THE MASK

[Masked history, edited from January 17, 2012 post]

Last night, I was supposed to visit the wake of a late barriomate when I happened to bump into two seldom seen old friends whom I both did hate:

Boy Lupok and Part Danny Lambat (their names were only masks). 

Boy Lupok was a classmate in elementary, and Part Danny Lambat was my mahjong adversary, and, okay, when occasion called for it, my ferocious drinking buddy.

I hated Boy Lupok for he was an incredibly high leaper, hence, a tenacious rebounder despite his smaller size compared to mine.  When he got the ball up high on a rebound play, he’d slam his palm on it, creating a firecracker sound out of his hands everytime.

Thus the name Boy Lupok.

I did detest Part Danny Lambat ‘coz he beat me in one instance through one-on-one.  This despite his being then full-tanked with White Castle whisky and Tanduay ESQ Rhum. 

Actually, our two-game series then went 1-1 since I won the first game (which was lopsided) with eyes closed, so to speak.  In Game Two though his level of alcohol completely subsided thus he won with his triples that till now it’s hard for me to take.

Part Danny Lambat’s legend came from our younger days when living was reckless and we had bottles to brandish.  Then, all kinds of potable poison, from “biti-biti” to “sioktong” were bottomless, and we were all drinking like a fish.

When the wine’s spirit would finally rule over his own, he’d stand like a scarecrow in the middle of the road from dusk till dawn.  It’d force all passing vehicles to choose between two options: to brake till brake drum would break or swerve to the right portion.

We laughed out loud as we talked about our yesterday.  But I rolled in laughter when they discussed about today.  For I didn’t expect them both to also patiently watch in excitement.  What else is that but the on-going Justice Corona’s impeachment.

Boy Lupok told me he had a hunch we will be definitely seeing the real CJ in full and not in part.  This after CJ avowed, about his Chief Justice position and his person, till death do them part.  Part Danny opined that he was appalled after he heard about those 19 decisions penned or voted for by the impeached CJ all favoring Gloria.  He could not understand why the arrested ex-president did nothing wrong and always infallible in the eyes and “conscience” of Renato Corona.

I really didn’t know why I felt terribly guilty.  I may have prejudged my friends of yesterday.

Indeed, judgment and wisdom are not exclusive to the confines of the learned and educated. The ordinary men in the streets can understand and discern too, can never be fooled always.

Men and women of law, who are supposedly conscientious leaders, should not deviate from reason and fairness.  For soon or late their subject would smell foolishness, even if such leaders speak gobbledygook, the mask of justice.