ILIGAN City ― Some people have, well, “alternative pasts” as this isn’t really the official “pasts” of their lives.
As this is a past allied with fakery. As in urban legend. Although some people consider it as the gospel “truth.”
But these days, truth has become relative. Just like Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Which my friend Fely recited it in jest as “the more successful you are, the more you have relatives.”
Kidding aside, we hear today of “fake news.” But who decides if that news is “fake” or not? I remember all these when another friend named Bing came over to the office to inquire about publications regarding notices. After everything was settled, we engaged in small talk. Although I don’t think about it as “small” now. Because Bing was talking about Bong and BongBong. Funny how those names now sound like my friend’s name “Bing” somehow sounded the same.
That is if you are hard of hearing.
And in passing, I too remembered “Ping” and “Pong.” Which refers to a presidential wannabe ― Lacson, who is a senator.
And Pong! Another senator then ― Biazon.
Anyway, back to Bing with our talking points ― what else, but politics ― the Pinoy’s great pastime!
“I don’t think much about this Bong, but this BBM fellow is not the real BBM!” He was, of course, talking about two presidentiables.
“What?” I felt my ears growing longer as I uttered the word. Because, suddenly, I remembered a half-forgotten tale of BBM. Although he wasn’t known as BBM then. Simply Bong Bong. That somewhere along the way of his growing up abroad, he suddenly “died” due to some “fatal” stab wounds from an enemy, a juvenile one like him then. Yes, he died “long ago.”
And I remember again about another joke. Which an American boyfriend asked his Pinay love: “Honey, what’s that rotten thing your folks are eating with gusto?”
“Sweetheart, that’s fish that died long ago called ‘ginamos’ by us!” Was the answer. And now, this BBM that “died” long ago…
My friend now got up from his seat opposite mine and shoved his cell phone on the table towards me even as he went nearer to me to stress a point. Even as I remembered an “addendum” to that urban legend. That, as a result of the “death” of BBM, while he was abroad, a magazine called “Reader’s Digest,” was prevented then from reaching this country because that supposed happening was all there for everyone to read.
“But that was long ago/ And many loves have I/ But only one was real…” so a song goes.
On his phone then, Bing showed me two BBM pics. Which looked like. Even as it was different too. The two BBMs, I mean which were shown side by side. “Look at the ears of the ‘real BBM,’” he said as he pointed to the one on the left which had small ears.
I saw that the difference was there ― in the ears as the one on the right had big ears, the “impostor” he said.
Now, what did I know about ears? And what did I care about “ears” anyway?
Whether they were that of the real or the “fake?” That’s water under the bridge now, so to speak.
“The real son of the dictator Marcos is this Tiburcio Marcos,” Bing said.
I couldn’t help laughing as I thought: Has the pandemic given many of us some mental disorders?
(Email: norasorino2@gmail.com)
