Sisonian to the Core

By Emmanuelle

Cupped snugly between the mountain and the sea, is she. Sison is her name. And this season is hers.

For years and years, she slept. So deeply, she bent herself to a curve. In this fetus pose, she waited out the decades. Now and then, she took a peep through one drowsy eye. Is it time to come out? Huhum, not then, not yet.

And so, decades passed. The mountain re-arranged its bulk; it tucked its giant leg of trees and grass around her, and threw over her a blanket of shadows and fog. In daylight, she sighed; she bared her true naked soul to the sun. At night, she shivered; she covered herself in mysterious neon shrouds.

Until, one day, this book of ye olde tales ended, and a fresh page began with a dance. (Author’s note: Please dig up Reason for Sison and Season for Sison both consecutive March 2007 issues of Feelings from Archives!)

Mayor Kimi Cojuangco on
her 100th day in office

I do not write about news; I write about what lay beneath and beyond the news. Because my sight is sometimes good but more often bad, I trained myself to listen and not only to hear. To touch, to sense – to feel! So, while others write about the dates and facts, the event and the people, I write about feelings. And these were what I felt about this Cojuangco, first named Kimi:

I sensed how people tensed-up and then relaxed when she approached them without hesitation. I felt their aura glow in delight and admiring awe when she clasped their hands, and looked into their eyes. They took her into themselves so easily! As she took them into her very private now public self.

Her people say she sends them off to their homes with her baby’s smell! She smelled of a baby’s fresh breath, and when kissed on her cheek, her skin was as smooth and soft as a baby’s. And like a baby, she was unselfish of herself.

She is not a baby, though. Not even a live Barbie doll. She really is a tough cookie, a rock disguised. Take a bite off her; see how your teeth break off and fall. Figuratively speaking!

And because she had a dream, she chose to take on the kingdom of a king. She squared her frail shoulders, she stood tall her slim frame, she toughened her soft-as-chocolatey heart, she sharpened her wits for her fists.

So many big battles to fight for one small win – one small kingdom, one small town.

It would have been a beautiful story, if there was gold beneath the mountain and a palace to receive the victor. There was no gold, there was no palace. Except for the stuff to make concrete, it was pauper to the bone.

She is adored wife of a congressman, and doting mother to their kids, her family’s much loved daughter and sister, and her in-laws’ pride. There was no need, no rush to prove herself to her world and that at large – she was complete unto herself.

But, there was this dream, you see. A town beautiful beyond belief, happy faces, healthy bodies, bountiful harvest, clean and crystal blue skies, majestic trees and mountains. Where there used to be piles and stench of trash, old or unfinished buildings rotting from neglect, desperate faces drowning hopeful eyes, cries of help from sealed lips and cold helpless hands.

And so, a challenge was born. To convert dream into reality. In fact – to displace reality with the dream.

Tough act. But, remember, this is one tough cookie.

And she is never alone. She has her faith and her positive energy as weapons. And the family and her friends, of course, as sergeants sometimes soldiers!

She called me for permission to use my article title Season For Sison for the name of Sison’s website. I was both honored and humbled. There is no other answer. She is more than a friend.

And when was I since her sergeant sometime soldier? Maybe, am just Sisonian to the core.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/feelings/
Readers may reach columnist at jingmil@yahoo.com . For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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