Wednesday, December 12, 2007 The Actor By Rene Lizada Papa's Table
(Part One)
A FEW months ago Miguel surprised us with some bit of news. He said that he had auditioned for a play. That by itself was amusing because frankly I find it a little difficult to imagine him acting on stage. But as well know things are sometimes strange and one day he tells us that he got accepted and he even landed a major role. We were all wondering what this meant for him and for us.
So he went through rehearsals (three months in fact and he had to cut his semestral break short because of the practices). And he told us that there was going to be a gala show on December 8 at the Rizal Mini Theater at the Ateneo de Manila. And we were all wondering what he wanted us to do. But of course we all knew what he wanted, he wished that we would all watch his debut as an actor.
So one night my wife and I sat down and made some estimates. Airfare, hotel, pocket money and all that. We ended up with two conclusions; One, it was way too expensive for all of us to go and Two, but someone had to go. And they all chose me. In truth I hate going to Manila because I hate Manila. I hate the noise, the traffic, the lines, the water, the overcrowded feeling, the frenzy, the expenses and kung ano ano pa. I also hate riding planes. And as much as possible I avoid going through all that but this was something I had to do. This was for the debut of the actor. And so last week I made a weekend trip to Manila.
I was glad that the plane to Manila was not full. My wife had reserved a seat for me and I was happy about that. As I settled in the seat I noticed a friend across the aisle. We exchanged hellos and as I sat down I opened a book, which I know I was not going to read. I was very pleased to know that as we were about to take off I had no seatmate.
I hate having seatmates on the plane, especially those who think it is a social sin not to make useless banter. I closed my eyes because the whine of the engines grew sharper and we were at the edge of the runway, poised to take off. I made my silent prayer and the plane shuddered a little as it gathered power for the take off.
The flight was all right except for one pesky little brat. A tiny girl who seemed to emerge from the abyss of the netherworld. The configuration of the Airbus is such that you have eight seats in a row. Two on the aisles and four in the middle. I was seated in the middle, aisle seat. This little kid was just across me though she was occupying the window seat. Her mother was beside her and her two sisters were at their backs.
The first part of the journey (sounds like "A Horse With No Name") was quiet as most of the people were reading, trying to get some sleep or just staring at the ceiling or out the window. Newspapers were handed out and I started to read. A few moments later, snacks in plastic bags were handed out and this was where it all began. It seemed that this girl finally discovered that she had a mouth and a voice that went with it.
And as to catch up for lost time she started chatting and talking and singing and laughing and giggling and just making life miserable. I hate noisy kids on a plane. Ah but this kid was really special. She just did not like to talk, she also liked to run and so here she was laughing and yelling and running from our seats to the business class section where passengers who paid more for quiet and privacy were treated to noise and trespassing.
The cabin attendants were quick to lead her back. Having been denied access to the business section she turned her attention to us. So here she was running along the aisles and laughing and playing while her mother was just staring outside. Oh she would occasionally admonish her daughter but it was useless and half hearted. And this went on for sometime. She would jump in her seat, go to her sisters who seemed to think that laughing and playing inside a plane was cute. This went on for centuries.
Then we started our descent to Manila. The crew told us to buckle our belts and straighten our seats. This was the signal for the girl from the netherworld to sit, not in her designated seat but between her sisters. So she goes to the back and raises the armrest and sits between her sisters.
The mother just looks at her oblivious to the fact that her little girl at this very moment was violating several rules of air safety. I was hoping that the crew would not notice the kid because I wanted her to feel what it feels like to have her face smothered in the seat in front of her because she did not put on her belt. But one of the crew noticed and she had to go back to her seat while her mother was busy preparing for landing. She was doing make up.
When we touched down, the girl eagerly clapped her hands and in a rather loud voice giggled, "nandito na tayo." Ah yes, nandito na tayo and salamat naman at nandito na tayo para pagbaba natin ay hindi ko na marinig ang boses mo.
I did not have any luggage. I waited for the driver and as I peered out the terminal, I was thinking how would Miguel look in his debut as an actor.
