RSSWalking in the Mall
May 25
Walking in the mall is not exactly my favorite thing to do. I remember when I was a kid I would die of boredom because my mother would take forever choosing item after item. One thing I do remember, I didn’t mind in the end because dad or mom would buy something to cheer us up and most importantly, I was always with my family so I was never alone.
Back then there was the “Orbitz” which had the picture of Rico Yan (may he rest in peace). Mom loved the sago from Orbitz so she also gave us the chance to have one drink for each of us who helped in the groceries.
But now I’ve taken the step away from my childhood and teenage life and I find myself traversing the same paths of the same mall which I am so familiar with.
Many things have changed and even now there are new paths strewn with the old one. The only thing that moves me is the idea that now I go around the mall alone.
I grew up not having a barkada and those that I refer to as my best friends all have their own barkadas. So in almost all days that I’m in the mall, I walk alone.
I just finished lunch in the food court and I decided to walk around the mall just to “burn” what I ate before I head off to my next destination. My face is deeply buried in my smart phone as I’m going through the several emails flowing in. There were just so many things to do: Graduation application, Med school enrollment, and the BIG event in Saturday.
I was quite confident that everyone wasn’t as preoccupied as I was with their own cellphones so I grew more careless with walking the same route I usually go to in this particular mall. What I didn’t expect was a suddenly huge collision with another person and then I see my phone flying in the air and crashing THUD on the floor.
“I’m so so so so sorry! I didn’t see you walking towards me. I’ve been really absent minded lately. Is your phone okay?”
Normally I would be extremely pissed off especially since the pressure has been building up in my head but when I looked up to see the victim of my usually inevitable lecture about being careful of other people, I was caught off-guard to see the most beautiful eyes looking back at me.
“Uhm, sure, it’s fine I guess. Are you okay?”
“Yep, I’m fine… well sorta.”
“What do you mean, did I hurt you? I should have also looked where I was going, I’m really sorry Miss.” (though I would usually sincerely believe it would be her fault)
“Nah, you didn’t do any damage. I’m Marianne by the way.”
“Johnn. This must be really awkward..”
“Yeah, hehe..”
(awkward silence)
“Hey, that’s a really nice pendant you have there.” (she says this while pointing at my scorpion pendant)
“Thanks, my friend bought this for me while she was in Palawan.”
“She, a girlfriend perhaps? *smiles*”
“Nope, well she’s a girl,and she’s a friend but not what you have in mind.”
“So what’s a guy like you going around in the mall ALONE.”
“What do you mean a guy like me? You know for a girl I’ve just met, you’re quite the interviewer.”
“Sorry, I just wanted to keep my mind off things.”
“What things?”
“Nothing, it’s just that you also remind me of my best friend. He always seemed so obsessed with his gadgets.”
“Well, we boys will be boys.”
“So, uhm, do you have Facebook?”
Just then my phone vibrates three times and once again I’m reminded of the tons of emails piling up which needs responding in the soonest possible time.
I go over to the restroom and wash my face. I shake my head in the hopes of shaking off the traces of the daydream. Then I take a step out of my imagination.
Once more, I’m walking in the mall… alone.