Ligaya Quotes

Kaya makapal ang mukha ko at matigas ang bituka,e. Hindi kilala ang pagsuko dahil hangga't wala akong inaapakang tao, inilalaban ko ang magpapasaya sa puso ko- kahit mabasted nang ilang libong beses, 500 doon ay sa text pa; kahit hindi matanggap sa audition para sa role ni Pilosopo Tasyo sa El Fili; kahit madalas palakol sa exam; kahit hindi ako laging nakakapasa sa kung ano ang tingin ng iba na disente at tama, go pa rin. Sabi nga ng paborito kong mga philosophers, "Laban, laban!" [Sexbomb Girls]. Bawal bumawi kung ang gusto mo lang naman mapalanunan ay ligaya at pagmamahal.

That’s Cervella.” Vero’s hand picks at something in her hair, as she glares down at a disassembled bike. “This one’s his favourite. Do you bike?” Ligaya nods as she remembers the fat-tire red bike. Pedro’s. He let her borrow it to visit family in the next village. She touches her thighs as she remembers the feeling of freedom, covering such distance by the strength of her own legs, not minding at all when she had to ride home in the pouring rain, her sweat and the rainwater indistinguishable on her cheeks. Again, she feels the uncomfortable vertigo of her body being in one place and her mind in another, the two so far apart. But Vero does not wait for an answer. She pulls Ligaya—not roughly—her fingertips soft on the exposed skin of Ligaya’s wrist. But Ligaya is unaccustomed to touch. Nobody touched her at the Poons. She breathes deeply and counts the bikes. She must not flinch, wills herself not to pull away; she cannot afford to give offense. Vero twirls her around and points at a poster above the workbench. “That! Read it!” But Ligaya does not have to read it. Vero reads it for her. Since the bike makes little demand on material or energy resources, contributes little to pollution, makes a positive contribution to health and causes little death, or injury, it can be regarded as the most benevolent of machines. —Stuart S. Wilson She pauses as if she might expect a response this time. She gestures at the room stuffed with bikes until it seems the very walls and ceiling are made of bikes, the scent of rubber tires replacing oxygen. “Ridiculous, right? The bike will save the world, he says. Yes, but you just need one, I say. One bike. That I can see. That I can even admire. I’m sure Stuart buddy here couldn’t even imagine this … this … biketrocity. And that he should be to blame?!

Servant work has turned, I scribbled in a notebook, looking at my mother, from what she once did for a living to who she is in life. I had no doubt that both my living and my life would be different. She holds a grudge against the world, I wrote of Ligaya, for defaulting on its promises to beautiful women. It didn't occur to me that I'd been counting on similar promises, made to smart girls who studied hard.

Ang utak ang kabán ng aking mga pangarap, ang buóng aklat ng aking buhay. At doo’y nakatitik ang aking mga ligaya na inuulit-ulit kong mulíng danasin sa pangarap. At doo’y lagì kong iníingatang huwág ulíng mabuklat ang mga dahon ng aking mga kalungkutan. Mula sa Dugô at Utak ni Cornelio S. Reyes

Nabubuhay ako sa araw at gabi na iniisip lamang ang oras sa hapon ng iyong pagdating! . . . [N]amumuni ko na nilikha ang umaga upang asamin ang tatamuhing ligaya sa hapon, at ang gabi upang panaginipan at namnamin ang mga alaala’t nangapukaw na damdamin. —Mula sa Kabanata 25, Elias at Salome