Balentayms

All you need is a red cartolina, a pair of scissors and a black "pentel" pen. When funds are low and there are friendly seatmates nearby, you can always borrow their stuff. After all, it's their idea in the first place. You are just following the trend. Tell them, you will return the supplies later, and maybe, with a wink and a smile, the sweet damsels will be persuaded.

Cut a small portion from the cartolina. Make sure it is a recognizable square, or at least, an oblique rectangle. With clumsy small hands such as mine, a Mongol pencil might be required. The little piece of paper must still be folded in half.

Now here's the tricky part: using the Mongol pencil as a tracer, draw the half side of that symbol we use for love; That muscle beneath our chest that for some reason has become the icon for attachment. Cut the pattern as carefully as possible, and maybe with a few tries, you're almost done with your craft.

The recess bell rings and classes would resume at any moment. Some lazy brats thought of buying flowers from the vendors who suddenly showed up at your school's front gate. Like mushrooms clumped together on a stump, they are there only for one purpose: to offer a tempting bait to throw away your attempts at being artsy.

You can give up a bunch of junk foods for a single stalk of rose. But with baon smaller than today's jeepney fare, I had no choice but to finish my project by putting the right words complementing the occasion.

"Happy Valentines Teacher..."

I may have forgotten the story of St. Valentines, or the faces of those who actually got my little heart-cards. But the thought of giving them away - to people who are dear to me had become the idea of the holiday itself. Save for that one moment in college - when I wrote a cheesy poem about how loser it is to be single on the day of love, it never troubled me to remain couple-less when everyone hurries to find a mate.

The heart-shaped cards were never meant for lovers. They were given to people who has a special place in my heart. And for me, this is what the Hearts Day is all about.

Happy Valentines, everyone.