Little David
The cabin i was in on my flight from LA to Manila looked like a geriatrics ward. there wasn't any passenger below the age of fifty...and all of them already in line for the restroom with the plane still on the ground.
at least it was going to be a peaceful 16 hours. Or so i thought until i got to my seat. sitting on the floor was a little boy with his gameboy in hand. i was wrong.
me: hi, i'm duke. what's your name?
little boy: i'm david.
me: ok, david, i will be your seatmate tonight. how old are you?
david: i'm five. may i touch your hair? (??????!!!!)
me: uhm..ok..go ahead.
and he proceeds run his fingers over my hair. the gelled stiffness had worn off since i just got off of two planes from houston and phoenix.
david: my brother is 16 and he's scared of girls.
me: and you're not?
david: no. may i touch your hair again?
david's mom: david, stop that! "pasensya ka na ha, sobrang malikot kse ito eh. gusto nya kse yung buhok na gaya ng sa iyo."
me: it's ok. you may touch it.
after getting his feel of my hair, he lifts the armrest and cradles his head against my arm and starts playing his gameboy explaining every little detail of the game to which i nod, pretending to understand. and every few minutes he'd ask permission to touch my hair again then rattle off with more of his stories while i tried my best to stay awake. his mom repeatedly scolds him to leave me alone in peace but when she dozes off he jumps on my lap and tells me stories again. He'd hand me his slate to draw him dinosaurs or asks me to say words for him to spell. then he'd ask to touch my hair again.
david: i want to pee. mom's asleep. could you bring me to the restroom? just promise me you won't look.
me: why would i want to look at your peepee?
david: come on, i gotta go!
and he pulls me along the aisle.
back in our seats, we did everything but sleep - arm wrestling to boxing to wrestling to jumping on me. the lady across the aisle fondly asks me how old my brother is. the man behind me whispers "kawawa ka naman di ka na makatulog."
later in the night..
david: hey duckie, will i ever see you again?
me: no. you will never see me again. when this plane lands i'll say goodbye and that will be the last of me you'll ever see.
david: (frowns) give mommy your address! so i can visit you back in the states!!
me: uhm...no. If you see me i'll pretend not to know you.
david: (punches my arm) Don't say that! take that back!! take that back!!
me: i won't.
i go under my blanket and feign sleep. he leans over to his mom and whispers..
david: mommy, will i ever see duckie again?
mom: i don't know.
david: coz he said he'll pretend not to know me when he sees me.
mom: that's because you keep disturbing him.
david: could i get his email address mommy? please? please??
mom: why don't you ask him?
david: (pulls my blanket and ruffles my hair) hey duckie! give mommy your email address so i can write you.
me: you can't even spell.
david: i know my letters! and i know what key to press if i punch in the wrong letter. come on!
me: i won't respond to your letters. i'll pretend it's spam.
david: (punches me again in the arm) give mommy your email!!!
voice over: we are 2 hours and 10 minutes away from Manila...
me: finally. two more hours and i'll be rid of you.
david: (looks at me, worried) i'll draw you!!
he gets his slate and draws a stick figure of me with my gelled hair. he shows it to me.
david: this is you, that is your hair.
me: what's this?
david: that's your tears. you are crying.
he curls up and lays his head on my lap for the rest of the trip.
*********
voice over: one hour to Ninoy Aquino International Airport..
david looks more worried now. he clings tightly to my arm. from his seat he turns to me and puckers his lips.
me: what are you doing?
david: i want to kiss you.
me: ugh. no. don't even try. i don't want your saliva on me. let's just shake hands.
as i was getting my carry ons and helping the oldies with their, david just stands on his seat and looks at me.
me: i guess i'm going to say goodbye now. come on, give me a big hug.
david: ok.
and he reaches over and gives me the tightest hug a five year old could muster. and then steals a kiss and hugs me again, then ruffles my hair one last time. and i walk away.
posted by duke at 4:41 PM
25 Comments:
aaaaaaawwwwwwwwww!!!! now why are you so mean duckie!!!! just give the lil boy your email addy...
can i touch your hair???
duke, makamandag ka talaga
baka maging brokeback yung bata hehehehehe
may HD ata sa u
wahahaha
-redel-
ang sutil mo talaga! di mo nga binigay email addy mo? shiet don, may bata palang natutuwa sayo! na shock ako! haahahha!
hey, I remember David. I talked to him. He's from the midwest (somewhere) and lives on a farm. His favorite pet's name is "BILLY"
...sitting that close to you, i'm sure it reminded him of HOME. It's like he never left, he was smelling his pet.
hmmm, I wonder wut kind of herbivore Billy was?
(that was for David)
aaaahhhhwwww...sweeeeeet!!!
aww..ang sweet naman. Pede ka na mag-asawa't magkaanak. Haha..
Belated happy birthday po :)
awwww....that was one sweet little boy.
teka, reak kami ng reak dito mamaya extension lang ito ng april fools day joke mo.
true story na ba ito? can i touch your hair?
DUKE,
ako rin.. ampon mo na ako haha.. d ako naniniwala.. if i know gusto ka na i sumbong sa police nung bata!! bad bad.. duckie ka pala
gypsy. touch my hair!
redel. bata yan oi. masyado mo ginagawang for adults only.
kero. oo, natutuwa saken mga bata. sarap nga lang nilang sutilin. binigay ko sa nanay yung addy ko.
anonymous. AH.
chisquare. ang sweet nung bata no? pero sumakit talga mga kalamnan ko sa mga suntok at palo at talon nya saken. di sya ganun ka sweet pag ganun. pero sweet nga.
teripotz. salamat sa bati. di pa pede magkaanak. natiis ko lang yan kse 16 hours lang. pag17 hours siguro pupulutin na yan sa karagatang pasipiko.
atticus. totoo yan. actually haba din ng conversation namin kaso baka mabore lang kayo sa pagbasa kaya inigsihan ko na lang. yea, he's a sweet kid. but somehow i feel that episodes like this should be left as is. there are people we meet just once and that's it. he'll grow up and realize that he was a child then, having different people as heroes in his life. i'd rather remain a good memory to that kid and i don't want him to create unrealistic expectations that i might fail to live up to. mashado bang madrama? oo. kaya itigil na ito.
diane. kung ikaw yung bata eh nasa karagatan ka na ngayon lumulutang. o flinush na kita sa toilet.
whats with your hair doc duckie? :p
pag nagkape tau, can i touch your hair too??? :D
when i see you again --- i'll definitely touch your hair...
galeng galeng. puede ka na mag pasakal doc at magka junior. hehe ayoko na tinitingalaan ako ng mga bata kasi baka pag tanda nila eh pagsisihan nila. wehe
You're lucky he didn't ask to touch your 'other' hair. Mwahahaha! :D
i just passed by your blog. and i had fun reading your experience :)
dkjduke,
andaming buhok dyan
specify hehehe
-redel-
sam. i don't know what's with my hair. his hair is cut super short kse. kaya walang long hair. ordinary gelled hair lang naman ako.
abstabs. cge, touch my hair. i don't know what's with my hair that a five year old kid would want to touch it.
friedchicken. buhok sa ulo. wala ako totoong shampoo. kung ano meron sa banyo gagamitin ko. hehehe.
mundski. ayoko pa magkaanak. wala pa akong pera para ipaaral. saka lately maigsi ang pasensya ko. baka ibalibag ko lang sya sa sahig pag naasar ako. hehehe.
snglguy. matatakot sa dun sa other hair na yun. hahahah. it'll send him running to the other end of the plane.
tin-tin. thanks for dropping by. i'm glad you liked my story. drop by often.
redel. buhok sa kilikile.
Doc Duckie ... ang lupit mo! Ayoko na sa 'yo! Pwede bang palitan mo 'tong ending na 'to? Ayoko ng ending!
welkam back, mean old fart. :) belated birthday greetings, doc dukie! missed ya!
doc dukie, sweet nung bata.. touched naman ako.. i really thought you'd given your addie in the end, pero di pala.. i might've done that.. pero ewan.. tama ka din eh, ang hirap.. no emotional investments ba ang drama mo.. hehehe.. just dropping by..
aaawwww!!!
know what doc, that is the very reason why i try to avoid talking to other people who are on the same flight.
can i have your email address???
haha.
camera mo? punta ka dito sa japan, kunin mo, haha ulit.
dito sa japan may nakilala din akong family tapos yung 10 years old na bata gustong gusto akong kasama kahit di kami magkaintindihan, ganun lang ata talaga mga bata, napapanood ata nila sa mga japanese anime, yung nagiging mentor nila yung mas matanda sa kanila.
ang sungit mo talaga. pramis :P
bugsybee. lupet ba? hehehe. palupit epek lang. natuwa ako sa kanya. at binigay ko naman sa nanay yung addy ko. hehehe. kaw naman. u tink aym bad? hehehe.
abi abi abi dc! i'm not mean. i'm just...misunderstood. buwahahahah. tenchu. ay missed all of you too! cya soon.
clueless. thanks for dropping by. don't worry, i gave my addy to the mom. and phone number too.
meigh. super delayed ka nga! san ka ba nagsususuot at ngayon ka lang nadalaw. mas maganda ata buhok ko sa nanay nya eh. hahaha.
somnabulistnocturnal. eh di isnabero ka. but there's no way you could have turned your attention away from this pest...i mean kid. yea, he's so bugoy and soo 5 years old.
cruise. kamera kooo!! ano ginagawa mo dyan sa japan? at magkikidnap ka pa ata ng hapon na bata! tsk tsk tsk. ayoko maging mentor. feeling ko matatanda lang ang nagiging mentor! heheh.
van. mabaet ako, pramis. your book is with cheriza. try contacting her.
Naintriga tuloy ako kung ano meron sa buhok mo.
So funny... parang pang-sitcom. Ano ba yung buhok mo? :)
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