As the first episode of the Philippines Graphic Literary Workshop (PGLW) slowly came to its conclusion on February 28, we knew that we had one more thing that we can offer our bright young fellows: a starting platform for their creative endeavors. Here, we present one of their final outputs from the workshop. We also asked them to provide an artwork that they think best represents their stories. Read on.
Two—three handfuls of pilfered sunflower seeds lined her sweater’s left pocket. Kim’s mother would have told her to buy her own had she known of the petty larceny, but she’s at work, so Kim closed her ma’s bedroom without the following shout trapped inside. She walked to the balcony and welcomed the late afternoon breeze, grateful for the warm fleece, because try as she might, the drafts are harder to brave now in late January. Rust licked the green paint off their fence, and beyond, traffic moves slower: ten-wheelers, buses, sedans, motorcycles, all traveling elsewhere. She popped a seed in her mouth.
A man in a red hoodie drives past, his motorcycle leaving skid marks on the new asphalt. The hard, sweet shell cracks under her teeth.
Then there’s this pick up with three young men at the back, also in their hoodies. The air whips at their hair, a juvenile smile plastered on their faces. They opened their mouths and tasted earth.
Kim stood and watched the sky darken, until the road became bare, and the moon hung like a naked bulb. Sugar coats her tongue. She thinks of the boys and the motorcycle man. How similar they are with their hoodies and their heads unprotected, exposed to everything the world has to offer.
Jan Patrice B. Pasacsac is a 21-year-old student at Cavite State University – Indang. She is studying computer science and is currently in her last year of university. She likes taking walks or running in the afternoon.Her love for literature prompted her to write and she aspires to improve her stories and share them with others.
