Nora Soriño
ILIGAN City–On Thursday, there was a blackout. We called the Iligan Light and we were told that it would last till 3.
So, in the afternoon, just like what we did in the morning in the office, we just kept on fanning ourselves. With standard fans that reminded one of Japanese ladies. Or with fans given by candidates with their names on it. Or with cardboards, newspapers, or anything.
Sita, my officemate, said that there’s a difference between the rich and the poor fanning themselves. While the moneyed ones just move the fans by inches, the poor move the fans before them from the left and to the right and vice versa in a distance of about a kilometer. She had a good demo on it and we laughed. And forgot about the hotness that we were enduring.
And then I narrated about a comical skit where there was a lot of furious fanning. I was working with the government then and you know, these agencies, from time to time, they come up with presentations.
Our section then decided on a presentation of a kit where there was this problematic king and his subjects were to help him solve it. So we identified who was to be the king and who was to be the son, the prince who was to be equally problematic. You know, like father like son. The king had to bend his head in “sorrow.” The equally sad son had to bend his head too but had to fan himself. The others in the cast would be “fanners” of the sad duo.
Most of the cast then in the section applied as “fanners” and were readily accepted. When it was my turn to apply as “fanner” too, the director protested. There were too many “fanners” now, he said. I was then assigned as one of the persons who would offer the “solution” to the king’s problem.
Presentation came with the fanners, fanning furiously the problematic duo, one kilometer to the left, and one km. to the right.
The prince, just moved his fan a little over crossed legs and displaying “sorrow.”
The “solutioners” made a single file to present their ah, “solution” to the king’s problem. One offered fruits, another offered flower. I think I offered a dance. Each time though, the king shook his head in deeper sorrow. His problem is really big, said the narrator as this was a pantomime.
And then another “solutioner” offered his solution. He brought with him a…a… toilet paper and the king’s face lighted up in utter happiness. That was it!
A toilet humor? Kind of. But we couldn’t help laughing. And in the process forget about the hotness. And then the lights returned as it was already 3 pm. At least the Iligan Light followed with their sked.
What was it they said about darkness? Not to curse it but instead light a candle. They say that this brown or blackout matter is really “complicated”. Just like other problems in this country. That the correct term now is “to address” the problem, not “to solve” the problem.
And maybe, look at it in a “positive” way. Like, that was the first time in many days that a blackout, no, brown out occurred in the city…
Disclaimer
Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.
