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.

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Chapter 1 – Tom Madrigal’s Beginning (12/14/2024)

‘Tis the most wonderful time of the year. For dear old Tom, it would have been a typical day of barely-moving lips; eyes blinking without an inch of variety, and the monotonous voice. Phone in hand, he calls.

“Girl, you there?” 

Her voice comes through. 

“Tommy? What is it?” 

Today, however, was not one of those days. Especially not in the windowless Hiwaga Cafe restroom he found himself in, smothered by the lingering aroma of uncleaned doodoo, homemade frappuccinos and lattes, and the strawberry perfume he would normally sport. 

“I’m about to bring Mia to the Soulcasters concert, pero do you have any fun facts about them? I listened to their songs for tonight, but what other interesting things do you know about them?” 

“Their violinist, Riva, she’s one of the few white members, diba? But she never said where she was from.” 

“Mhm.” 

“I know a family friend who was able to say that she’s from, erm, I forgot, Morgolda.” 

“Hindi ako gagamit ng unverified sources as trivia! Bes, I don’t want Mia to think I’m an idiot regarding this!” 

Three knocks on the door. 

“Tom!” a girl’s voice called out.

His eyes widened. Lips neutral. He ended the call. He scratched the back of his head. He stuffed his phone into his pants pocket, barely protruding out of it. His heart pattered. He took a deep breath before turning to her direction. He opened the door. “Sorry for that. You ready, Mia?” 

“Sophia and Lilet are at the complex na!” Her golden-bespectacled eyes nearly met his eyes, turning away. 

She continued to text the girls. “Let’s go then…” He stared towards the heavens through the glass of the doors. 

The gray skies went about as far as their eyes could see. How far their eyes could see went about as far as Tom’s hopes of getting with this girl. And Tom’s hopes of getting with this girl went about as far as the hopes of the Soulcasters continuing their concert, especially in such inclement weather. 

He carried a slight smirk, glancing at the shape of the smile on her soft, red lips. 

There was a brief period of the trill of the rainy walk, before the noise was interrupted. 

“What color was your car again?”

“Black. Not my car. My dad just let me borrow it.” Digging through the crevices of cotton in his shorts, he pulled out the car keys. “But please tell the ladies not to get excited near the car. Had to clean up iced tea last time, ugh.” They set out on their way to the Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex. 

She stared off into the distance, into the dewy trees and muddy greenery the suburbs had to offer on her side. His lips quirked up, despite the monotony of the concrete houses on his side. 

“You’re not a Soulista, diba?” she asked, shifting her gaze from the outside to his face. 

“Well,” he waited. “I like some of their music.” 

“What’s this? Tom Madrigal likes music that isn’t only Ben&Ben?!” 

“Huy!” he giggled, turning his face to the left for a swift second as scarlet surrounded his cheeks. “Gusto ko rin naman ng variety, eh.” 

She continued to laugh at her retort, as he continued driving, eyes focused once more on the center of the road. 

And then there was traffic. 

He could only exhale at the sight of the line of cars on his lane, while the cars leaving the opposite way on the left were as free as the birds. 

“Ugh, baka mas maingay pa yung mga cars kaysa sa concert!”

His hands covered his face, as he pulled down on his car seat’s recliner. 

She pulled out her phone. “Sophia? Lilet? Ang gaga naman ng traffic dito, like, lemme video chat y’all lang!” 

He could only ponder how he ended up in such a gridlock, in the middle of her ramblings to her friends. But he let not a frown overtake his face, basking in the soft pitch of her voice, in spite of her crass lyrics. 

In what seemed like hours later, the car finally arrived at the exterior of the Complex. 

“Oh my God, thank you, Tom!” The girl was ecstatic. She found herself accidentally tied up by the passenger seatbelt in her rush to get out. 

“Slow down, Mia,” He slowly unraveled the seatbelt, and she wiggled her arm out. He sighed. “I’m gonna go. So hope you have fun then.” 

She exited the car, dashing towards the visible end of the queue, joining up with Sophia and Lilet. Hundreds of fans were lined up for the Soulcasters. 

Driving away to pick up his dad, his palm was on his forehead. 

“Ughhh… Hope you have fun? I could’ve done better than that, surely…” A red car blared its horn and overtook him from behind. “Oh, whoops,” swerving to the edge of the road before continuing his drive. 

“Pero at least she didn’t look that uncomfortable, so bonus, haha? Hmm… Paano na kaya when school starts again?” 

Another car, a blue one blared its horn and overtook him from behind. “Oh, not again,” swerving to the edge of the road again before continuing his drive. 

“Teka lang, I shouldn’t be worrying about school, the break just started!” 

This time, a carnation pink blur zoomed past the driver’s side of his car, which rattled the things inside it. 

“Oh my God! Bat ang daming nag-o-overtake?! Wala bang mga signs for this?!” 

Minutes later, he arrived at the Sta. Rosa police station. 

Tom parked near the outside of the precinct, pulling his phone out. “Papa, andito na po ako… Sige po. Bye.” 

In what seemed like twenty seconds, a tall, supple, and gloriously-bearded man in a police uniform knocked on the passenger door. Tom unlocked it and the officer entered. “Hi, Papa…” 

“Tom, buti na lang nakarating ka na rito. Sana naman wala kang tinamaang kotse??” 

“Ang dami pong nag-o-overtake, nakakaasar,” he said while pouting. “Well, ganoon talaga, nak.” 

Minutes of silence and staring at the road came after. “Wala pa pala tayong handa for Noche Buena, noh? Anong gusto mong ihanda?” Still focusing on the road and the side mirror, he thought “Tingnan ko na lang po, Pa…”

Chapter 2 – The Rich Chick Redhead and the Noche Buena Preparations (12/21/2024)

A week had passed. Tom and his dad came back from the grocery, as the 

nightly feast of Noche Buena was nearing. The green of the Christmas tree from the corner was far more present than the white of the living room walls. 

The wire of lights meant for the tree found itself buried behind the gifts wrapped in so much color that it was practically a rainbow, if such a rainbow could be crumpled, and by height. 

“Ang dami naman ng gifts dito, Papa.” Tom put the paper bag onto the kitchen counter, reaching down for the Christmas lights. 

“Lahat yan galing sa presinto.” 

“Parang mas marami po this year, eh.” He continued, walking around the tree, hanging each bulb on its evergreen needles.  

“Mas maraming grateful cadets, ha.” 

Tom pshawed. His dad walked into his bedroom. 

“Order ka na rin ng Jolly Spaghetti, nak.” He shut the door. 

“sigh It’s showtime…” Cracking his knuckles, he pulled out the groceries from the paper bag. A ball of cheese, a ball of ham, and a bowl’s worth of macaroni inside. He also pulled out a small plastic bag containing chocolates. Shuffling across the narrow space of the one-walled kitchen, with the ball of cheese accidentally rolling into the sink. 

Pulling out the rest of the groceries from the singular paper bag, he sorted them into their proper categories in the pantry. 

Settling his sorting, he paced towards the only couch in the house. Leg first, he lifted all of himself into the air, butt landing on the soft embrace of the cushions. 

Finger on the phone, he began his nightly ritual of doomscrolling on Instagram, aimlessly swiping up and glancing at the lives of those on the other side of his screen. 

Three knocks on the door. 

“Hm?” 

“Tom!” 

“Oh–” 

Getting up from the couch, he put his ear against the wood of the door. Breath held, he asked. 

“Password?” 

“Violet crayon.” 

He exhaled, his hand on the notches of the sliding door lock, before pulling the door open. The girl was holding two fresh, thick-paper bags on either hand plastered with the words “Fay Charm” on it. 

“There you are!” she exclaimed, lifting both bags as she lifted both her arms in excitement. She wrapped her arms around him, the strands of red hair that reflected the house’s light blocking his nose, and the strap of her bag pressing on his left shoulder.  

“Sarah? Since when?”

“Just had it done today!” He moved to the side, with her kicking off her one-inch heels before sauntering into the small living room. She placed the two Fay Charm bags onto the pile of precinct presents. The Christmas tree lights reflected their colors on the silk of her knee-length dress.

“Last year na natin before we go to college, eh!” She swished her hair, hands still in the air and fingers folded with black nails. “So this is the preview!” 

Tom shook his head and pshawed, staring up at the ceiling for a moment. 

She walked to the couch, letting herself fall face-first onto the imprint Tom, regardless of what would happen to her hair, face, or bag. She let out a groan, face against the pillow. 

“Ugh.” Her voice muffled. “Du yu haf any chick-lits?” 

Without answering her, he walked into the kitchen, pulling out the plastic bag of chocolates from the pantry. Walking back, still face-down, Sarah’s hands were under her body, where her stomach would be. 

“That time of the month na agad?” he asked, putting the chocolates in the space between the couch wall and her body. 

“Yeah,” she said in resignation as she sat upright. “I needed to give you your gift before I crashed out.” 

“You’re planning for Enderun, right?” he asked, sitting right next to her. 

“Yeah. Father says it’d make a lot of sense for me to join that circle. Networking, y’know?” she said, fidgeting with the wrappers of one of the chocolates from the plastic bag. 

“Mhm. I mean, heiress of Liangco Estates at a college like that, it’s practically a no-brainer.”

“Haven’t booked an interview yet, though.” 

“Y’know, Mia booked one–”

She snapped her fingers, her left hand close to her face and pointing at his face. 

“You haven’t told me much about you and Mia last week.” 

He hmphed. “Well, we–”

A shout came from the right. 

“Tom!” 

Tom flinched. “Ano po yun, Papa?” 

“Si Sarah ba iyan?” 

“Opo.” he replied, staring down. “Hi, Tito Emman!” she shouted. 

The officer came out of his bedroom, clad in his workplace shirt and his striped boxers, and hair on his head standing in all three axes of space.

“Hi, Sarah,” he greeted with a half-smirk. “Tom, gisingin mo man lang ako pag papapasukin mo si Sarah.” 

“Pasensya na po, Papa.” Tom looked down. 

“Eh, hayaan na. Tutulog na ulit ako.” Tom’s dad walked back into his bedroom. 

Sarah got up from the couch and went to the mirror that was hung right next to the Christmas tree. She reached into her bag and pulled out a hairbrush, its bristles on the waves of her hair. “Let’s talk about Mia some other time. Father’s actually outside.” 

“Oof.” 

“He’s definitely gonna tell me off more for my hair.” She laughed, walking towards the door, slipping her feet into her heels. 

He bid her goodbye for the night, before he himself fell asleep and closed the lights. 

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