Chocolate Elephants

A convenience store in Makati with unconveniently bloated prices. Chocolate drink in a paper tetra brick for lunch, banned in grade school field trip buses as it imparts an interesting color to nausea, White Flower won't even stop it. Gooey Jo (an alias) was asking for a straw when...

Emaciated Mahlborow Vlack Promo Girl: Ma'am, Mahlborow Vlack.

*GJ's fake smile here*

EMVPG: Avail nyo na ma'am.

GJ: I don't smoke.

EMVPG: Po? (feigns hearing impairment)

GJ: Lunch break. May dala ba akong lighter?

EMVPG: E baka po gusto niyong bumili para sa boyfriend nyo.

*This rage is powered by Selecta Moo - Now 50% more chocolatier!*

GJ: I don't smoke, I don't need f*cking cigarettes and I DON'T NEED A F*CKING BOYFRIEND.

*GJ's fake smile here*

Someone is shifting careers. I should, too.

***

Him and me. '07. We used to talk. Endlessly. Even in our sleep.

My phone rings.

"Hello, Joie Go."

The voice I knew too well. Something's gone. I know the voice won't lull me to a dream anymore. His words, a blur. All that I get is this - I'm back, you'll take me in.

Four minutes. Monosyllabics - No. Yes. Eto. Ok. Ah.

Fourth minute. Longest phrase - Two years. Go back to the elephants.

And just like that, he's out of my life. I hope for good this time.

***

The self-loathing stops now.

I love me.