She alighted from the jeepney coming from Cainta just across Galleria and quickly crossed the street toward the beckoning mall. Gladys walked past the huge shrine of Mama Mary on the corner of EDSA, past the Mercury Drug Store and entered the side entrance of National Book Store. She briefly glanced at the local romance novels, then tarried at the shelves with the imported ones. She browsed through two of them for a while and got engrossed in one: “Snowbound Sweetheart,” by Judy Christenberry. She smiled at herself when she recognized the will-she-won’t-she-go-to-bed plot involving a fashion model and a hunk, but finally put it back with a shrug and decided not to buy it this time, as it was still a week away from Rod’s next payday. Maybe next week.
Ang apat na tagapag-alaga ng daan-daang panabong ay nagtiis din ng mahaba’t maalinsangang tag-init ng taong El Niño, kamukha ng mga hayop at tanim sa palahian, at sila man ay nakilahok sa pagbabago ng natigang na lupa – una, mula sa maikling tag-ulang nagtagal nang ilang linggo lamang; at, pagkatapos, mula sa maaliwalas na amihang nagpapahiwatig ng pagdating ng Disyembre at ang panibagong pagsibol ng kagalakan sa pamamagitan ng Pasko. Nakasiyorts, nakayapak at hubad ang dibdib, masigasig nilang inasikaso ang kanilang mga alaga, masigla silang nagkuwentuhan habang nilibot nila ang palahian upang hulihin ang mga panabong para inspeksiyunin ang mga tumutubong balahibo pagkatapos ng lugon sa panahon ng pagbabago, upang sila’y timbangin at tingnan ang kalagayan ng kanilang tali, teepee, at lalagyan ng pagkain at tubig.