a piece of birth

i remember one night, me and my blockmates were driving away from school. we took a detour to avoid the traffic jam in recto. since it was manila, i really don't have any idea where or what were the roads that we took.

as i lean my head on the passenger's window, blankly scanning the blinding lights outside, a sign catched my attention. the sign came from a relatively small hospital being hidden by elevating buildings of review centers and dormitories among one of the roads in espana. the sign reads: our lady of perpetual succor. the name sounds really really familiar. then, i realized it was the hospital were i was born. i remembered it because of the difficulty in me in pronouncing the last word of the hospital's name ("succor" how do you pronounce this? i am really uncomfortable pronouncing it...say it and find out why). upon realization, i screamed! embarassing me, i know. it's on my birth certificate.

unfortunately, my blockmate who was driving the car couldn't make a halt since our lane was in green. so i promised myself to go back on the same spot.

the next evening, after school again. the block called for dinner and knowing us, it would literally take us an hour just to think of a place to pig out. so to cut the story short. i suggested to eat at any place near espana. although my blockmates were a bit odd of the suggestion, they still grabbed it since our stomach were beginning to digest us.

we found goldilocks, another odd place to eat. but since were already there, we just grab all the food we could get. i finished my dinner early. so i excused myself to smoke. the place was dark although there were still a number of people on the alley, mostly students. then, there it goes. the hospital where i was born.

the feeling was quite exaggerated, sentimental and overrated, i admit. i was actually picturing the place 22 years ago. my dad driving in. carrying my mother inside and my first hello to the world. the scene was all in black and white or sepia, ofcourse, just to make it more cliche.

i really don't have too much realization on this one. i just thought, probably not everyone had the chance to know atleast a piece of their birth story. especially if the hospital was already closed, or the house was already demolished or their kumadrona already died. those sort of things.

i wanted to go inside but i've decided that would be enough for tonight. then, i walked away from it with a smile and lots of things running on my mind.