To borrow the title of a movie which was inspired by the Lemony Snicket novel, that was exactly what happened to us on the 1st week of April.
Unlike Meanie’s prom after-party that merited a fun blog, Joshua’s prom felt like it never wanted to end.
The FAMKADA, in keeping up with the tradition of prom-crashing, made a last-minute decision of tailing Bai Brill. Joeby was already with Bai while the rest of us were still texting each other to coordinate. At around 9 or ten-nish, we were all huddled at one of our usual hang-outs at the IT Park. We, meaning, Master Bong, Tita Ate Jen, Jessa, Meanie and myself. After approximately, 3 RH towers later, Bai told us that they were over at Nuvo – not the wine shop at Glorietta but Nuvo at the old Sunflower sumthin. My husband, who just got off work, was already there to pick us up since he was the only person sober among us. We thought we were already going home because we were all tired and sleepy since we also came from Sol’s birthday from the previous night. But nope, we weren’t. Famkada to Nuvo.
IMO, Nuvo was not that fab except for the beautifully-garbed people who were there. And by people, I mean the teens who just came from their prom. Of course, Bai was the best-suited senior in their prom. He wore white on black. White coat paired with black pants. Very 20th century and very Bai Brill. We were all proud cousins! Oh and of course, Bai’s dad and our master already went home. Tito Bong just dropped off Tita Ate Jen and told Papoy to bring them home. He did not even set foot on Nuvo. Meanie, since it was her prom that Joeby and Joshua crashed, went inside the bar since we just stayed at the al fresco area. We did not even have to ask how the inside was because we could see how it was. Meanie was all sweaty and sticky when she got out. She said it was just too crowded in there. Bai and Joeby came out and we took turns wearing Bai’s coat which looked like a lab coat when we were wearing it.
A few more beers later, we were ready to go home (although Bai wasn’t). We dropped off Tita Ate Jen and Bai at their place, I took one last photo of Ate wearing the “doctor” coat with the LV Speedy (almost like a doctor bag!) and we said our goodbyes.
On the way to Consolacion to drop off the Cabigases, we all dozed off with Papoy driving. Until I woke up to ‘Ka-blag’. I did not hear tires screeching nor do I see Papoy panicking. I asked him what happened and did he doze off, too. He vehemently said no and when I glanced back at what we hit, I saw a kid sprawled on the floor. I remember I kept asking him why. But I really was not listening because I already got off the car ready to face the crowd that had already gathered around the kid.
Papoy, still in the car, kept yelling at them to bring him to the car so we can take him to the hospital. But the car was too far! I marched back to the car and told him to go back. I asked him if he was speeding but I would have known, too, because I’m a light sleeper and I would know if he was driving too fast. He said he did not even go past 40. And I believe him.
When we got to the John Doe, I immediately went down and looked at the person who was initially sprawled face down but at that time, he was already lying on his back. I could see his bloody face and that he was not a kid. He was a small, grown-up. And he was drunk. I also saw Joeby, blending in with the crowd. I feared that they might hurt my husband that’s why I went down way ahead of him so that they could see there were girls with him in the car. I saw a guy taking our pictures with a digicam even while we were still in the car.
The people around John Doe were not moving. My husband kept telling them to carry him to the car already so we can bring him to the hospital. I heard, “yeah, bring him to the hospital”, “no, don’t touch him”, “call the cops”, “maybe he’s still alive”. Yet, no one moved a muscle! I yelled at them to please not waste time and help lifting the John Doe to the car so we could take him to the nearest hospital.
Finally, some men held John Doe by his upper body and then another person held his legs and dumped him in the car. We drove onwards with the body lying down behind Jessa, Meanie & Joeby. I tried calling Ate Jen since she was the last person we dropped off and I thought she would still be awake. No answer. I saw Hermag. My heart dropped. We were almost home. And this had to happen. Papoy told me he was the one who jumped to the car. He said he saw him running across the busy street trying to catch the Ceres bus which Papoy overtook, hence the slow speed, especially also since we were in the Canduman area which was uphill. I prayed silently on the way to the hospital but that ride took a super long time! We were able to contact the Cabigas’ parents while Meanie started crying. I was able to calmly tell Tito Joeben what just happened and then I prayed again.
I noticed there were 2 motorcycles tailing us. Papoy signaled for them to move to the front and one of them started blowing his horn just to clear our way.
First stop, Cortes Hospital. Again, I got down the car. Jessa, Joeby and Papoy, too. A Cortes hospital staff went to the back end of the car and looked at the John Doe. I signaled for Jessa to take his pulse and before she could even come any nearer, John Doe started getting off the car. Thank you, God, he is conscious! We were told to bring him to the district hospital so off we went.
We were lucky when we got there that the place was deserted save for the people in the Emergency Room and someone sleeping on what look like chairs placed beside each other. During that time, it became even more evident that he was indeed drunk. We got his wallet and saw an expired license. At least now he has a name. But let’s just call him PP.
I was so relieved when Tito Joeben and Tita Tessie got to the hospital. I felt relieved because the grown-ups were here and I felt furious because the medical team confirmed he was intoxicated. When he was moved to the hospital bed, he was slightly awake but drifting off every few seconds. When I got a closer look at him, his eyes were red and hazy and cloudy. I motioned for Jessa to look at his eyes. Ryan, the motorcycle driver who tailed us, even used his cellphone for a clearer view of his eyes. He also vouched that he saw PP cross the street without looking. And had he overtook the Ceres bus like we did, he would have been the one to bump PP.
The traffic cop then spoke to Papoy. It was also then that I learned Joeby had already called Kuya Baba who was a cop so that we would be fairly heard. Famkada to the rescue!
Papoy was driving no faster than 40. He overtook a Ceres bus and maneuvered the uphill road towards Consolacion. We were at Canduman. He said he saw PP run across the street to which he honked his horn. PP turned back to wave to the people he left and was running close to the car. Papoy honked again. PP, probably startled, jumped towards the car instead of away from it. The way he jumped must have been to like sit on the face of the car. His butt hit the headlight and he bumped the back of his head to the windshield. The upper part of the headlight was pushed in and there was a web crack on the upper left portion of the windshield, too. For a small person like PP, he would not have reached that part of the windshield if he was standing still. He got his wound when he fell face down the road.
The attending doctor told us to bring PP to Sotto Hospital for a CT scan since he had a gash on his left eyebrow. Tito J and Tita Tessie rode the ambulance while we, the girls, went with Papoy to the police station. Joeby drove his parents’ motorcycle.
On the way to Sotto, Jessa felt the need to go so we had to stop by the other V. Sotto. Home. Over at V. Sotto house, we spoke with Tito Butch whom we did not tell about the incident yet.
And Manang Beth whom we invited to go with us for the family day at Sotto Hospital. We, then, got a call from Joeby who called for rescue, too. The motorcycle had a flat tire. Oh Lordy! Will this day get any longer?
I should not have asked. Because when we got to Sotto Hospital, more stuff happened. Next blog.
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