Clicker

The rain continues to pour outside and the cold weather remains to embrace me like a lover’s lost and found. The lamp posts looks like a firefly from afar. The serene world through the looking glass is different from the hustle and bustle inside the cafe. The room is alive with the buzzing sound of the coffee machine, the intoxicating jazz music and the chit chats of the customers. Their voices are so loud you feel like you are part of their conversation. I sip my hot coffee and stare at the tempting cinnabon. My salivary glands flood my mouth and its mere presence gives me gustatory pleasure. I resist. Ordering would make my quest for a sturdy physique, futile.

battered and consumed

                I sip my coffee and it drives me back to memory lane, sitting on a window sill with a hot choco in one hand, a pandesal on the other. My grandparents two storey wooden house is a perfect back drop for a coffee commercial, but with a hot choco instead, with its smoke wafting in thin air. I slowly dip my pandesal in the choco and savor every bite while watching the rain drops caress the arid leaves and grasses. They seem to be happy with every drop that comes in contact like a long embrace. I miss my life in the boondocks. I miss the relaxed atmosphere, the song of the crickets and the horror stories over the transistor radio my grandfather usually listens after dinner. Best part of all, when I sleep under the mosquito net on a straw mat. I cover every corner with a pillow protecting my turf like I am at war.

 Hours pass and I patiently wait for my turn. My colleagues are busy clicking on their electronic device, pasting pictures and formulating texts on multiple slides, cramming in the best possible way. In less than 24 hours, we will be presenting our interesting case in front of distinguished panel of judges and the hospital personnel and I volunteered myself to be the designated clicker. The clicker plays a crucial role in the presentation. The clicker must possess a good eyesight to carefully observe textual cues written on the printed speech and simultaneously pressing the arrow down on the laptop. This would synchronize the speaker’s dialogue making her and her case relatable to the viewing public. It requires a steady hand to strategically position his finger to only and only the arrow down function key, doing beyond will cost great damage to the presentation decreasing the presentors chances of winning and dwindling the audience’s attentions span not to mention piercing stares and cuss words from colleagues afterwards. I don't want that to happen. While they are busy pruning their neurons, I fill my body with caffeine to the point of palpitations to make myself awake and alive. While waiting, I use the time to write down my thoughts or else I will look like a patient who just recently came out from the mental hospital. Note to self. Things to do the moment I wake up - to exercise my fingers and hands for flexibility and finesse in pressing. To stretch my eyelids and move my eyeballs to its maximal position to coordinate movement from paper to laptop to speaker hoping my eyeballs will not exchange positions afterwards. To practice deep breathing exercises to achieve wellness and serenity during the presentation or else I would stiff like a sculpture. To consume vitamin A below the level of toxic dose to achieve a high definition eyesight. And best of all to have presence of mind. I hope my neurons will behave like James Bond tomorrow and not Sponge Bob’s or else I will be doom for disaster.  And the rest I leave it to the unforeseen forces of nature.

from 24 hours duty who managed to have a  nap

           My neck hurts. My body shivers from the cold. My hair is standing. I stare at this monitor while my presentor is beside me trying to take a nap. She cannot study. She’s too anxious to sleep and I am excited for the slides to be done. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to pee.