The Starving Writer and Starving Painter

Tuesday January 18, 2011

The Plan: KKB style dinner with Zeus Bascon (Starving Painter) and yours truly (Starving Writer)

After making me wait for 45 minutes in Ayala, I told Zeus I'm going back to Mandaluyong. I wasn't in the waiting mood (I got tired of staring at the cats in Bioresearch) and it seemed that what he's doing at the exhibit took longer than I thought. So I went back to my place in Mandaluyong, I could have waited longer but my mobile phone was dying, no place to charge so I went back. I was a bit upset but I let it go. Thankfully he dropped by my place and bought me Green Tea Latte (After complaining that I wasted my time and effort hehe), he was forgiven.

So we decided to meet in starbucks in Edsa Central, took Neomi with me in case there was wifi connection available, unfortunately Starbucks doesn’t have wifi, they really are patronized for their coffee. They don’t need wifi to attract their customers but it would certainly help if that branch had wifi connection.
He was fixing some things in WhiteSpace Makati for an upcoming exhibit in which I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend to, despite my word telling him I would. I do have my reasons.

I was the one who ordered our drinks as he sat outside the café smoking, on the far table were two lesbians, I know they’re lesbians because my gaydar sense tingled. Lining up, there was another lesbian behind me, there were lesbians everywhere… I thought the lesbian couples at the far table were cute, I saw them kiss. I realized people are quite tolerating or is it just me, I was sure no one eyed them in a weird way when they kissed and they weren’t really shy to hide their relationship from the crowd.

Zeus is one of the people whom I can easily talk about everything and he’s one of the people I hang out with a lot. We talked about our projects recently and on how things are looking up for the both of us, starving artists marvel at the face of projects and opportunities because if we don’t do, we don’t eat. That is the tragic reality we face daily. He said he probably can’t work as an employee as to what I have managed to as of the moment. The truth of the matter is, I’m not really a fan of being an employee and I suppose I can tolerate it, since there are a lot of restrictions and rules when working for someone.

Although it may be quite hard to admit and I may not look it, behind this goody-two-shoes look is a badass employee who doesn’t bend the rules but ignore them. I go to work late, I leave early, I take 3-4 hour breaks and eat kimchi fried rice and what nots in my working area. A friend of mine told me it’s a miracle I’m not fired yet. My boss is too kind I suppose and my work is output basis or should I say, I’m just that good.

We spent hours talking over coffee while watching SAW 6 on my laptop, just the perfect movie to discuss my dating habits and on how we are focusing on our careers and not on our lovelives.

Around midnight we have decided to leave the coffee shop and go back to our respective modern caves. He asked if he could charge his phone at my place first before taking the bus to laguna. As we were walking to my place a bus passed and dropped a stick of balloons. It was one of those lame and tacky small balloons tied in one stick, which boyfriends who have no idea what to give their girlfriends on valentines day buy. He gave it to me and we had a funny thought that I will introduce him as my boyfriend when we arrive at the unit in CGS. The people in my unit are having the suspicion that I was gay so it is only apt to mess around with their heads. My landlady will definitely have another reason to be depressed and unhappy with her bitter lonely life.
It was only our maid who saw us come in that night, we remained by the door and talked about spirituality and the end of the world until 2AM. Then I walked him to the bus stop.

The next morning our maid asked if the guy I was with the night before was my boyfriend, I placed the stick balloons at the end of my bed. I told her that he was my boyfriend as I tried very hard not to laugh on the idea. It didn’t take long before the people in the household got a hold of the news.

Though in reality it will never come to be since I am gay, I like my friendship with him(I think friendship is better than a relationship) and despite the fact that some women claimed they have dated me before, I have only dated a few women and I would like to keep it that way. Zeus on the other hand claimed disinterest in men and attraction for women and he complains often about gay men hitting on him.
I don't mind women claiming they have dated me before, especially when they're hot but the thing is I don't date a lot.