Isaw

A Short Story

Isaw,

n.; the general term for Filipino street food that includes the intestines, gizzard, head, feet, ears, blood, and other internal organs of pigs, chickens, and etc.

By: N. Mozart Diaz

I ran out to meet her, but I was already too late.

She stood by the gate of the school arms crossed tapping her feet impatiently.

“Why are you late?” she asks

“I had to clean the classroom.”

“Oh don’t lie to me, John, I know you’ve been talking to that girl from 5th Grade.”

“Angela, I swear…”

“Tse! Just walk to me to the jeepney station.”

“Let’s get Isaw first, my treat.”

She fails to reply. That was Angela, my girlfriend for about a week now. We met in the 5th Grade when we became seatmates. We got close, and I developed a crush on her. When we came to the 6th Grade our class was split up, but we kept in touch; eventually I got the courage to ask her last week, and she said yes.

My mom got mad at me, she said I was too young and coupled with the ‘mga kabataan ngayon!’ speech. My father said nothing, but he laughed, which hurt too. The only support I got was from my friends, and of course, Angela herself. We would chat until our parents turned off the WiFi, and after that, we would text. We made promises for forever, and I believed in forever.

We walked along the street, crowded with students from our school, all walking in the same direction. She wouldn’t talk to me, but she still held my hand.

I don’t know where she gets all these delusions, I was all hers. Why would she doubt?

We get to the isawan and I finally hear her voice after the long, silent trip.

“Kuya, dalawang betamax, tsaka dalawang isaw po.”

“Sa’yo?” he asks me

“Yun din po. Magkano?”

“Forty.”

I hand him 40 pesos as he takes our orders out of his Tupperware and sets it on the grill. It crackles and Angela finally talks to me.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you.”

“Then what is it?”

“Well, you ‘liked’ her profile picture last night and — ”

“Seriously? This is what it’s all about? How about that guy you keep texting?”

“He’s my group mate!”

“I thought we made a promise to be honest!”

People are staring at us now.

“Yung isaw niyo.” the manong tells us.

“Look, let’s just eat and sort this out later.” She said

But we don’t, we eat in silence and I walk her to her station.

I open Facebook and see a post from her once I get home.

“SHARE if you’re single!”

I mutter a few curses to myself, move my mouse over to the post, and hit ‘Share.’