Before I lay me down to sleep! By Emmanuelle Mother taught me this prayer, but never did I have the intention to pass it on to my descendants: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake,…

My Lab! By Emmanuelle He came into my life when he was least expected. In truth of fact (o, may truth na, may fact pa), he was not expected at all. I am definitely sure I did not express a desperate wanting for him. Cross my heart and hope to…

Sayang! (Conclusion) By Emmanuelle Older by a few wise years, Nene did not have to play crab with the rest of the sunworshippers. Most of the girls had gotten hitched to minor stars, so the playing field around John was a lot less crowded. All John had to do was…

Sayang! (Part 2) By Emmanuelle Two weeks later, Sayang! picks up where it dropped off. A thousand and one apologies. It had been too long a wait. This scribe bows the head, bends a knee, and like Puss in Boots, flourishes a feathered hat on the floor in abject humility….

Sayang! By Emmanuelle Truly, in this case, there is more substance to our native tongue than to our adopted one. Sometimes, that which is squeezed from the self is better by far. How to translate, transpose, and transmit the exact meaning of the word sayang? All through the night, and…

There IS a reason! By Emmanuelle AND so we come to the nitty gritty of things. For your flat nose, the failed Board score at first test, the job that was yours almost, the lover who had gotten over you fast, the party that flopped, the cake that flopped with…

There must be a reason! By Emmanuelle Whenever she travels from home to somewhere near or far, as in minutes or hours or days or weeks away, she always makes it a point to reserve a place for herself by the window – be it car, van, bus, boat or…

Of all places to be! By Emmanuelle Usually, at this point of our predawn confidences, I would be thoroughly awake. My friend’s texted messages at these unholy hours always did have this powerful effect not only on me, but to all of us whom she calls her predawn friends. If…

Of all places to be! By Emmanuelle AND the world of her words seemed but just a hairbreadth away. This intern, whose quiet footsteps I follow, monitors the patients on the chart supposedly by the hour. Each round, though, takes more than an hour, even two hours to complete. These…

Of all places to be, at predawn! By Emmanuelle I wake up, startled from a deep, predawn sleep. My pink phone had been ringing imperiously, and it is not the ringer’s fault. Its ringtone is for friends who needed friends at these really impossible hours. This one writes not in…