Deretsahan
The Late Bokal
By Bebot Villar
I THOUGHT nagbago na siya. Akala ko nag-mature na itong public official na ito. But sad to say, he seems not to have grown up at all.
He’s notorious for being late pag dumating. Kung inimbitahan mo daw ng 8:00 a.m., expect him to arrive 8:00 ng gabi or even later.
Kaya kung sakaling siya ang crowning guest in a fiesta celebration, malamang ubos na ang make-up ng reyna at reddish na ang mga mata ng mga audience sa antok ay wala pa siya.
At malamang na if he says darating sa isang lamay ay baka nailibing na ang bangkay ay hindi pa nakarating si “Bombay”. Yes, kilala siya sa tawag na Bombay. (Our President is affectionately called PNoy. And we refer to ourselves as Pinoy).
In my view, isang malaking abnormality, if not kawalanghiyaan, yong ganyang style na laging darating na late. Wala ba siyang relo? Does he like to be called or referred to as THE LATE Board Member? While “the late” refers to a departed person, in his case it applies to his being constantly late, parating atrasadong dumating… kung darating!!
Yes, my friends, deretsahan kong sasabihin sa inyo na tinutukoy ko dito ay walang iba kundi ang naturingan pa namang “Honorable” na si Bokal Ranjit Shahani.
Ganito ang nangyari. I invited him as guest sa aking live cable television show “Deretsahan” sa K17, The Kabaleyan Channel of USATV. He was supposed to be my special guest on August 17 at 10:00 a.m.
Soon as he received my invitation, he promptly accepted at nagpasabi sya sa staff nya na darating sya ng alas nuwebe ng umaga, as in 9: 00 a.m. Wow, that’s one hour early. Mukhang sobrang excited at parang ang laki na ng ipinagbago niya, so I thought. I asked around kung nagbago na nga siya. I was told na sometimes he arrives on time. Good, kako naman!
Several other calls came in after several days, also from his staff, obviously upon his advice, assuring me that he would come as scheduled. One day before the appointed date, may tawag uli. Then another, two hours before the show, telling my staff that he would arrive “pero male-late lang po sya ng konti”.
“All right,” I simply answered then the show started. Ang lakas lakas ng ulan sa araw na yon but I traveled from Sto. Tomas to Dagupan dahil it would be embarrassing if I would not show up. Nakakahiya sa guest. Pero ito palang si Bombay, anak ka ng tinapa, I don’t know kung kanino ka nagmana… akalain nyo ba naman na natapos ang one-hour and a half na talk show ko ay ni muta nito hindi ko nakita?
Aba’y what is this? Bangag sa power, nalasing the night before, nagkasakit, nasiraan ng sasakyan (sana hindi bait) o ano? What does he think of the people na pinaghihintay niya? Mga bato o hangin kaya?
Kung nagagawa nya yan at bastusin ang ibang tao, hindi uubra yang bulok na style niya sa akin.
I won’be surprised if people are laughing at him behind his back. Iba-iba ang sinasabi ngayon at bukas then mamaya, iba na naman. Nasaan ang credibility niya?
I was hoping na nagbago na nga siya. Tumanda na siya but asal balasubas pa rin. Ang laking pagkakamali ko. He turned out na mas bulok pala style niya.
Sayang kasi dati namang nasasabihan ko pa nuon. At one point, he cried pa nga siya sa pangaral ko sa kanya. I thought that the years that passed and the challenges he went through in life had somehow metamorphosed him into a better and really an honorable man. Maski konti lang sanang improvement…kaso wala, walang-wala!
I don’t know whose time he keeps? Pilipinas, America o India? Whatever it is, siguradong defective.
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