"mahal"

I think it's a bit funny that the Filipino word for "the beloved" and "expensive" are the same. Filipinos use "mahal" for both, in exactly the same pronunciation and intonations. I think it's etymology is worth a look into, in the sense that have we as a people always equated money and expense with love. that much should be given to expect much as well. Are we an expense-focused people? whatever happened to Hallmark cards?

then again, these days, showing the beloved just how much you care can well, take much. A movie date would set you back P500, and that's being frugal. even if you take it to the extreme, even flowers from your garden would still mean you taking time to make the flowers bloom; just so you can have something to give the beloved. Money is good but love accepts plastic and other forms of expense, thank you very much.

Last weekend, I was looking for stuff in a home store. I actually liked looking through the store since they had a lot of stuff at dirt cheap prices and well SM doesnt always carry these things. As I was walking through the aisles, I had to kinda squeeze myself into the tight space by saying "excuse me" to the guy who was looking for something as well. the guy looked up to me and there was eye contact.

He was cute in a daddy way so i had to look at him again. I looked back and he was looking at me. And we have a winner!

yet i REALLY wanted to confirm, so i dd more looking at him and he played the im looking at you too game. then the interesting part came.

some lady at the other end of the aisle was looking through some other items, she was speaking a bit outloud. At first I didn't really pay attention to it. then she approached the guy and said

"di ba kailangan na natin 'to, mahal?"

two things to close this post:

1) there i was at a home bargain store, looking for a great deal. hmmm.....

2) she called him "mahal" because he was her beloved. yet he was in a relationship with a secret to boot; and here he was looking at me, as i looked back at him. does he love the girl? does the girl know? is he in it for love as well or merely to project what society had asked at the expense of his own truth. just how he used the word "mahal", i don't know

**image form gettyimages.com