That one circus

sometimes, it's so hard to understand why stories need to have those kinds of dismissive endings, but most of the time, it's harder to believe that endings are part of new beginnings.

it was my off last night so i decided to go out. for my self, at least. locking myself up inside the four corners of my lonely room makes the two of us. wearing the shirt he gave me last month in exchange with the small favor of my lending to him a nicholas sparks, i went to the coffee shop we always spend time in together. it seemed to be a normal afternoon with a lot of people sipping their favorite and overrated frappuccinos. i took an empty table after buying a hot dark cherry mocha and a cinnamon swirl.

i was the only person inside the coffee shop who was with no one. near me was a couple who was playing farmville on facebook. the sounds from their laptop, however moderated it appeared, got into my nerves, so i yanked my player out of my pocket and made those earphones do their job.

a song by kelly clarkson was playing when a lanky guy walked into the shop. like me, he brought no one along with him but himself. he ordered a peppermint mocha. an iced one, actually. i am not to be taken wrongly for keeping an eye at him; there's a magnetic force inside him somewhere.

the barista smiled at him after lending the cup to him, and then, as if being maneuvered by an invisible thread, he looked at me. it was a sharp look that made me decay for a split second. i wanted an extension; i needed more time to restore my composition. sadly, it was too late. he did not take back his look as if locking it can win him millions from the lottery.

he moved forward, not toward me, but to an empty table distant enough for the two of us to have an excuse not to talk.

every drop of sound suddenly fainted. that of my player (the last line that was caught by ears went 'how did you know just where i would be?'). that of the laptop of the couple. that of the jolly baristas and the customers. that of the coffee lovers inside who became the audience to this small circus.

my heart wanted to break apart at that very instant. i stood up and hurled the remaining courage i own.

holding the cup of coffee, i was sitting opposite to him the next moment. his eyes had the same spark i fell in love with on our first meeting. those two eyes were as if looking at my inner self.

i closed my eyes and was about to break into tears. only he was not really there.

then every drop of sound continued.

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The aftertaste (a coffee shop drama)

everything is still lucid to me. it was the first of december, the end of our happy november days, when my world turned upside down.

the chill of that certain coffee shop we consider our favorite did not help to ease my pain. nothing seemed right during that time. the sunny baristas who, after our daily visits there, already know our names. your grande cappuccino you always request extra hot and the lifeless and untouched doughnut. and even the cold distance between us that fateful morning you put a period in forever.

i wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, for every soul inside the cafe to hear, how much i am more than willing to sacrifice and do anything just for him to tell me that he was only kidding, that everything he said was only a part of a big joke.

we left the cafe since it's already time for my work. following one of our rituals, he walked me to the building where i work as an IT analyst. i could still remember how i declined skyrocket offers in makati due to my extreme wanting to be nearer to him. geographically, at least.

i rarely use the word surreal but it was the best word to describe the scenes. following our rituals, i expected that he'd hold my hands before we reached the building. he didn't. instead, he just sported a vague smile and waved goodbye. it was so sad that i stand there, silent and static, watching him walk away, being eaten by an ocean of tired and busy people.

thinking that it was best to clear my mind first, i informed my boss that i was suffering from extreme cold. lying is not my thing. my voice that seemed to break on the phone sounded natural.

all alone, at 8.30 in the morning, i went to this bar that caters to the nocturnal populace of ortigas for a drink. after countless bottles, i fished my phone and tried to drag a few names only to found myself talking to him, half-crying, begging for a ride home.

when i woke up, he was no longer there. thinking that crying still remains human, i grabbed my pillow and tried not to scream how much i love him.

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Arroyo declares Martial law in Maguindanao

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo placed Maguindanao province under a state of martial law, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Saturday.

Malacañang has suspended the writ of habeas corpus in the province, where 57 people in Ampatuan town were involved in a massacre last November 23, except "for certain areas."

In so doing, the military can make arrests without court intervention.

"The condition of peace and order in the province of Maguindanao have deteriorated to the extent that local judicial systems and other government mechanisms are not functioning and thus endangering public safety," Ermita pointed out.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said that judicial process is hindered as "no judges will take the case, no judges will pursue the proper search warrants, or warrant of arrests."

Under Proclamation 1959, the declaration follows that of then-president Ferdinand Marcos who imposed military rule over the entire country from 1972 to 1981.

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Vampire and werewolf join cast of True Blood

Two more hunks are added for the next season of HBO series "True Blood".

Newcower Theo Alexander and "Ugly Betty" boy-next-door Grant Bowler are lucky enough to grab the spotlight on Alan Ball's vampire series.

Alexander will play Talbot, a very beautiful gay vampire who is the boyfriend of Russell Edgington (Denis O'Hare), the vampire king of Mississippi. Talbot loves to cook even though vampire inherently lacks cooking talent.

On the other hand, Bowler's character is Coot, who is a werewolf, the ringleader of a biker gang.

Alexander has appeared on series like "Chuck", "Pushing Daisies" and "Crime Scene Investigation: New York". He has recently booked a role for the feature "Losing Control."

Bowler, a New Zealander, has had a role on ABC's drama "Ugly Betty".

Marshall Allman, meanwhile, will play Sam’s long-lost younger brother.

The production of the third season of True Blood started in Los Angeles last Wednesday.

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Near to you

it was so cold inside my room that i had to wake up and turn off the electric fan.

i opened my laptop and looked at the time. it was five in the morning and i realized that i just had three hours of sleep. a tiring day necessitates a long night sleep but i deferred the beckoning of my bed.

a sad song entitled "near to you" was playing on the background in loop. i don't know exactly why i love to hear this song up until i thought of him.

i miss his smile, his eyes, his touches, his gestures, his laughter, his expressions, the way he talks, the way he pinches my nose, the way he rests in my chest, his kisses. more than willing, i can run a long list here, but by and large, i miss everything about him.

i shut my laptop down, and then returned to sleeping in the hope to forget him when i wake up.

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Int'l game show Ba Ba Boom airs on Eat Bulaga

2waytraffic International, a Dutch distributor, has sold its listening skill-based game show format, Ba Ba Boom, to local company Tape in the Philippines for 65 installments slated to air on the world's longest-running noontime show, Eat Bulaga, aired on GMA-7.

The format is simpler than any show that requires talent or knowledge. Featured in the game show are ten models standing behind the Ba Ba Boom table. Their gloves-worn hands are placed flat on the surface. Three of those hands hide three coins. The objective is simply to have the contestants eliminate the hands without coins.

In unison, the models bang their hands twice with their fists and once with their hands lying flat on the table for everyone to hear.

The contestants and the viewers can hear the sound of the coins clinking on the table.

Using the sound, the contestant must slowly eliminate the hands that have no coins. If they get rid of a coin, then they lose the game. But if they eliminate all of the empty hands, they win the pot prize.

Developed by Sony Pictures Television International-owned 2waytraffic, Ba Ba Boom is shown in 23 countries across three continents.

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Alicia Keys to take 5 people on African trip

Once can't always be enough. That's why Alicia Keys is launching a contest by means of her charity named Keep a Child Alive in the mission to give five individuals an opportunity to visit Africa with her.

The 28-year-old Grammy-winning singer said that her first trip to Africa was so inspiring and life-changing and so she wants others to experience the same feeling.

Keys announced the contest December 1, which happens to be World AIDS Day on her performance at the Nokia Theatre in New York's Time Square. Live airing of the concert will be on YouTube at 8 p.m. EST.

Interested fans can enter the contest online at the foundation's website. Joining can also be done through text. For every text message sent for the contest, the $5 fee will be donated to Keep a Child Alive.

For five days, the five winners will join Keys on visiting the places and people that were most important to her.

Entertainers at the concert performed songs from Keys' fourth studio album entitled "The Element of Freedom" which is set for a December 15 release.

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Philippine massacre suspect charged with murder

The heir of a dominant clan is charged with 25 counts of murder Tuesday in the massacre of 57 people.

Andal Ampatuan Jr. was witnessed by at least 10 people leading gunmen, including police officers, who obstructed the election caravan of his rival before the Nov. 23 Maguindanao massacre, told Philippine prosecutor Al Calica.

After hours, slumped were bullet-riddled and chopped bodies found near the highway and quickly buried together with three vehicles in three mass graves using a backhoe.

Ampatuan turned himself in last week and denied the accusation.

"The evidence is strong," Calica mentioned, telling further that three of the witnesses were in the convoy with journalists, the wife, two sisters, aunt and many supporters of Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, Ampatuan's rival from Buluan.

Additional charges will be pushed through by the prosecutors considering that the killings were cautiously planned.

The carnage brought the whole world into condemnation, including the United Nations, United States of America, Australian and European governments.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared a state of emergency in Maguindanao and a neigboring province and ordered police and troops to sequester unlicensed weapons to bring back peace and order.

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