Ricky Lee's Para Kay B and Kung Alam Nyo Lang

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Dahil hindi mo pwedeng mahalin ang isang tao nang hindi mo minamahal ang hilaga, silangan, timog at kanluran ng kanyang paniniwala. - Ricky Lee, Para Kay B

I read the Para Kay B novel of Ricky Lee and since I am now a nonfic follower, I believe I am not someone to rave about it. But then let me, because after all the five stories are laid to me like all fictional movies with tight plot and all scenes should serve a purpose and as in short stories that should focus on one matter and give it a redeeming factor, I am not so enthralled, until the writer's thought came in and seasoned the porridge which I would otherwise not like to eat. The power of writing. 
                            ***
Naupo siya sa paborito niyang lugar. Pinag-isipan niya ang lahat, kung paanong mga pangyayari ng nakalipas ay nagiging kuwento, nagiging kasaysayan, puwedeng baguhin, puwedeng imbentuhin, puwedeng kalimutan. - Ricky Lee, Kung Alam N'yo Lang

The power of writing is found in Kung Alam N'yo Lang and I love the thought-provoking stories of four kids which make us address our inner beliefs and/or understanding on God, hallucination/mental illness, history, and death. I wished they were all full blown novels especially the first story. I like the third one the most. 

My inner child has the same questions for once in my own life. I would rather read The Prophet of Khalil Gibran and The way of Tao again and again rather than spend my time with the Bible and finding God. I was once about to be baptized at 9 or 10 years old but I declined after being brought by an elder alone in one side and asked a perplexing question: Can you feel the holy spirit working on you? Nabatyagan mo na bala nga ginahikot ka sang balaan nga espiritu? I did not and I did not lie and I was thinking what is that anyway. One clear thing for me then was, lying is a sin. 

In Oliver Sack's book on Hallucination, one can understrand the facets of hallucination, which is very specifically different from dream, imagination and illusion. One should read that and I wished I read the book before a very dear person to me suffered nental illness and I feel her case is beyond repair. 

I am always interested to know our history pre-spanish time and sometimes I wished that we were told our History differently in elementary and high school. I am a constant history hunter.

Death, what is life without death? That is the question. I recalled the US TV Series Moonlight wherein a vampire detective protects Beth who grew up to become a journalist. It was a beautiful love story and a kind that questions what would  love be without mortality? 







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