Sunday, October 21, 2007 Gil: In the meantime... By Sandy Gil Sunday Dunes
AFTER last week's fiasco of investigating whether I am qualified to head the office's division, I thought I deserved a leave of absence to get my sanity (this is, of course, presuming that it exists in the first place) back to where it properly belongs. I had wanted to fly home to Manila to get some peace and quiet. But then again, such peace and quiet was not meant to be. This week had been a despairing one, to say the least.
I have been putting on hold my trip to Manila for the longest time! Last time I was there was end of July to see my eldest daughter, Alex, off to Singapore where she will be finishing her graduate studies this December. Although July is about two and a half months ago, I have been in weekly (perhaps more) communication with my son, Diego, and my youngest daughter, Toni. They reassure me endlessly that they consistently brush their teeth, take showers and shampoo their hair. They comfort me as well by promising that they will not burn down our house in Manila. The best news however is that they are doing so well in school. Gosh, they are so like their Mom...
***
But my Mom is a different story. She had been expecting me to fly to Manila. I have no idea why. She texted me the other evening and asked. She accused me of putting my work ahead of my children's maternal needs.
Strange. My children did not seem to think so...
***
In the meantime, I had been assisting in the home renovation of a family friend in Tagum. In the meantime, I had to travel down to General Santos City intermittently for consultancy work for a private company. In the meantime, I could not go on leave from the office. In the meantime, my Mom was nagging me. In the meantime, my children were laughing at me. In the meantime, I could not fly to Manila.
And in the meantime, I was silently going berserk!
***
During rare times like these, I normally keep QUIET. I keep my thoughts and feelings to myself. I know that during times like these, I have a shortage (maybe even total absence) of patience. Also, I violently parry away any additional aggravation, demand and/or stress – big or small – that might find their way in front of the eye of my internal storm.
I prefer to keep these shameful things to myself.
***
I am one lucky girl though. I had been waiting for the raging monster inside me to spew itself out -- fangs, poison and all -- when...
In the midst of the multitude of 'meantimes' in my life, I received an unexpected call from a bank in Manila that had commissioned me about a year or so ago to write a book for them. The book's soft launch was held last year. And the bank informed me that the real launch will be next week. Would it be okay for me to fly business class to Manila next week? Also, they wanted to know if it would be okay if I stayed in a five-star hotel, all expenses paid by the bank, for a night or two.
-o0o-
Ha! Anyone in her right mind would not dare spurn such offer! And so, as I write this Sunday's column, I smile... nay, I grin -- from ear to ear! Goodbye, office! Goodbye, Tagum! Goodbye, General Santos City! Goodbye, Raging Monster! Hello, Sandy!
