momentaries: it was not meant to be a photo
By Jan Philippe V. Carpio



Across the second floor of Powerbooks, sight along and past the shelves loaded with Philippine Publications, Health, General Health, Psychology, Parenting, Philosophy, New Age, Inspirational, Biblical Reference, Manga flanking on both sides – non-existing columns of a house – shelves designed like the frame of a home, housing an entire section of “Chick Lit”, two people sit on the front step, a petite Filipina with hair just above shoulders, badge top sleeves at wrists, blue denim shorts mid-thigh, black sneakers, a bald, lanky Caucasian man, sunglasses resting on his head (an extra pair of dark eyes), aqua blue collared shirt just before the elbow, khaki shorts, brown leather sandals, knees negating any attempt at in-between, staring into each other’s eyes, unmoving, corner smiles on their faces, the light reflecting back only each other, till after not a long time but for a while, she starts stroking his left knee with her right hand and everything around seems to suddenly glow and surround till he brings out a coffee table book that must have been lying out of sight somewhere, then he stands first as she looks down to text someone on her phone as he looks down at her, with the same look of her, with the same smile of looking at her, until she too stands up, and they leave. 

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It was not meant to be a photo.

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January 23, 2010