If tardiness spelled death, then the Philippines would be a barren paradise--lands of varying terrain totally free of human influence.

Everyone in this country is guilty of this, what I deem, a cancer in society.  Even I, who abide by the adage that "time is gold", have been suspect to this what I consider a subtle crime against thy neighbor. 

Note:  This has been resting in my hard drive for so long...and I just thought of posting it. 

To him it was an opportunity never to be missed.  For it might be the only one he could ever get...and so he felt.
A perfect outing for the both of them so far...except for the horrendous traffic jam they had to go through early that afternoon.

"See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold" - Fields of Gold, Sting

...but we were too tired to run really...so we walked..and took our time trekking on this what I would now claim my heaven.

We left Manila at 2am of August 19, Wednesday to embark on a tiresome but fulfilling 16-hour journey to Sagada in Mountain Province, 275 kilometers north of our nation's capital.

I TRIED IN VAIN to escape embarrassment but she was persistent...too persistent in fact that she ran after me to the men's toilet.  She had been asking me about it almost to a badger.  For many weeks I had been successful in evading her seeming interrogatives.  But this time, there was no more running.

"It's you."

I WOKE UP that morning with much excitement and anticipation for the day’s agenda.  It was the first time that I would be spending time with her after so many months. 

I got out of bed and followed my morning routine.  After an hour or so of my daily AM ritual, I was finally ready to see her.  I even skipped reading the newspaper and watching my favorite morning show on television due to my excitement and enthusiasm.