KS Chapter 7
Rogelio holds the left pair of his Spartan slippers in his hand as he moves the things around his shop. While doing so, he duets with the commercials on 93.9 DKWC from the Aiwa mini-component:
Mother, father, brother, sister, how do you brush your teeth? With FAMILY for everyone. Makes a happy, healthy smile.
After a while, he started to get a bit into it…
YC is comfort. YC is fashion. YC is beauty in motion. YC is for you. YC Bikini Briefs. YC Bikini Briefs. YC Bikini Briefs…YC Bikini Briefs!
This is the state that Bok-bok finds him in, as he stands in the door behind him, hands on hips and tongue out. "You know, Keno, if you really wanted to showcase your talents maybe you should join Bagong Kampeon¹."
Rogelio continues minding his own business. Bok-bok throws the copy of People"s Journal that he"s carrying at Rogelio. Rogelio says thank you as he rolls up the newspaper and drops the slipper.
"Hey, what the h.e.l.l are you doing?!"
"There"s this c.o.c.kroach that"s flying around, he"s been skittering around the stuff here, I can"t kill it."
"Don"t use my newspaper then! Opportunistic p.r.i.c.k, I just borrowed that copy from Mang Dino so you could read it."
Rogelio stops what he"s doing to open the newspaper. "Hm…Henry Ford pa.s.ses away…218 victims of sickness in Mauritania…a thousand families affected by the war in Uganda—I mean it"s tragic, but what"s that got to do with anything?"
"Not that, stupid! Other side."
Rogelio flips the page to the other side and sees a little commercial of a factory.
"They"re the ones that make the Khumbmela. Aren"t those like really st.u.r.dy bags?" Bok-bok explains.
"Yeah—so?"
"I called them, said it"ll be about 500 each to make your costume."
"Costume? Five-hundred? Fat chance!"
"C"mon, only a hundred to cover the minimum," all of Bok-bok"s teeth are out as he smiles.
Rogelio throws the newspaper back to his friend and picks up the slipper again.
"That"s why we"re not taking that offer! I saw something else."
Rogelio"s no longer listening, too occupied in chasing the flying c.o.c.kroach. Bok-bok exits the door to carry in a big box.
"And what"s that now?" Rogelio is starting to be p.i.s.sed off.
"I know you don"t want to have a costume made cause you’re an urchin…so here, I brought some ready-mades that you could pick out from."
Rogelio raises his left foot on the corner of the box to stop its entry to the shop. He asks Bok-bok where he got the box from, and he answers from Teng, their childhood friend.
"Huh?! Idiooooooooot!" Smoke emerges from Rogelio"s nose. "You told—? What did—?! Where"s Teng?"
A little woman enters the shop from behind the door. "Don"t be mad, Rogelio, you could trust me, right? And I thought I asked you guys to call me Tessa already. Being called Teng at this age is a bit…"
Rogelio face palms in exasperation. Biting his lips and with eyes glaring, he raises his fist at Bok-bok as a threat.
"Rogelio, are you angry?" Tessa worriedly asks.
"Ah, no," Rogelio coughs out. "I"m happy that you are able to drop by." His arm is now wrapped around Bok-bok"s throat in a chokehold.
"Rogelio, I might not be able to see, but I know when you"re showing the afterlife to Bok-bok."
Rogelio lets go of his gasping childhood friend. "Huh? I wasn"t!"
While they open the box, Tessa explains that the box came from her aunt overseas. It was sent to the Philippines with some other things and souvenirs that their family collected from the many places they visited; most of them cannot be used in day to day life, the clothes too thick, too long, too short, too thin, too colorful, too different, too laughable. The box ended up just taking up s.p.a.ce in their little house after several years.
"Here, this is the one that Bok-bok picked for you," Tessa brings out a yellow jumpsuit.
"Won"t they think I"d look like Super Mario in that get up?"
"So what, it looks good! Looks like a breakdance outfit, so you"re even with the "in" crowd! Would you rather wear a leotard?" Bok-bok brings out a tight suit with red and blue cloth. "Here, Spiderman. Garbage. Doesn"t even have a movie, like Batman. At least Superman does."
"Superman wears the same thing, it"s just different since he wears his underwear outside," Rogelio answers. "Wait a minute, why is there so many here? Is your aunt a Hollywood director or something?"
Tessa doesn"t answer; she"s too busy feeling out the clothes to give to the superhero.
"Stop asking so many questions," Bok-bok picks up another pair of red tights. "Here, The Flash, not as lame as Spiderman."
"I don"t like red, I might be hit by lightning, and I don"t like tights…it"s hard to adjust¹!" Rogelio hesitates for a bit when he remembered there"s a girl in the room.
"You complain too much! Go with the nude ninja then, have a costume contest with the Incredible Hulk!"
"This is a Union suit, not a leotard," Tessa grabs the clothes Bok-bok was holding. "This is an undergarment that people from cold countries wear. Don""t worry, Rogelio, I didn"t make yours in red."
"Make?"
"I just repaired it a bit, the original was a bit too long, and I prettied it up a little."
Rogelio stands up from the mouth of the box and starts pacing around the room. "I just don"t like tights. I hate it when they hug the body. I don"t want to look like some aerobics guy. Won"t I look like an idiot when I appear on TV and I"m wearing a tight and flashy—" he notices that Bok-ok has been motioning him to shut up for a while now. "Huh?"
Bok-bok points to Tessa. It was only then that Rogelio realized that she was holding the clothes she picked for him. Tight and flashy tights. And because of what she heard, the young girl is now sad. Bok-bok continues to motion, letting Rogelio know that Tessa buried herself in sleepless nights just to finish the costume.
"To be honest, I don"t hate all tights," Rogelio"s face is like a circus as he tries to find the words to rea.s.sure the girl. In between coughs, he continues, "Tights are actually pretty neat…did you know, Bok-bok, that I love tights? Tights are my favorite…for my birthday, I want your gift for me to be tights!" He carefully goes near Bok-bok and hurriedly whispers: "Tight, flashy, and PINK! What am I, a superhero or a Care Bear? I"ll kill you before I wear that!"
"We could just dye it to change the color," Bok-bok whispers back.
Rogelio speaks up again so as not to get Tessa suspicious. "I"m so excited to wear tights! For Christmas, I"m wearing tights. For New Year, tights as well. Tights are so nice in rainy weather! While eating arroz caldo, with some dried fish, eating only with your hands, while wearing tights…it"s so good!"
Bok-bok is now covering his whole face, ashamed with Rogelio"s drunk like statements. He motioned again to his friend who finally stopped and faced Tessa. The girl was forcing back her tears as best as she can. Rogelio finally came to and slowly knelt in front of her.
"I"m sorry, I wasn’t—"
"It"s ok, it"s ok, oh you, if that"s just the case," Tessa still tries to hide her tears.
"I"m just still a little confused with everything that"s happening."
"Yea, I"m sorry, I am always a pain for you guys," a thin line escapes from her eyes and travels her cheek once more as she tries to smile. "I"m just a bit sad I guess since I’m proud of my sewing skills, and yet here I am making a fool of myself in front of my friends."
"I"m sorry Teng…I mean Tessa," he tries to kick his friend from the side as he silently laughs and teases him. "Your work is beautiful, cross my heart. I just can"t do the whole pink color thing, and with the emblazoned Personal Cheerleader too."
"Pink?"
"Pink…peach…?"
"This isn"t what I made!" Tessa lets go of the cloth and starts searching the box again, confused. "Sorry, sorry, this isn"t it."
In the end, the three end up laughing. Rogelio finally gets to breathe and even does the sign of cross as he gives thanks. Tessa gives Rogelio the right suit to fit from the box. But Rogelio’s jaw drops and goes silent as the young man sees the costume she wants him to wear.
"You"re the only one who made this, Tessa?" the complicated expression in Rogelio’s face is unmatched. "It"s…beautiful!"
The girl smiles ear to ear from what she hears. Bok-bok, on the other hand, is starting to turn purple from stopping his laughter.
Translators Note:
1 – Rogelio literally says he’s “shifting gears” here. It’s an expression used pertaining to how guys”shift” when it’s hot out and Mr. Johnson gets a bit too intimate with the cojones.