Just Sing

Today we held the first Pin and Turn Over Ceremony. It is more like the symbolic giving of the Seniors of their status as the Institute of Nursing and Midwifery’s, to us Juniors, the future Seniors. It’s almost like the Senior Version of Capping, Candlelighting Ceremony for the incoming Third Year Nursing Students.

I was at the place at 7.Then I saw my former blockmates. We were talking when they suddenly sniggered then pointed through their lips at my back. I turned around and saw a lady (about in her late twenties or early thirties). Besides the slightly, just slightly, disheveled hair and the cardboard where she occasionally writes on, there’s nothing unusual with the girl.

I looked at them bewildered so they whispered that the woman’s mad. I made a second look and saw that the lady was wearing a lipstick and has really neat clothing. I did not believe them so I went across the street to make a general surveillance.

Sure enough, the lady was indeed crazy. She was waving and talking at people God only knows who and where. She sometimes jots on her cardboard as if making an inventory then smiles at her side as if somebody has just whispered a joke.

According to what I heard, she went down from a passenger jeepney. If not because of her colored shirt and faded jeans that contrast the white clad of Nursing students, she would have been unnoticeable.

Then after the 3 hour ceremony while some of the Junior and senior blocks were taking their class pictures, the woman stepped on the stage. She took the microphone then gave a short remark in English.

All the people looked at her astounded yet amused. She was like, “I am really sorry because I really do not what to say right now, but for those who want to sing, just sing.”

She seemed very pleased with all the attention that she was garnering. She even went to the Block of Seniors who was taking their photos. (She wanted to be part of the section’s class pic I guess.)

Then she went to the microphone for the second time then made some thank you’s. A guy went beside her after she finished then grabbed the other microphone then said, “Sabi nya wag muna raw aalis kung gusto nyong magpapchur.” (She said don’t go yet if you want to have your pictures taken).

The crowd whistled and laughed. The woman looked at us all… smiled happily for her new found popularity.