Canteen.

This blog entry is hosted on both Blogger and Multiply. Have a look!

The stench immediately hit me when I first set foot in the Cervini Cafe. Ah, wait, stench isn't exactly the correct word, as the smell was not that repugnant as I had expected. No, it smelled of stale air, a hint of something cooking, and Pancit Canton.

I gave my pack of Pancit Canton at the counter, all the while grumbling about the inhuman P10 cooking fee. I also said something about cooking the noodles well, as the last time I had Pancit Canton, I was practically crunching noodles.

I grabbed a glass of cold water on my way to the table, whilst stepping on a foot pedal that wasn't there. I realized my mistake before the others in line caught on, however.

I had saved myself a seat on the way in, and now I saw that the table in which I was supposed to be occupying was... well, tilted. I gave it a few experimental shakes, half-expecting to hear wood creak, but I was mistaken - the frame was metal...

I sat down anyway, setting my glass down with loud clunk, and I gazed blankly at the ceiling. Faint as it was, I noticed several wafts of smoke made visible by the bright fluorescent lamps. I caught a whiff of the oh-so-popular Burger Sizzling which everybody orders thanks to the P65 fee. I leaned back, wanting to relax a bit before my food came, and I nearly lost my balance, as apparently, I had forgotten that I was sitting on a stool.

To my right, I heard laughter and chatter; a large group had merged tables and they were having fun, banging their glasses against the table without a care in the world. From here, I could see that it was they who ordered the Sizzling, which was odd since it was well past lunchtime. They were all wearing the same thing, too. Black slacks and a polo for the boys... A beige-ish blouse and an orange-ish skirt which resembled a tablecloth for the girls... I knew that I should be repulsed by their odd fashion statement (considering this IS the Ateneo) but there was something about it that was oddly familiar... I caught a glimpse of the seal printed on one guy's front pocket...

I head a "ui, yoni!", followed by a slap on the table not too far from where I sat. I immediately turned around, and what greeted me was a grinning face. His smile was so infectious that I couldn't help but grin myself, although I wasn't quite sure why. A clap on my back followed, and my eyes widened - just who was-?

My small, rickety table had extended, and I was seated at its helm. I saw faces... familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time, grinning and joking with one another, before them were plates previously inhabited by Pancit Canton. I couldn't quite see them clearly, however. It was like they were there.. yet they were not... at the same time. Snippets of conversation wafted down to me.. Words like 'research', 'lab reports', 'PFLG', 'mambo' and 'green notebook' struck a particular note inside of me, and I wanted to join in their chatter but I can't - something.. was stopping me...

They were wearing the same uniform that I had described a while ago - that much I can make out. To my surprise, I was wearing something similar! I opened my mouth to speak, and I found that I could! These were my friends, my nakama, and we were all together, laughing and joking, like old times.

My Pancit Canton had gotten cold, as I gazed past the defining walls of the cafe space, my mind trapped in the memories of the past.
----
A few notes:
There is no foot pedal, stool, people in Pisay uniform, or Burger Steak Sizzling in Cervini Cafe. Yes, I was imagining things. Yes, I was delusional.

"On clear and peaceful nights like these,
There's nothing more I'd like to do
Than to lie down, under the heavens,
And to gaze at the stars with you...

-nEOnIX