Found written on a half-torn page of a dilapidated but still miraculously surviving notebook in Treasury Dept., SM Pampanga:
04 / 25 / 06
19 : 16 : 58
JM YAMBAO,
COUNTER UTILITY CLERK,
IS NOW
OFFICIALLY
SIGNING OFF.
THANKS BUNCH.
Yep, yesterday was my last day working in the freaking mall. It wasn’t what I’d call a happy carefree-‘cause-tonight-I-can-sleep-‘til-dawn teary-eyed-goodbye-to-y’all-dicks-and-janes sort of day. I kinda lost the heat(?) of the moment because of a slight strike cold. I was feeling so shitty tired since morning I was surprised I made it through the day without fainting or puking. My head hurt like the hell of hells; I kept thinking “cold and clammy” whenever I looked at my hands which were – after all – cold and clammy. Talk about stating the obvious. I didn’t check up with the mall nurse because she would surely have made me go home the instant she took my toasting temperature. This, alas, meant no medicine for me the whole fuckin’ long day. What was so important I didn’t want to leave work early? Well there were these new recruits for SM Clark that we, no, I(since Kong Dave had his off) had to train for the day. Being it was my last day AND being the good employee that I was(ya*&^%$#skunk!), I did the most rightful thing of doing the gravest of grave life-threatening sacrifice for the sake of a flawless income-generating company operation. Fuck it, I expect a lot in my back pay, you lousy assholes, I didn’t ignore medication for a horrible headache that split my head in two whenever I coughed for nothing!
It wasn’t a total crap of a day though. I got to have a short unassuming talk with my crush, even had the luck to get a friendster account(I don’t sound too childishly girly, do I?.. ok I do); saw Bryan, who had the ultimate courage to give up the work for apparently the same reasons I would have, again(------you humungous bastard, I definitely am gonna miss you------); the picture taking session at treas. was fun, although I realized after that that I shoulda brought the sweet little camera the day before since everybody(Kong Dave, Kong Marv, Buley) would’ve been present, I also missed to get pictures of Yen, Bryan and ma supervisors(yea, im a total suck up),,, what waste.
Although there was little to be grand about, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the day. Every person I passed by piped “last day”. God, I didn’t know I knew that much people in the store. I did get to say goodbye to everyone, I think…
Turning point:::
Lyka, a good friend, once pointed out that it wasn’t about the work, or the salary, or whatever things SM offers you that kind of make you never want to leave the circle. It’s the people that you have been accustomed to seeing and hanging out with. Friends is the better term. You won’t be able to help it; these people just grow on you in ways expected and surprising alike. You would definitely want to quit the job, but you just can’t quit the friends, can ya??
That’s about it… Ciao. I’m gonna miss all of ya guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(i wrote this last april 26, 2006. i only got to publish it now because of the said cold i caught which alas lasted for a week. ainnit terrible?)