AT about 10 am, we left Carcar for Cebu City. Stopping by Lantaw Il Corso as usual for lunch, the sun was shining like it was the hottest of summers. Good thing there was an available table on the second floor where there’s a cooler breeze and a nicer view: ocean, ships, and the CCLEX that stretches from Cordova to South Road Properties.
Il Corso has become our favorite stopover on our way to and from Carcar, with Lantaw for lunch, and Larsian for dinner. Cebu’s menu is always perfect for the low-carb dieter, and that starts with the lechon, chorizo, and chicharon.
On the same day, while having coffee at Abaca on the fourth floor of Ayala Center Cebu, it suddenly rained cats and dogs. Complete with lightning and thunderstorms. I could see and feel clearly from where I was seated, right beside the window wall with a view: a street, buildings, and this particular building right across, whose staff were busy clearing water off its parking area located right inside the building.
And I couldn’t claim I wasn’t warned. Dark clouds were already hovering overhead as we traveled from Lantaw to the hotel after lunch.
But here’s the, hmmm, pleasant surprise: I was the only one who noticed the weather. The rest of Abaca’s customers continued to eat as if everything was fine. I guess Cebuanos are now used to sudden weather changes.
This weather phenomenon of heavy rains with no stopovers featuring drizzles is not unique to Cebu. It has also been happening here in Cagayan de Oro: the sun shining brightly in the morning, and a downpour in the afternoon, with no drizzle in between.
And, of course, there’s the usual brownout, er, blackout. But at least this time there’s a reason for it. Because a blackout when the sky is merely cloudy, is like a person who, based on his point of view, is now accusing you of something. It’s unprovoked, you did nothing, and yet there’s that person suddenly accusing you.
When people don’t pick your side, you need a truly understanding heart to see life from their point of view. They don’t want to rock the boat, they don’t want to choose you, they don’t want the accusing party’s attention shifting from you to them. So, they stay neutral. To play safe, since they already know how the accuser can also destroy them with her talent in gossip that deserves an Oscar for best actress. In other words, they’re afraid of her. But they’re not afraid of you because you know how and when to stay quiet.
You may do the same, too. Play neutral and play safe once it’s their turn to be bashed by anyone, not necessarily the accuser. You’ll sit there and keep quiet. Exactly like what they did when you needed their help. You sit quietly by the window wall, sipping coffee as a downpour, lightning, and thunderstorms remind you of how climate change has made the weather so unpredictable.
