LAST week, I was to deliver a package for a friend along Session road when the receiver (and willing courier) went on an extended lunch break forcing me to wait and think of having my own late lunch.
The nearest resto was the iconic Jack's, whose special fried chicken, I particularly loved made the negotiation if I wanted to eat, easy.
In less than a minute I was seated at Jack’s long table, a place meant to be shared, intended for solo patrons. It was a little past lunch hour, making the place less packed than usual, making my meal, hassle free and easy.
At the long table, two friends sat down, ordering coffee and sharing a big slice of cake, I didn’t mind the company and as I waited for my meal, happy to be seated to await my Jacks rice.
The rice meal is touted to be the combination of chicken, veggies, meat and sunny side up egg which started the frenzy all over the province. A meal, prepared for the late Jack Dulnuan which patrons demanded to replicate.
Now, back to the people I was sharing the table with, their conversation started innocently enough, talking about the weather and how cold it has been the past days.
It really has been cold the past weeks and even the hardened resident will be seen wearing thick jackets and bonnets, a tell-tale sign the temperature is horridly icy.
The twosome chatted loud enough for me to eavesdrop and when you are killing time, mindless conversations are a welcome distraction.
One friend started to talk about politics and the campaign season and in an irritated tone said, Bong Go [Presidential favorite] was running for public office.
The other friend seemed unaffected and asked, who Bong Go was and I smiled with that remark, thinking the massive campaign of the administration has not penetrated the rock this lady was living in.
The more “in touch with the times” friend then explained who this character was and if I may say so myself, it was fairly accurate.
Then, the other friend said “How is he related to Mark Go?” which made me almost choke on my meal.
I suppressed the urge to laugh, but waited for the explanation anew, which came quick and easy for the companion to say there was no relation to the Baguio Representative.
The two then launched into a political conversation delving into Baguio and La Trinidad politics which ended in a summary of barangay projects they know of being implemented in the Valley [as the two were obviously residents of the Benguet capital, basing on their knowledge and chismis of the town].
I was genuinely amused on how they assessed and chatted and realized it was taking too long for me to finish my meal and had errands to attend to.
I left the ladies still engaged in talk with coffee mugs half full and the cake still to be consumed, wanting to stay to listen in for a bit more but had to go on my way.
You know, campaign season is on and when politics is talked about at Jack’s and when it is, in this part of the country, it will always be entertaining.