Valentines Day is just around the corner and the HQ is overflowing with love stories that the Laarnians are wondering why Issa, Jeques and Tatang have not covered those stories.

In fact the old man hasn't been heard of ever since he closed the pages of the Chronicles of Laarnia covering the Queen's days in the academy.

Maybe I should give him a visit just to check out how he's been doing lately. I hope he is well the way the resident poet always wishes

After a while of following the usual zigzagging route I use to travel in search of truth and pleasure, I am finally where the old man is supposed to be.

Ahhh, there he is, alone with his beloved bottled spirit.

How lonely must one feel to drink that stuff alone for any reason at all?

Who will he pass the bottle to?

If he is trying to forget something, who is reminding him of it?

If he is celebrating something, why is he doing it alone?

I might as well talk to him maybe I will find something out.

“Hey, old man, how you doing? May I join you?”

“Stalk, what brought you here? Come, come. Grab a glass and help yourself. Long time no see. I mean long time no hear. What made you show yourself to me?” The old man fired in rapid succession.

He even looks genuinely happy. That's weird, he and I are not the best of friends, In fact, we are not even friends. The truth is, we really hate each other. Well, at least I know I hate the old man.

“I am just curious if you are still alive Old Man. I haven't seen you around lately, you know. Have you been to the HQ lately?” I asked the old man as I absentmindedly took a glass and poured myself some of the foul smelling concoction he offered me.

“I haven't been there physically after I was chased away after calling those babes over there, 'Amazons'.” The old man replied with a blank look in his eyes. I noticed his eyebrows drooped with a hint of pain as his lips managed a dry smile.

“Honestly Old Man, I don’t think the ‘Amazon’ thing was the reason they chased you out of the HQ.”

“What do you mean, Stalk?”

“Remember you complained about the ‘Mission Impossible’ theme used in the promo…..”

“Cut it out, Stalk!” The old man blurted before I was able to finish what I was saying.

“Everybody knows it is a joke. It is supposed to be a joke. My kind of joke.” He mumbled almost to himself.

“Ok, ok, if you say so.” I replied as I poured another shot into my cup.

“So what have you been doing to keep yourself busy Old Man?”

“Nothing much Stalk, just making sure the family is safe and sound. You know I don't have much to offer them besides letting them know I'm with them. Nothing much, Stalk, nothing much.” The old man mumbled over and over again as if he is making sure I heard him.

“You look sad Old Man, are you alright?”

“Don't think you can fool me into believing that you are concerned about me, Stalk.” The old man replied with a voice that seems to come out from the cold rock I am sitting on.

“I am not trying to show you I care Old Man. I am just asking if you're all right. I just want to know if I can finally laugh at your face straight up.”

He looked straight into my eyes making sure that he has my attention.

“Stalk, I am worried about the Queen's health.

I am worried about the mix reactions the Laarnians are having about the way her reign is going on.

I am worried about the way the empire is promoting the Queen's projects.

The empire should promote the Queen fairly and honestly.

Not the lackadaisical way they are doing it.

That's why the citizens loyal to the Queen started action groups and image building drives.

They are letting the empire realize that they are not satisfied with the way the Queen is being treated.

They are making it known that they are not going to sit down on their hands while watching the empire disrespect the Queen.”

“Whoa, Old Man, whoa.

The way I see it, the empire is doing just right in behalf of the Queen.

They released the Queen's debut album. Didn't they?

They are promoting the Queen all over the kingdom. Aren't they?

Maybe they gave the Queen more than she can handle.

Maybe that's why she got sick.

The loyalists are just being ungrateful to the empire.

Shame on you Old man, you should know better.” I said straight to the old man's nose as defiantly as I could.

The old man squinted his eyes as they literally disappeared from his face.

He gritted his teeth so hard that I swear I heard them crack.

“You just don't get it Stalk.

The Queen won the throne fair and square.

Along with the crown came provisions meant only for her.

There is an old age tradition to love, respect and hold the wearer of the crown high and above the rest.

On the other hand, the crown comes with the heavy and unalienable responsibility of being loyal to the empire.

But what is happening now?

While the Queen has been loyally keeping honest to her end of the bargain, the empire has not.

It is true that they came out with the Queen’s debut album, but they released the boogieman’s album right after it?

The competition is over and the Queen won it.

Why are they making them compete again?

It is true that the Queen is being promoted all over the kingdom but the rest of the scholars are with her.

Where is the Queen’s advantage there?

Wearing the crown doesn’t make the Queen any better than she is now.

That is why the coronation is actually a promise to help the Queen develop and reach her full potential with the empire’s full support.

That promise was even sealed with a binding contract.

When the boogieman was offered a contract, the empire in reality turned it’s back to the Queen.

I can go on and on, pointing one by one, the ways the empire broke it’s promises but I’d rather tell you this Stalk, the Laarnians are fed up with the way the Queen has been treated.

The support they are giving the Queen can easily be redirected against the empire.

Only a handful of Globals picketing one of the empires’ international shows can inspire the foreign press to cover why a huge empire mistreated it’s own crowned queen.”

The old man ended his diatribe without taking his eyes off of mine.

I instinctively reached for the bottle only to find out that I have already emptied it.

“Woooh! It looks like we ran out of poison, Old Man. I guess it’s time for me to go.” I offered apologetically as if blaming myself for finishing the old man's drink.

“If you will stay, Stalk, I am going to open another bottle. What do you say?” He asked me almost begging me to stay.

“Alright, alright, you talk me into it.” I laughed as I watched him get up and walk towards the door.

I noticed a piece of paper where he was sitting.

It is neatly folded besides an open envelope.

Did the old man receive a mail or is he going to mail one?

The urge to pry into the old man’s life took the better of me and I reached out for the letter.

I unfolded it and I saw an untitled poem.

“i tried so hard to hide the way i feel for you my dear

for reasons even i don't know. for reasons that i fear,

but i did fail to keep my love hidden within my heart

and now i hope the words i said won't drift us far apart.

“i tried to reach out for our Lord to show me what to do.

is it right to fall in love with a girl as young as you?

with all the trials you have to face, a burden i may be

but since i need a guiding light, please help my mind to see.

“remember when you said that i am like a carefree soul?

somehow you're right for up to now i haven't set my goal.

i've always yearned to be the wind, for i want to be free.

i feel the need to reach the sky, the hills and open sea.

“i want to watch you day and night, to hear your laughter ring.

i need to hear your voice so sweet. i love to hear you sing.

i think there is no greater joy than to look into your eyes

and with your hand against my chest the feeling is so nice.

“i wish to run my fingertips through your silky hair

and feel each strand against my palm to make me feel aware,

that somewhere deep within our minds we have a place to stay.

just you and i, to share our love each single night and day.

“if i could only be the wind then i will be with you

so that you'll never be alone whenever you feel blue,

and if by chance your eyes shed tears, i'll dry them with a kiss

and i'll be there to listen to even your smallest wish.

“if i'm the wind i dreamed to be, i'll never leave your side

so i can soothe you when you're down or when you're feeling tired.

i'll trace the nerves down your spine with my fingertips

and when it's time to wake you up i'll kiss your tender lips.

“if i'm the wind i hoped to be, i'll watch you day and night

and never ever will i let you drift out of my sight.

i'll be there to share with you all your smiles and tears

and i will always be with you as months turn into years.

“but then i know i'll never be the wind i dreamed to be.

hard i may try, i'll never change, forever i'll be me.

so if by chance you'll need my love, i hope you'll let me know,

and if you don't, please pray for me so that in peace i'll go.

“in truth my dreams about the wind have changed when i met you.

i felt my blood rushed through my veins, a feeling that is new.

the coolness i pride myself of, the calmness within me

is now more like a virgin fire that boils the open sea.

“i feel my mind being consumed by my heart that was once tame.

now that the wind in me is gone, i feel i am a flame.

i burn for you for reasons that the books can never teach.

i burn for you for reasons that wisdom can never reach.

“whenever we dance on the floor and our heads are one,

i feel that i am burning red under the desert's sun.

and then my throat will start to dry with fever in my heart.

oh!! how i wish to hold you tight and wish we'll never part.

“whenever i am holding you while music's in the air

i float into my world of dreams pretending that you care,

and in my world we are alone with nothing else to say.

we are there because of love and we are there to stay.

“but then a dream is not the truth, it's just a fantasy.

it's just a world where i need to live to keep you close to me.

and everytime the music ends a part of me does die.

a heavy cloud will shroud my world and darken up the sky.

“i dread the pain i have to feel each time you walk away

with arms outstretched i want to plead “come back my love and stay.”

i wish to hold on to your hands and never let them go.

i wish to pull you back to me because i love you so.

“but then i know that just like me you also have a dream.

a dream that must be free to flow into life's endless stream.

the only thing that i can do is hope that i will be

a part of all your dreams and goal and that you too love me.”

Is it finished or a work in progress?

The old man is in love with somebody who has a nice voice.

Could it be that he is in love with the queen?

I neatly folded the poem but instead of putting it back I just held it in my hands.

I don’t know but I felt that I have to know from the old man if he does love the queen.

Why did he write the poem as if there was a time that he and the queen had some intimate moments together?

Is it possible?

“Hey Stalk, here is the bottle, it took me a while to find it. Here, I am giving you the honor of opening it and having the first sip.” Said the old man, startling me from my thoughts.

I handed him the piece of paper before I took the bottle off his hands.

“Nice poem, Old Man.” I said as I started to open the bottle.

“I didn’t know you have that kind of feeling for the queen.” I started to fill my cup.

The fragrance of the intoxicating liquid slowly floated in the air as I glanced to see his reaction.

He was holding the paper and slowly, gently patting his palm with it.

“The queen is so lovely in every way I can imagine.

I spent so many hours and days watching her videos when I was writing the chronicles.

Over and over, again and again.

And each time she looked lovelier than the previous time.

I felt the pains she had.

My heart celebrated each moment of joy she had.

My eyes followed even the tiniest movement she made.

My soul cherished every note she sang.

The ugly moments they made her suffer through are all imbedded in my mind.

Can you fault me for falling in love with her?”

He asked me without taking his eyes off the piece of paper.

“So aren’t you going to give her that?” I asked the old man.

“Give who what?” He asked me back.

“Aren’t you going to give the Queen that poem?” I clarified.

“Why should I give the Queen this poem?” He asked me with a puzzled look in his eyes.

“Why then did you write that poem if you have no intention of giving it to her. Isn’t that a waste of time?” I asked him irritatingly.

“No, no, no, no. Stalk, Stalk, Stalk.” He kept on mumbling making me wonder if he is suffering through a stroke.

“I wrote this poem sometime in the year of 1984 when I was still wooing my soon to be wife”.

“Oh, so is your wife also a singer?” I asked.

“For me she is. In fact I call her my Wild Thing, not because she is one, but because she makes me one.” He told me with some weird twinkle in his eyes.

“Whatever Old Man, whatever. I guess I have to go now. Thanks for the drink.” I said.

“Stalk, if you don’t have any plans why don’t you tag along with me and meet some of my old friends.”

“Ok, Old Man, lead the way.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJe-veNi9K8&feature=PlayList&p=002E791505851E9A&playnext=1&index=9

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touchstone48 2009-02-18 13:29:01 Whew!! still gasping my breath!! what a trilling come back!!! you're a gifted old soul Robin that old man's poem can be a great piece for the Queen's hit song.

laarnig 2009-02-12 12:02:22 "Welcome Back, Sir Robin!"

ellen 2009-02-11 06:21:36 Wow!!! what a nice article again. Thank you Mr. Robin for writing again. It's been a long time. Now...you're back. Thank you...thank you...thank you. Keep it up Mr. Old Man.

laarniansto 2009-02-10 23:41:36 Thank you sir Robin for a very nice article. Hats off po kami sa inyo...God Bless!

nosmo_king 2009-02-10 15:03:00 As always nice reading your article Robin. Its nice you are back writing again.

diehard 2009-02-10 09:16:55 ...WOW...Back with a vengeance si Sir Robin...long time no read Mr. R, I'm very glad you are back to your writing ways, we do miss your unpredictable yet entertaining style of writing. You are an Inspiration to all of us, and please do stay on and keep writing. Looking forward to the next one, more more more please... Thank You and God Bless.

Nonoisebarred 2009-02-10 07:55:51 Sigh Sigh again Sigh All I can do is sigh Over and over and over again, Sigh I did. Enough said. Sigh. I wish you well old man. ~ Jeques

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