Marven’s First Novel, chapter #06

    Merlito showed up for the next round of the karaoke tournament. There, he showed off the improvements he had worked for, which everybody noticed and appreciated. Therefore, he was able to proceed, though still at the end of the list, to the final round which was again set at another time.

     The event that day felt productive and everybody dispersed from the tent looking happy even the losers.

     Only a handful that remained showed up in the final round which included, of course, Ado. The man is always full of surprises and was able to cover various genres almost seemingly effortlessly. Therefore, whenever he sang, everybody always hanged at the end of his seat. He never disappoints. Therefore, he always got the first place, which is again what happened in this final round. This time, he made a point to finish grandly and got the desired effect. Everybody clapped loudly instinctively.

     Everybody looked satisfied, even jubilant, at the announcement of the winners. As mentioned, Ado was declared the champion. Second to him was a young man who turned a modern-sounding song into a suitable final competition piece. Again, the rest didn't feel lost. They warmly congratulated the winners and felt happy at the conclusion of an event thought out at first to be a mere trifle with the karaoke machine but then turned out to be memorable. In the joyfulness of the atmosphere, Merlito even chose to chat with the first and second placer in a circle or triangle while the others were going away and the lady storekeeper who invited him in the first place were putting things back in order. While doing so, she took notice of Merlito still there and said, "Oh. How are you? Take singing more seriously next year. You have a voice."

     Merlito replied bashfully, "Ah... Thank you, ma'am. Don't worry. I'll work more on my vocals so that I can at least get to the third place." Then turning to Ado, he said. "Hey. How about you? Aren't you planning to take your singing chops to the next level? I mean, community level? The singing contest in the community?"

     "Is there such a thing?" Ado replied.

     "Yes, there is. But I don't know if they consistently hold it yearly. It's very entertaining."

     "I seldom go there at the center."

     "Hmm. I didn't know that. You look very outgoing to me. Anyway, I've seen such an event last September accidentally while walking. Once there, I could no longer turn away. I got drawn. One contestant after another all sounded good. Like recording artist good."

     "Really? Are they really that good? Aren't you just exaggerating?"

     "Uh... Not really."

     Ado crimped his chin and said, "Okay. Noted."

     "I think you'll shine there. The setup there looks good on you."

     "Do you think so?"

     "Yes. You can do it."

     Ado frowned and said skeptically, "I can do it?"

     "Uh... Yes, you can."

     Ado sneered, looked away, and said, "I can do it."

     "You certainly can. They were as good as you," Merlito now replied mildly, surprised at Ado's expression.

     "It's not a question of whether I can."

     "Right. Sorry. Take it easy," Merlito said apologetically.

     "I'll leave you two now," Ado said referring to the second placer and then got himself out of the conversation, said goodbye to the elders, stepped away without looking back, and ascended the road.

     Merlito and the second placer called it a day too and slowly stepped out of the tent and onto the road. While doing so, they continued chatting. Merlito said, smiling apolitically, "Sorry. I forgot. What was your name again?"

     "Brent."

     "Oh, Brent. Sorry, man. I'm Merlito." Merlito extended his hand.

     Brent took it cordially and replied, "So, you like singing too. It was nice of you to participate."

     "Uh. At first, I was skeptical and kinda loath to show up. But as it went on, I found out it was definitely not a waste of time. I'd participate again if this thing gets repeated."

     Though second placer, Brent didn't seem happy and almost never smiled. It's as if all his participation in the karaoke tournament was just forced on him. What could be the thing he was going through?

     Therefore, Merlito took the initiative to ask, "Are you okay, Brent?"

     Brent didn't seem to hear him.

     Merlito respected his silence. But after a few seconds pause, he ventured again to ask, "You know? I could ask you the same question."

     Brent waited a few seconds to reply mildly, "What question?"

     "Singing contests. Aren't you interested in joining them?"

     "A singing contest? Nah. I'm not interested in joining any contest."

     "But you do like singing."

     "I do."

     "That is why you joined the karaoke tournament."

     "I just tried if I could sing solo, you know."

     "Well, it turns out, you can definitely sing solo. I believe in the results."

     "I wouldn't count on it much."

     "What would you count on, then?"

     "I'm more comfortable singing with a group."

     "Oh. So you have a group. You're part of a singing group."

     "Yes."

     "That's cool. I admire talented singing groups. I'm sure yours is such a one."

     "Thanks."

     "So, are you like the leader of your group."

     "Yes. I'm the leader of my group."

     "No wonder."

     "For a while, I betrayed my group mates for my selfish pursuits."

     "What? No. That's not true. You never betrayed them. You just took a little time for yourself to find yourself."

     "Is that what they'd be thinking?"

     "They're not thinking about it at all. They're fine. In fact, you're about to give them some inputs."

     "I guess that's right."

     "Do you believe in yourself?"

     "What? Of course."

     "Do you feel good about yourself?"

     "I feel good about myself."

     "Do you love your group?"

     "Yes, I love my group."

     "Then you're going to be just fine."

     "Uh... Yeah. That's right. We're going to be just fine."

     "Very good, Brent."

     Brent heaved a deep sigh.

     "Are you okay now?"

     "I think so. Thank you very much."

     "Yeah? My goodness."

     One afternoon, Jim visited Merlito and invited him to stroll in the community. Merlito told Jim that the karaoke tournament was over and that he emerged just a finalist but not a winner and also that he is now on his way to his second job. It's been that long since Jim visited.

     After a few more days, the week Merlito started for work arrived. One bright and sunny morning, about half past six, Merlito alighted from a vehicle that stopped beside Madrid street and walked his way towards the triangular building. When he got there, he first stopped in front of and looked up and down at the edifice where he was to spend from now on the most hours of his day awake five days a week; that is, if he was going to last in a job he has no background in. But as Emily's father-in-law said and he said to himself, everything can be leaned, which was true because he was aware that some of his contemporaries work in industries totally far different from what they studied.

     Merlito proceeded towards the corner door feeling the chills in his bones like it was the first day of school. As he entered, he greeted the guard who, days before, had been treating him coldly as a visitor whenever he went there to finalize his application but now was warmly greeting him back like family. When he reached the reception counter, he as usual wrote an entry in the rows and columns of the man's log book using the pen attached to it by a thin lace and afterwards spieled gaily out again as he proceeded towards the stairs up to the second floor.

     Once upstairs, he entered and walked down the hallway. After a few dozen steps, he reached the door of the man who interviewed him and thought it proper to pay him a visit while everything was still fresh and he still felt like doing so. He timidly turned the knob and gently opened the door and saw the man alone. He bashfully greeted him good morning, and the latter asked him to come in and sit down. The man asked him good-naturedly, among other things, how he had been and if he was ready; and Merlito answered respectfully, sincerely, and gaily. This little chat lasted for a few minutes, and the man told him that his workmates were at the next door.

    Merlito did as told. As he approached and gently opened the next door, what greeted his view was a brilliant room whose knit curtains admitted daylight in addition to the white light from the ceiling. Its floor was also shiny red as part of the entire floor including the hallways and lobbies and probably the rest of the floors. Then a soft and gentle but firm voice broke his reverie:

     “Hey, sir. Good morning,” it said.

     He looked where it came from and saw an older-looking man fetching water from a dispenser.

     “Are you Merlito?” the man asked.

     “Uh, yes, sir,” Aldo replied instinctively, realizing that the person addressing him must be the person he'd be answering directly.

     “Welcome. Come in,” the man invited.

     Merlito did as told with timid steps. On his way, he saw and passed two other individuals seated at their desks who remained unmindful and indifferent at his approach.

     The older-looking man expressly met him and shook his hand and said, "I'm Jay."

     "Good morning, Sir Jay," Merlito replied timidly.

     "How are you doing?"

     "I'm fine, Sir."

     "Hmm. Well, you can take your place right here." Sir Jay pointed to an empty desk.

     Aldo did as told and sat down behind it.

     “Perfect. Go get settled.”

     At that moment, the door abruptly swung open and three more individuals, one of them, female, entered in array and greeted everybody good morning energetically. Everybody replied likewise.

    “We start at seven, huh, Merlito,” Sir Jay said. “In the meantime, relax.” Then he introduced him to the rest of the group.

     The latter all greeted him waving their hands, welcoming him.

     One of the newcomers broke away and made his way to the desk next to Merlito’s. When he has sat down, he extended his hand towards Merlito and said, “I'm Clyde.”

     Merlito took his hand, shook it, and said, "Happy to meet you, Clyde." Then he exchanged pleasantries with him and also tried to do the same with with the rest.

     Come seven o’clock, everybody ceased chattering relaxedly and started burying their heads in their respective desks. The room became relatively quiet.

     Merlito was surprised when Sir Jay stacked before him some foldered files.

     Surprised, Merlito looked up at Sir Jay.

     "Let's get you started with these," Sir Jay said. Then the man opened a folder or two and started guiding Merlito into the files therein. After instructing him enough and felt sure he could already emulate, Sir Jay went back to his desk and attended to his own work load. However, he would occasionally glance at Merlito's progress and answer his questions whenever the latter asked. Also, from time to time, he would stand up, stand beside Merlito, and check the latter's work. Sometimes, he would nod approvingly; and sometimes, he would correct. So far, he has handled it with poise. Also from time to time, the desk phone would ring and the person who has it would answer it and talk to the caller softly. These were what mostly happened within the first four hours of the morning. When eleven struck, everybody, one by one, started to unstiffen, chatter mildly, stretch and crack bones, talk loudly, and stand up.

     Merlito who was having a hard time mastering his newfound tasks couldn’t stand up if he wanted to because he was totally immersed in it. But he broke away and shuddered when he heard Sir Jay loudly inviting him to go with them outside to take lunch. Merlito did as told and joined the array of the people going out. Downstairs, all of them, in unison, as they were approaching the corner door, greeted the guard, saying they were taking their lunch. They went out to a sunlight that looked like still morning and at the same time already noon. They turned abruptly and took the inside street into the neighborhood. They walked down the street chattering melodiously and laughing at each other's jokes. Merlito was mostly quiet because he was new and a newbie. In quietness, he felt the most-welcome warmth after freezing for four hours and allowed himself be burnt by the sun. This area they were walking around was still unknown to him, but he could tell it looked historic and at the same time a suitable place for businesses, at least in this version of Manila in this story. In this version of Manila in this story, the buildings here were old or looking old and short and not modern and tall. Finally, they stopped in front of a restored old house turned cafeteria. They entered, found a table, and stood by the food counter.

     “Good morning, Sir Jay,” cheerfully greeted the girl on the other side.

     "Good morning, Cassandra," Sir Jay replied.

     Then each of them, Sir Jay first, pointed their choice to Cassandra, paid, and proceeded to sit at the table. Sir Jay remained. When it was Merlito's turn, Cassandra was surprised at the appearance of a newcomer and said, "Hi," abstractedly.

     Sir Jay replied, “He's new. His name is Merlito. It’s his first day.”

     “Ah.”

     Merlito pointed his choice to Cassandra and paid.

     "Her name is Cassandra, Merlito," Sir Jay said to him.

     “Hi, Cassandra,” Merlito quipped and then proceeded to the table.

     “Hi..." Cassandra replied. "It will arrive soon, Sir Jay.”

     "Thank you," Sir Jay replied and then slowly proceeded to the table and joined Clyde and others.

     After a few minutes, two other girls arrived, carrying trays of food at Sir Jay and company's table and set down the plates, saucers, glasses and left the table with emptied trays.

     Merlito noticed that the place had a well-decorated interior and a warm lighting and most of the customers at the tables were yuppies but there were also high school and university students.

     Back at the resumption of working hours, Merlito picked up where he left off and continued what he was doing or continued struggling in it as a newbie. At that point, all that was before him looked Greek to him. However, he told himself that he'd be determined to learn what is, by definition, work and not passion.

     At the end of the day, he got the nod of approval of Sir Jay and cheerfully sent him off at exactly four o'clock or at least 4:05. None of his workmates made their way to the door yet but kept on chatting. As the newbie, he thought it just proper and alright to be the first to say goodbye; and he did so, and his workmates cordially sent him off.

     Outside, he saw further away westwards that a passenger boat was docking in one of the Quays of the Industry. He got curious and approached it. He asked the staff if that was a public transport and, if it was, if it was active. The staff replied that it was and that it was very active. Then Merlito asked its route, and the staff told him what he wanted to know. Merlito was convinced to try. However, he just went away and opted to travel on land because he simply got used it.

from The Simple Adventures of a Simple Simpleton

by: Marven T. Baldo