I WAS A RUNNER

For most people, the holy week is one of their most awaited holidays (probably second to Christmas) because they get to have their much needed sabbatical. Most went to enjoy the sun and the beach, but for us here in CFM, this past week was the most demanding. We have barely caught our breaths from the busyness of the past translation checking weeks and would have looked forward to a restful holy week, but no! Well, we did look forward to it, but for another reason--a big wedding in our midst.

I'll let the newlyweds tell their story though, so I'll stop here. I'll just talk about myself and what happened at the wedding from the perspective of a 'runner.' Of course I am the runner. What do I mean by a runner? I'll give you an example: When the processional was about to begin, and of course the first to march were the candle sponsors, they found out that there was no candle to light. They ran to me as if I only needed to raise my magic wand and presto, candles would miraculously appear. Well, first, I am no fairy godmother so I don't have a magic wand, but I guessed I am a miracle worker cuz 3 candles did appear. I was gonna go, "Who is in charge of that? I did my job, who did not?! 'goodness, you have a list of what to do blah blah blah, and you did not include the most basic but the most important and now you come to me!!!??" But no, I did not tell them that; saying that won't solve their (or my) problem anyway so I just ran again and turned my cupboards inside out in search of candles.

When somebody noticed that the wedding was running a little bit late, that 'somebody' (he's a real 'somebody') came to me and told me in a sound of voice that would make you cringe that I should start the procession right away because some of the participants are starting to wonder what on earth are they doing standing in line with the sun beating down on their napes. I was trying to explain that it is not my call, (cuz I am only a runner) but he left quickly and returned to where he was standing with the principal sponsors. (It's good, the gay make-up artist who fixed my face and hair gave me a little bit too much of a blush on so no one could tell if I am red from the make up or from seething inside.) After a while yet, the marching commenced.

When everybody else has marched and it is now time for the bridal walk (which of course, everybody, including me wanted to see), the 'boss' told me that he needs a copy of something and so I had to ran to my office again and print a copy of the thing. So when I finally got back to the ceremony, the minister is now giving his exhortation. Aggghhh, so much for seeing the bride glide. :)

While the wedding program was going on, some principal sponsors arrived (tama ka, mga Pinoy na late.) So of course they needed a place to sit with the others so I asked my husband to tell someone to get the chairs in my house and put it out somewhere at the back of the other sponsors. You understand how it is so embarrassing and so out of place to have chairs carried and passed in front of so many people in the middle of a wedding ceremony, right?

After the ceremony, it took a while yet before the reception so some sponsors who needed to use the bathroom trooped to my house and so for an hour or so, I became a 'bathroom guide.' Some of them are curious about the place. They wanted to know what CFM is all about so I gave some of them a 'tour' of the functions, mission, and visions of CFM. (By this time, my shoes were killing me already so I changed into my jeans and shirt so I could wear a comfortable shoes.)

In between the events cited in the previous paragraph and the one that precedes it, an usher gave me the 'papers' saying that she doesn't know who are the people listed there and doesn't want to go to the lengths of asking each one of the sponsors to search for their name in that maze of names and sign. So I took the papers and have the people I know sign first. But there were a couple of people there who've no place to sign so again, I did what I am 'not' good at, ran again and looked for someone who's likely to have a typewriter and asked her to type up a few more names and she did, thank goodness for small favors.

But the best of all these little sufferings of mine came during the reception. I was standing with my husband trying to locate a seat for yet another guest when somebody who was about to pass me by stopped and with big eyes started punching my arms not-so-gently telling me that he's been looking at me not quite recognizing me and wondering who on earth is that fat lady running to and fro ever since the ceremony started. GRRRRRRRR! I told him, "Exactly, I'm trying to lose some pounds that's why you saw me running here and there."


All in all, the ceremony was a success. The couple are beautiful, they are happy, and everybody was comfortable. That's all that matters.

.... give me a year, then I can be a runner again... Haven't you noticed? I do love the job, don't I?

After that day, my translation teammates asked me for a few days off. And I think we all need and deserve a break so I told them that it's probably okay for them not to report to the office for a day or two or three at the most, although I excused my sister because our brother asked for help from us to assist him in his bid for a seat in the Sangguniang Bayan of Kayapa and the other one needed some time to make campaign jingles for the politicians. As for me, I'm gonna wait for my Mindanao vacation. I hope to catch my breath then. Up until now, I am still gasping for air and enduring a five-peso-in-diameter blister on my soles. I did not know that the typesetting for our books would take less than the time I thought it would take, so right now, I have 320 pages of literature to proofread. What a week!