At the Polling Precincts...

10.25.10

My Inang absolutely insisted that her whole clan (at least, her whole clan registered in her barangay) to go out and vote because one of her nephews was a candidate for the barangay captain position. So you know naman what happens when more than two from our angkan gathers together, di ba? Wackiness ensued almost immediately thereafter.

* * *

(The day before the elections)
Mom:
S'yempre naman, Inang, boboto ako. Pero hindi si Pamangkin mo ang iboboto ko.

Inang:
Walanghiya. 'Wag ka nang bumoto!

* * *

Mom, peeking inside the classroom/polling precinct:
Oi, R (pamangkin), 'wag ka nang magpanggap. Humingi ka na ng tulong. Alam naman namin na no read, no write ka.

* * *

Kuya R, gumaganti pag labas ng presinto:
O, wag mong kakalimutan ha. Bibilugan ang sagot. Baka check-an mo.

Mom:
Talaga?

* * *

Mom, wondering out loud:
Bakit nga kaya hindi puedeng itong sample ballot na lang ang ihulog natin sa ballot boxes para 'wag na tayong mahirapan sa pagboto?

Mga tao sa paligid:
Bakit nga kaya? Tanga talaga ng COMELEC.

* * *

Tita:
Oi, L, wala daw ang pangalan mo sa Voters' List.

Ate L:
'E 'di ok, uwi na ko. Ayoko naman talagang bumoto e.

Later,
Tita:
Ok, na L, nakita na 'yung pangalan mo.

Later still, after waiting for quite a while for the line to move.
Ate L:
Check ko na nga 'yung pangalan ko.

Mom:
Naku, baka kung hindi n'ya makita 'yung pangalan n'ya, maghara-kiri 'yun.

K:
Buti nga kung hara-kiri lang. 'E pa'no kapag naghurumintado 'yan?

Mom:
'O nga. Nasa personality pa naman.

* * *

Ate L, just as she was about to enter the polling precinct:
Naku, nasan na ang kodigo ko? (pats her pockets frantically)

Mom:
Bobo ka pala e. Tatatlo na nga lang iboboto mo, magkokodigo ka pa.

* * *

K, at the threshold of the polling precinct:
Walang tulakan, walang artista dito.

(The brother kasi is pushing his way in, kasi mainit sa labas)

* * *

My dad, who is registered in another barangay and whose brother-in-law was a candidate naman for kagawad, was unable to vote because the delivery of the ballots were super delayed (boo!).

Today, he asked if we had any news if the brother-in-law won.

K:
Natalo daw, by one vote.

D:
Parang gusto ko nang magpaputol ng daliri.

K:
Bakit mo puputulin? Pipitpitin ko na lang.

* * *

So kamusta naman ang botohan sa inyo?