Riverside

Writing

It's 2006 and I feel like I can have a fresh start, should I want to. It's not easy giving up writing. For the past few months -- actually, all through the second half of the last year -- I didn't feel like I had something to write about. Not true. I've had so many experiences worth writing about, reams and reams of it, except that I'm still processing them. The words aren't there yet; it's just a bundle of emotions and realizations, all waiting to be set to words.

New home

I've a new job, a new home, a new world, a new me. I've re-invented myself all over again and I'm trying out new things. I've ended old beginnings and started new ones; ended old loves and buried past hurts. But one thing remains unchanged: my greatest challenge is still myself.

New characters

A new set of characters has emerged, foremost of whom is one I've loved for a year now, a regular in a previous blog: Cliff. He is a dear, dear friend with whom I share intimacy and a very personal part of my life.

Myles is a new-found friend, a stalwart supporter, and fierce ally in my new world.

Freddie is another new-found friend and ally, but to what extent, remains to be seen. He professes to share my vision in this new world, although he hesitates and hangs back, uncertain as to how to proceed. In this, we have many things in common, as we have between us a sexual tension you could virtually cut with a knife. At the start of our conversations about plans and strategies for conquest in this new world, I jokingly referred to him as my general, and myself, as political adviser. It amused him.

There are also a couple of enemies: Mega and Lucy. The former is a young man who, in his delusions, pictures himself as an intelligent and inspirational leader. Quite to the contrary, Mega is an ego-centric, power-drunk petty tyrant who says much but contributes nothing of value to the organization. Lucy, on the other hand, is an old veteran of extensive experience but cannot, even if her life depended on it, adapt to her constantly changing environment, such that her tired responses to her environment never adds value but almost always obstructs, to the detriment of the body-politic.

The head of this organization is a hesitant CEO who inherited the empire from his parents. He is a victim of circumstances, albeit a very fortunate one at that. He is a work in progress and what a piece of work he is! His ambitions for the organization is too ambitious for his character and he needs to be trained to develop his personality to match his words. Although a very genial and generous man, he lacks the strength of character to see these ambitions through.

New world

It is my job to see to it that all these things fall into place. And where does this war take place, you may well ask. The battles will take place in a sleepy little town struggling to enter the 21st century, located just three hours north of Metropolitan Manila, a town we'll simply call Riverside.