ANY OTHER DAY

The thrill of filling a space excites me and usually it’s a blank paper or sketchpad for that matter. My already wild imagination goes ecstatic on what to write or paint. Preparations are laid down before the big event of my day like the cleaning of my bed from all clutters, sweeping the floor of our room, putting all my five pillows in place and rolling up the curtain to let the sunshine in. One of these rituals should be carried out so that I will not be distracted by a messy table, unkempt bed and other stuff when I start writing. Honestly, I’ve come to reflect that it’s a process of freeing myself from all worries and anxieties in life. Little do we realize that the small things that bother us are indicators of bigger things in real life that we want to straigthen out. Of course, this is not absolute because there are moments that the practical need of cleaning our sorroundings to be habitable is pressing.

This morning I just went to the 11:00 am mass at Capitol Church Parish with Fr. Rey as the officiating priest. For quite some time, I’m a regular parishioner there with Ailee as my churh buddy (friend and shopping partner as well . The central theme of Fr. Rey’s homily is to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord. He said that we should not only stop committing sins but to free ourselves from all anxieties and worries in life becausse this make us commit sins in the end. Ailee and I were really touched directly by the message because lately we have been pre-occupied and bothered with office and org related tensions and crises. On the other hand, I should say that I am in the process of coming to terms with life’s darker side, experience wise. It’s a journey of seeing things beyond my confort zone and learning to cope with it. It’s really tough but I am not surrendering because the real battle has not yet started.

Right now as I am writing this piece of article, Desperate Housewives is airing on TV which made me stop and listen to what the voice over said in the episode. The VO waxed poetical lines by saying that every kiss connects us all and represents a human need which some people fail to understand and something to that effect. Somehow it’s pretty similar with One Tree Hill’s style of quoting Lord Alfred Tennyson during the end of the show’s episode. We always sought to rationalize something which have happened in our life no matter how trivial or mundane. Well, call it our idea of coping mechanism! For me, today is just like any other day in my life…

RED GATE

History always associate important events to a certain building, piece of eating utensil, or personal effects as hallmarks of our struggle for national independence. Sometimes, these historical pieces would appear in our money, postage stamps or even advertisements which often create confusion to some. Talking about instances of recall when somebody will say, “ah, that jar in a 1000 peso bill?’ and the whole discussion ends there. However, not all edifices worthy of remembrance are considered national heritage.

I am not writing here to recall about historical buildings or artifacts rather to give an ode to Red Gate, a historical place for me here in Cebu City and to some who called it a home away from home. It’s a pre-world war II building owned by Ret. Col. Manuel F. Segura, a USAFFE veteran.

Life in Red Gate during my fresh person years has been quite a feat for me. Imagine living together with other girls with diverse backgrounds and personalities trying to establish a peaceful-coexistence amidst the differences. It was not a paradise but a place of reality where joy and pain meet in formidable circumstances. Lady boarders and few men as well came and left this boardinghouse. Some would leave indelible prints because of what they did while others would silently erase their marks in the creaking walls adorned with pictures of our dear (or not) boardinghouse. Red Gate also stands witness to love stories who are either sweet, bitter or both. Tales that would pass on from mouth to mouth or even from generation to generation depending on the person involved. We could only offer opinion of approval, sympathy or plain indifference as we try to put our lives in perspective.

At this point, our dear old boardinghouse is facing extinction. My favorite Red Gate will no longer be called as such because of the flux of economic progress. All of us are going to leave this memorable and historical place next year and continue with our life. The sad part is leaving but I guess this is the whole point of change. A sad change at that.

There are things which are beyond our control and what we could do is pick up and hold on to the happy memories. Red Gate has been my training ground with life’s realities as I learned to adjust and be the person that I am today. Somehow I would miss the national anthem wake-up call every first Saturday of the month as the veterans would hold their monthly meetings in the parking lot. They have been a constant fixture in our existence in Red Gate. I maybe nostalgic right now but I know for a fact that there will be no other Red Gate. A house known for its blazing red gate which has become a label among the various boarding houses near UP-Cebu.

In the years to come, the memoranda posted in every door of the boardinghouse calling our attention of the recent increase in water, electricity and bed space payments will be bygones. These love notes signal us that something is up like we did not turn off the lights during sleeping time or boyfriends of the boarders have entered off-limits area like the study hall and other stuff which we do not follow.

The Christmas lights are already lighted, the notice of vacating the boardinghouse has been posted, and Red Gate is now closed for business. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Col. Segura and Madam Connie for taking care of us.

Just like the historical buildings, Red Gate will be gone and left forgotten by its inhabitants though some would remember from time to time. It will be just a figment of our past that will become a rubble in the complex society of twenty-first century. Adios Red Gate!