LORENZO ELRIC GARCHITORENA

"OH, SHOOT, here we go again." After I took a bath, my "daily" ritual proceeds... For me, it's already a chore That I must do every single day.

I gently scrubbed some dermisol crap solution using a cotton swab throughout my monstrous face while staring at the mirror. Like, may magagawa pa ba ako sa mukha kong 'to? Mukhang nagsasayang lang ng pera si Mommy para bumili ng ganitong facial care products, as if I do care to use all of them.

After that, I applied another lotion onto my face. I don't know what chemicals are in these products, as they start to burn my face. Oo, mahapdi, as in! My eyes keep on twitching sa sobrang hapdi ng epekto nito sa akin. Why do I keep on torturing myself with these? Baka lang masira pa ang mukha kong matagal nang sira.

Gah! Sumpa na talaga iyong mga tigidg-dum sa pagmumukha ko. How would I've even thought that simple blister, will eventually multiply at bigla na lang magkakalat sa mukha ko. At kung hihilom naman, they would turn naman into pores and blackheads. Fine! I'm a full-scale model of the moon with craters. Pangit na kung pangit!

Pagkalabas naman ng banyo, kinuha ko na 'yong damit na susuotin ko. As usual, what I got is my favorite polo shirt with green and cream-colored stripes (which I already wear a week ago), and gray khaki shorts. Tinatamad na akong manghalungkat ng iba pang damit sa closet. Why do they care if I wear the same outfit for the nth time? First of all, nalalabhan naman kasi ang mga damit ko.

Upon wearing that same polo shirt, nagmukha tuloy akong si Steve from Blue's Clues--na kulang na lang ang kaniyang handy-dandy notebook.

Mr. Ginger, on the other hand, was just sitting on his favorite spot--my bed, with a snobby face. Mukhang hindi siya masaya sa suot ko; his hooman slave doesn't know any sense of fashion.

I grabbed by moss-colored Herschel sling bag hanging at the back of the door at lumabas na ng kuwarto para umalis.

---

Ako ata 'yong tipo ng tao na gustong-gustong gumala sa public places nang walang kasama; it's just me all alone. It's like you have the liberty to do anything; puwede kang pumunta kahit saan. Kung maghahanapan pa kasi kayo ng kasama mo, hassle lang talaga.

Yet, dalawa or tatlo lang naman ang pakay ko every time I dropped by in a mall alone: the book store, toy store, at kapag may extra budget, deretso sa may food court or sa mga fast food restaurant para bumili ng kakainin (but most of the time, sa bahay na lang ako kumakain).

And kailangan ko rin kasing bumili ng gagamitin for our school project to be submitted next week.

Upon entering the mall premises, my stomach begins to grumble nang mapadaan ako sa isang pizza chain. I almost drooled when I saw pizza being displayed para ibenta nang idividual slices. Mukhang kailangan ko nang kumain, lalo na at pagkatingin ko sa wristwatch ay 11 AM na rin. So I should grab my lunch now.

But upon seeing the price, my wallet bursts into tears; sakto lang kasi ang dala kong pera, at hindi ko na alam kung masu-survive ko pa ito paglabas. 50 pesos, pang-pasahe ko na iyon, at sayang lang din naman. 

Umiwas na lang ako at dumeretso sa National Book Store para mamili na ng mga gamit, at tumingin na rin ng books (take note, titingin lang, I don't have any bucks to spend because I am broke as heck right now). I must resist the temptations ahead.

But instead of going to the school supplies section to get the stuff needed, I directly go to the books section. Yeah, ganiyan naman lagi. I really know how to prioritize things.

I was busy browsing the books displayed on the shelves when something piqued my interest. My head suddenly turned into a sequence in slow-motion, and it's just... Fate, kismet conspired--er...

My eyes suddenly sparkled upon seeing the newly-restocked Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. And it felt surreal witnessing its tangibility with my naked eye. His books are my religion, and it's my goal to complete and read them all.

Sanctified feces! I am searching for this since the beginning of time! Sobrang rare lang kasing mag-restock nang ganito sa book store. Hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili ko na hawakan ang libro, lalo na 'yong The Lost Hero. I was really in the state of glee. Plus, it's discounted!

But reality hits me that I am really broke. Ayaw kong mapagastos, pero nanghihinayang talaga ako.

I know that there are copies available on sale through online. Pero iyon nga, discounted siya. Opportunity knocks at once, so I should grab it habang nandiyan pa.

The million-dollar question is: buying this book would be worth the penny? Matatambak na naman ang mga libro sa bahay na hindi ko na naman mababasa. I should stop myself splurging into lux and stuff.

I sighed in defeat and returned the book into its place. Maybe not now, but who knows? Makakapag-ipon pa naman ako, at baka may ibang opportunity na dumating.

---

There's a happy kid inside me gushing after going out in a book store, 'yong tipong parang batang binilhan ng laruan sa toy store.

It's quite heavy while carrying this stack of books, kaya parang matutulad na ako kay Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, na parang buhat ko na ang lahat; I was like taking weights using my bamboo-like body. But there's this sense of fulfillment that I feel (yet, there is also guilt).

Fine... I pressed the emergency button at ginamit ang ipinagbabawal na technique (lumabas pa ako para mag-withdraw ng pera sa nagha-hallucinate kong account; sorry, Mom!), but in the end of the day, ako rin ang magbe-benefit. I should treat myself... For what? For surviving this screwed-up life.

Phew! Laki ng panghihinayang sa 59 na magagastos para sa two slices ng pizza, pero never nagdalawang-isip na gumastos ng mahigit 2,000 pesos para sa isang set libro. Welp...

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