Kwentong Kape

I just read an article from a peyups website - it's "Smell the Coffee and Wake Up". It's a good article, even made me look back to my own history and savour how I seem to appreciate coffee until now.

I remembered why coffee is associated with great minds, I have this one comrade who once remarked about another comrade taking coffee instead of milk during his early years. Why is that so? I didn't bother to ask that time. Pero nakakatawa sila, even smoking was then used by a comrade as a defense of his habit. Sabi niya, when you smoke, it slows down the functioning of the brain, so kapag nagbabasa ka while smoking, you can easily comprehend everything. And he really believed it! So much to say about the effects of smoking and too much coffee to our body, when your friends defend their vices, you can't defeat them, you might end up joining them.

And I did, of course it's not just about the coffee and smoking, but even the mindset, hopes and even dreams. You give up your old ways, fire up for new adventures, stretch yourself to the limit up to the point that you forget yourself just to give way for a 'larger than life' prophecy. Those romanticisms, selfless portrayals, all for the sake of the struggle.

There were countless days when I sleep with only coffee on my belly, and smoke to inhale, and I'm full. Coffee was my saviour when no one volunteered to feed me, when I hesitated to ask, when I need to stay awake for an ED, when we need to plan for an event, when we need to wake up early in the morning for an Operation P**ta. Coffee is a culture for us, a chance for us to meet together, a moment of friendship.

There were Kapihans at Teacher's Village, it was more of a poetry session, tibaks flock into the room. And they share letters, words, while we sip coffee and smell the air of reality in their poems.

And I offer Jeff some coffee, just to give him a chance to rest. It was more of a bribe, for he is my friend.

I missed those invitations - when they say "Tara, kape tayo. Kahit tig-sasampung piso lang basta may cream."; when there's something worth to argue about, they would say (esp Loulay), "Punta tayo sa Oz!" (with giggles). And we stay there until the sun goes down.

What's with a cup of coffee? I guess it's the experience that goes with it. The reminisces that you indulge yourself into once you're seated there with that cup and with that someone.