pink rose petals. Feel the fragrance of the scented candles on mydiamond table. Listen to the rhythm of a sensational music from my antique radio. Walk like a princess on the pink carpeted floor, take pictures of the various paintings in the gallery, give yourbest pose in the pictorial room, grab all the luckycharms in the accessory chamber and let yourheart upon tasting the sweetest choco marjolane inmy kitchen.Finish sight-seeing? If that's the case hold your breath and be ready on the next level of consequences. Two of my security black ladies are there to see if you'll survive the challenges . First Challenge:Drink the garlic shake, 2nd challenge:Eat alive earthworms and lastly hug tightly the leprosy patient for an hour. If you succeeded, you are very much welcome to the second floor- place of the elements in the universe.The shimmering stars of the ceiling,black and shiny tiled floor, scattered glitters on the thick walls,cold temperature and the cloned aliens as you tour guide. Ride on the spaceships and UFOs, get busy exploring the planets, comets and of course get some souvenirs at the Sun and moon booth.
Not yet enough adventures? Not yet tired? Ok fine, if pleasure is what you like,approach the third floor. There are five disco bars,four movie theaters, three disco bars , two music lounges,one resto and the most famous one- the hot spring. You can stay her if you'll pay a million bucks. Deal or no deal?Before the sun shines, be sure to reach the fourth floor. This will be your last destination on my beloved home. To go to this floor, you must perform a rap that concerns mother nature infront of paranormal entities. Despite of the emptiness of this place, behind is a vault waiting for a good-hearted being. Anyone could try but whoever fails to unlock it will be burned or be eaten by crocodiles or be buried alive. However, if you opened it, a cloud will take you at the peak of the volcano- the EXIT. And this ends your journey...
The most important thing about life reveals that when we encounter such tasks, we will handle them- sometimes with panic, sometimes with courage, sometimes with ugliness but let us survive through with magnificent grace.
*Unedited essay written year 2006.
In the shadow of an active volcano, the town which I live lazes through a pleasant afternoon. Kids play basketball and from behind doors there is the sound of women singing their favorite songs. No one ever seems to glance the sign of the volcano. Small eruptions have come recently and it is due to blow again. As I drive from village to village around the base of the mountain, through towns that may soon be swept away by flows of hot gas, ruined by lahars, and buried by ash, the familiar response is a shrug. The mountain looks close but is really miles away.I climbed the dark flanks of the volcano and at the summit, steam emerges from between broken stones .I looked at a crack in therock and see a glow. It looks like the volcano's red eye, the implacable glow of its awakening. The red eye never blinks.
People from different villages are often scared of this usual scenario at my house- the volcano. Actually, the volcano serves as a shield of my extraordinary and a billion- worth mansion inside it. If you wanna come inside, you must write a 30-pages report about the Laws of Motion and a 50-pages history of the Philippine Government within 24 hours. If you really happen to finish those,a fire goddess will lead you to the grand entrance-the 3000 steps of the descending staircase. Be scared with the running mummies, laughing elves,crying fetus inside the bottles, talking lizards,bloody daredevils,marching Dracula and the everpowerful ghosts as you walk towards the stairs.The golden door will only open if you will clearly recite a poem or any sonnet by William Shakespeare.
Open sesame,now you can proceed to the first floor. Close your eyes and relax on my huge sofa embedded with pink rose petals. Feel the fragrance of the scented candles on mydiamond table. Listen to the rhythm of a sensational music from my antique radio. Walk like a princess on the pink carpeted floor, take pictures of the various paintings in the gallery, give yourbest pose in the pictorial room, grab all the luckycharms in the accessory chamber and let yourheart upon tasting the sweetest choco marjolane inmy kitchen.Finish sight-seeing? If that's the case hold your breath and be ready on the next level of consequences. Two of my security black ladies are there to see if you'll survive the challenges . First Challenge:Drink the garlic shake, 2nd challenge:Eat alive earthworms and lastly hug tightly the leprosy patient for an hour. If you succeeded, you are very much welcome to the second floor- place of the elements in the universe.The shimmering stars of the ceiling,black and shiny tiled floor, scattered glitters on the thick walls,cold temperature and the cloned aliens as you tour guide. Ride on the spaceships and UFOs, get busy exploring the planets, comets and of course get some souvenirs at the Sun and moon booth.
Not yet enough adventures? Not yet tired? Ok fine, if pleasure is what you like,approach the third floor. There are five disco bars,four movie theaters, three disco bars , two music lounges,one resto and the most famous one- the hot spring. You can stay her if you'll pay a million bucks. Deal or no deal?Before the sun shines, be sure to reach the fourth floor. This will be your last destination on my beloved home. To go to this floor, you must perform a rap that concerns mother nature infront of paranormal entities. Despite of the emptiness of this place, behind is a vault waiting for a good-hearted being. Anyone could try but whoever fails to unlock it will be burned or be eaten by crocodiles or be buried alive. However, if you opened it, a cloud will take you at the peak of the volcano- the EXIT. And this ends your journey...
The most important thing about life reveals that when we encounter such tasks, we will handle them- sometimes with panic, sometimes with courage, sometimes with ugliness but let us survive through with magnificent grace.
*Unedited essay written year 2006.
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