Stand Back and Listen!

Stand back Mr. Murphy---(the guy from the Murphy’s Law)---and listen. We do not need you hanging around. Whomsoever created your law let him or her vanish into thin air.

One day after I have surmised so prematurely that our plans to put up a relief organization may be on a standstill due to significant differences of views, (See previous post “One Fantabolous Night With Mr. Murphy”-Sunday, December 19,2004) the phone rang smacked right at the strike of twelve noon, while I was about to have my lunch, and Tony was at the other end of the line.

“We have a meeting today. Russell is here,” Tony said without any prelude. I did not expect to meet both guys within just a couple of days. Usually, we are so busy with our respective personal tasks that it would take at least one whole week to gap the usual camaraderie we have. When sometimes we play billiards in not-so-glitzy barrooms, our matches could continue for hours and hours even up to near midnight, that after each session, Tony would comment that it was a billiard game that would last us for a month without playing again. And that would mean we could have more time for our families and at the same time save on ever- scarce currency. We have not been to any billiard halls for a long while now.

“I am going take my meal first and I’ll be right there in no less time” I said without flinching although I was nursing what appeared to be the initial stages of a major flu attack. Perhaps, the previous days activities have stretched me far enough. It started with the birthday celebration of Ms. Arlene Care, an officemate of my wife, about five days ago. We stayed for a long while eating luscious fried chicken and I got a couple of bottles of beer. Last Saturday, I was with Tony and Russell at La Vista del Mar and I also had some beer while we talk about matters of faith and God. On Sunday morning, the children had their Christmas program at school and how the children dance. It was such a sight to see Yusef and Yves performed their steps. In the afternoon of the same day, we drove to Divisoria nearly ten kilometers away from the main city for another birthday celebration. This time, it was Tracy Casimiro’s son Lorenzo who is celebrating. Tracy’s husband Bibing prompted me to a table and we sat drinking rhum as we talk about health conditions in connection with FPJ’s sudden but unexpected death. After three glasses of hard drink, I recoiled and we headed back home. Stress perhaps causes the flu virus to gain their glory over the immune system of our bodies.

“I have prepared some chicken. Why not eat here?” Tony suggested but I said that I would try not to take a heavy meal before I leave and see if I can still have some spoonful if I arrive at their house. I was so starving when Tony called.

I rested in bed for a little while hoping my bout with the colds may improve even by just a tad and at nearly three o’ clock in the afternoon, I took a sikad-sikad towards Sta. Catalina, just a barangay away from Lustre St., the street where I lived.

When I arrived at Tony’s place, Russell was with his wife Sheva, sitting in the sofa. I have not gotten acquainted with her so much, yet I was already feeling comfortable with her around after meeting her for already quite a number of times already.

Tony was not around. Russell informed that he was just out on a quick task for a client that needed some urgent computer fixing. He offered me the chicken meal but I said my tongue tasted queer due to some colds. It was a little uncomfortable talking to Russell after we had the fervent debate about God a couple of nights ago. I swept away any inhibitions between us by just not bringing that argument again and he did so as well and we proceeded to talk on some other matters. He said, Bong Edding, a member of the Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Board is in town and wanted to meet us. There might be some project opportunities for us in his place. I was a little glad that more and more people seem to be drawn to an organization that is still on the birthing stage but I knew even before conferring with Bong that private agencies like ours do not have much access to government projects. When I was working for the SZOPAD Social Fund about a couple of years ago, I had learned that the government auditing system have most recently institutionalized major changes in standards and procedures and one of these changes is the minimization if not the eradication of private entities implementing government projects. It turned out that in the 80’s, public funds were channeled through a lot of private organizations, where some were even bogus, and as a consequence to the system’s apparent loopholes, great amount of public funds were mishandled or pocketed unscrupulously.

Russell was in patent high spirits that day that he gave us more news than we could expect. He gave me a list of people willing to help establish the organization some are familiar even. Atty. Wendell Sotto was interested to sign in. I said to Russell that I knew his brother Clarence who is also a lawyer and maybe we could also invite him. The Sotto brothers took over their father’s law office here in the city after the older Sotto died of a gunshot wound from a motorcycle-riding assassins just early this year. The murder was all over the news even weeks after the incident occurred. A lawyer’s murder does not usually happen in this town but like Cebu and Manila, this city has its own bout of prominent killings. It was a sad day for the Sottos and I was in the wake when the incident occurred.

Tony arrived soon and he showed us a logo design for PPRO, the acronym for the soon to be established organization. Russell and I both commented that it was such a fine and exquisite design aside from being colorful. It has a blue back draft and highlights a white dove with wings a-flutter at the center of the image. I requested Tony to e-mail me the image so that I could already start on a web design idea for our organization.

When Bong Edding arrived, the day was nearly over and we got to discuss some issues. Bong was with John and J.J., all three are the sons of Norbi Edding, the mayor of Sibuco.

Bong assured us that if ever there were project opportunities in his locality, he would try to take us in. We all agreed that in the initial stages of the organization, it is most important that we are able to complete a number of projects no matter how small they are. This mode of action is important I emphasized to the group in order for us to build credibility. I have stressed out that in the business of relief works and in the world of NGO’s, the name and reputation of the organization is at the apex of the requirement pyramid. In my short stint in government, I have learned that NGOs and foundations come in such great numbers that one would have to be exceptional in order to get noticed and then, get funding support even from the government in the rare times that it allows private entities to interfere in the implementation of projects.

Despite of the forward things that occur to this plan of ours, I could not help but feel a little pessimistic. I was planning for a Christian fellowship but instead I am building a relief organization. Maybe later on, there would be time and resources for me to do the things that endears to my heart so closely. As the Lord Christ had often said in the early days of His ministry, “the time has not yet come”. Maybe my time has not yet come also.

When the skyline finally gobbled the sun, Bong, Russell, John, J.J. and Sheva asked permission to leave while I stayed a little longer. When I learned that the chicken carte du jour Tony prepared was actually adobo, I did not hesitate anymore and savored the chicken drifted in soy-sauced and vinegar even with cold rice. Tony boasted that he cooked the chicken himself and by the manner I ate them (that is, with much gusto), I was certainly impressed by his cooking prowess. Like mother, like son it seems. And it would be the rarest of time if ever there were a moment that I would turn down a chicken adobo, my most favorite chicken dish.

Batjay, if ever you come around this blog, Happy Birthday to you pre. I saw some greetings of your important day in some other blogsite. Maybe Cath was just playing tricks on you. Maybe not. So Happy Birthday to you.

VERSE OF THE DAY ---St. Luke Chapter 4, Verse 4: “It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” This is the word of our Lord Jesus Christ.