Tale Spinner: Pearly Shell from the Ocean

A jeepney

Yesterday, I was sitting in front seat of a jeepney. Early morning lethargy, was kind of egging to go home after spending a night witha friend. This was the rare time when I would like to enjoy a music in a jeepney beats the conundrum of my unappetizing day, otherwise in normal self, I would be reprimanding and threatening to report the driver to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for the stereo in the jeepney is illegal, music is illegal inside the jeepney why? noise pollution. And I did reported some plate numbers to the authority. Let's just say I was mellow and enjoyed a music in the jeepney.

Mellow it was, on the radio are old songs from the 50's and 60's, an era of the type of music that I can't well relate to- melody and lyrics wise. I was about complain when I saw the young driver with a grin on his face, obviously enjoying the music and singing the song being played on the radio "Pearly Shell" it stopped me on my tracks and it got me thinking "Who am I to deprive him of his obvious enjoyment to the song?". As I was mulling, he turned to me smiling and said " Ok ang sounds sa una noh? Walay syagit-syagit (Old songs are okay right? No shouting)" Obviously, referring to rock music which involves throat blasting and vein protruding singing, and to be courteous I replied " Lagi (yeah)". And the driver added " Sus, kanang kantaha, pearly shell, gisayaw namu na atung grade 6 ko (Did you know that I danced Pearly shell when I was in grade 6)" Laughingly I replied again " Mao ba? (Really?)" I could not agree more for I had my fair share of dancing when I was in grade school.

How I hate dancing in front of the crowd. Ironic, for when I was still young around 4-6 years old my grandparents, aunts and uncle and relatives used to make me dance and then reward me with money. Until I got over it , realizing that that dancing wasn't the most manly thing to do and I did look stupid. The realization killed the dance in me. To be forced to dance with hundreds of children in school and do it in front of hundreds of spectators? Made me seething mad. As a sign of rebellion to an utter injustice, I escape. I devised a plan to make sure that I was always at the end of the line for an easy escape despite dancing being part of the grade of a subject. I never told my parents especially mother that there will be a field demonstration so that she will not buy me a costume. I mean as a child understand already that extra expense for a costume is a burden to her for she will have to borrow money and I hate that to happen. As a result of my refusal to dance in field demonstration, I was reprimanded by my teacher and threatened to be given a failing mark in one of my subjects. Since, I wasn't the model pupil scolding was one daily life servings to me which in time I have learned to let it pass to the other ear.

When I graduated in elementary I thought the nightmare (dancing) will be all behind me. Wrong! High school was even worst, this time no escaping for we are guarded by the teachers, principal and teacher ass kissers-the class beadles. We are made to dance weird dance steps to a song of Abuchiki, Tease me and all complete with full regalia of shiny and funny costumes. Worst, we are made to wear lipsticks, they said to look good in-front of the spectators. The grrrr moment where my anger was already skyrocketing to the heavens, but I have to keep it under control for I have no choice for the costumes were fitted and made and the payment being added to the tuition. When school foundation ensues, that was when I felt like my stomach would turn sour for sure a dance performance will be undertaken. It was a 4-year torture that I have to endure. Ughhh...

Then college came. Nightmare was not over dancing was again part of the curriculum- the all hellfire and damnation Physical Education. This was, I considered the push comes to shove scenario. Physical Education (PE) 1 when I was browsing the prospectus was capital G-Y-M-N-A-S-T-I-C-S. What?! Too much for me to take nevertheless like an obedient student I enrolled it. First things I was made to do was to split, balance the beam and dance gymnastics style, things to do which certainly made me decide to drop PE 1. It was in 3rd year in college that re-enrolled PE 1 because I had no choice even if I stomp and grumble my arse out I will not be able to graduate without passing PE. So accepting defeat, I enrolled in a Saturday class PE schedule. My bad, I was the only male in the class. Since it was 1st year class, the males have the compulsory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). I have to swallow my dignity and pride and do it. My only consolation was that I was surrounded by female but my teacher, damn that teacher, would call me out "lolo" or old man for I wasn't flexible to split and graceful enough to dance. The "B" grade I got wasn't bad considering it was pain for me. I always knew that PE 2 will dance, so skipped it, I enrolled right away to PE 4 for it was volleyball and then PE 3-badminton. It was on my last semester in college right, last hitch to getting my Business Management degree that I swallowed my pride (no choice) and gathered enough courage to submit myself to PE 2. Physical Education 2 is dancing folk, modern, jazz, and any other forms of dance. There I was dancing, learning tinikling, itik-itik, folk dance and even modern dance, all of dances my teacher assigned to the class, I did it with resentment and trepidation. If it's not a crime to kill my teacher or burn the school down I could have done it. Our final test was big event or program called the PE Night where all PE 2 students will have to perform a dance production. It was one big school event where university students look forward to watching. PE night came and there I was in full costume, our production number was tribal dance of some obscure Baguio tribe. Believe me when I say how I fervently prayed hoping that my classmates in Business Management and friends will not see me or identify me at that event. Unfortunately, they saw me, you know the scenario, I was a subject of juvenile ridicule. I have no choice but to laugh my way out the "situation".

Music does brings you back to memory lane where events and circumstances associated with it will either make you cringed with embarrassment or smile with joy. With the driver's case, I can surmise during that time he must had felt or did what I did before during dance presentation but now it makes him smile of the time when he danced "Pearly Shell from the Ocean"( not the correct title, I know). He must had felt utterly stupid dancing during his grade school days but now it is one of the sources of his happy memories. As for me, I admit I can now smile of the dancing moments I had but to do it again? I don't think so. I have top protect my stiff upper lip image where dancing is a thing beneath me. I really don't want to break my respectable exterior.Exaggeration much!