Recently, my nightlife always begin with an hour or so jog in Baywalk area along Roxas Boulevard. It usually start with me walking briskly as I watch the setting sun out of the corner of my eye. The famous sunset of Manila Bay is not as gorgeous as the sunset of the city by the bay where I grow up. Ours is far beautiful than Manila Bay’s, that is, if the sun would bother to shine at all.
Days of jogging along Baywalk exposed me to different people from all walks of life. I become friendly with the vendors that I always receive a smile of welcome and recognition each time I arrive. I watched with enthusiasm as yatchs come and go. I touched with too much longing the Mercedes’, BMW’s and the jaguars parked outside Manila Yatch Club. Lovers kissing and cuddling each other in full public view without a care in the world is familiar sight. Foreigners bargaining with the pimps are easy to spot like the lunatics who roamed around wandering around Baywalk like it is a paradise. While I envy the lovers and the lunatics who lived in their own paradise, my heart bleeds as a prostitute is lead away after a deal of a glimpse of paradise has been sealed.
I jog until my head aches from lack of oxygen, until my breath whistle as I inhale, until my legs are sore, until my visions blur. Reality has an ugly face.
