Request

Doc checked my road bike and tried my Kreutzer piano at home. He plays contemporary-- I mean pop-- music and I imagined my neighbors clapping silently. For once, no Beethoven and Chopin. Finally, some music they can relate to and hum along with. I honestly do not know a lot of those pop numbers, (which reminded me of one exasperated teammate who finally snapped at me during a videoke singing session, inquiring from which planet do I hail from) I only hear snatches of the refrain from radios blasting inside passenger jeepneys and tricycles. I recognized "Baleleng," a favourite among Muslims and Cebuanos. I requested "Ocean Deep," and "Dayang dayang", (I've grown familiar with these two because on the eve of our barrio's fiesta, barrio lads and lasses would be gyrating to the music in the basketball court-turned disco venue--a spitting distance from my house) but Doc refused to play them.