My Black Seiko Watch

As I grow older, my fascination with watches is becoming more evident. I have spent the past 8 days going to watch stores looking, touching and trying -on some very nice time pieces. As I always say- Libre naman ang tumingin, and dreaming is free.

They are all beautiful and as with all beauty, it’s in the eyes of the beholder. The styles and models cater to the most discerning tastes and one thing for sure, these timepieces, no matter how simple, bold, extravagant and expensive, would one day found their way into the wrists of many watch enthusiasts.

My love for watches was probably influenced by my father. I only remembered seeing him wearing the same watch and when it broke, he tried to have it fixed but did not replace it. Once in few years, he would bring me to Ongpin, where he shopped, to choose a watch for myself. This did not happen frequently but only when there were big occasions, like graduation and birthdays, not every year but maybe once in 5 years.

In 1975 or 1976, sikat-na sikat yung Seiko 5 and they came out wth an all black model, bezel, dial, steel strap, were all black. When my father brought me to Ongpin to choose which one to buy, I chose the all black Seiko and it was as big as a men’s watch. He and the store owner spoke in Fookien and somehow I deciphered their friendly exchange of laughter. Marunong daw akong pumili, yung bagong modelo at mahal ang napili ko. If I am not mistaken, it was P1,500 that time. That was a lot of money, most especially that my father was not rich. After trying it on, they cut the strap to size and off we went with my black Seiko watch and my father’s wallet, lighter by 1,500.

My watch became a head turner in UST. Its presence was most accentuated by the fact that we all wore white uniforms in school. The big black band on my wrist really stood-out. “Ano yan, Seiko yan? black Seiko?” was the most common comment, in the classroom, in the hallway, in the lobby, even inside the girl’s toilet.

I stayed in the dormitory near UST on weekdays and went home to Binangonan on weekends. My Papa usually picked me up on Saturdays and brought me back on monday mornings or sundays. But it came to a point when I wanted some independence so I made so many excuses so they would allow me to commute.

One Saturday afternoon while riding the mini-bus called “tems” (Themes) going home with a male friend, he saw my watch and asked if he could try it on. I removed my stunning black Seiko watch from my left wrist and handed it over to him. He tried it on, kasya sa kanya because the strap was actually big on me. He did not remove it from his wrist even when we have reached Binangonan and got off the bus.

After a month, my brother, Kuya Ben, apparently have been observing me. He had noticed that I haven’t been wearing my watch. It was very easy to tell because takaw pansin sya because of it’s unusual color and size.
Kuya Ben —– “Annie, nasan ang relo mo?”
Me————- ” Na kay ano…. hiniram nya.”
Kuya Ben——- “Kunin mo…..
He was so worried and mad.
I immediately walked three short blocks from our house to go to RETELCO. Only very few rich families in our town had the big black telephone in their homes during that period, and we weren’t one of those.
The Retelco office had a phone booth separate from the telephone operator. I paid thirty five centavos to be connected to my friend’s house. To my big relief, he was the one who answered the phone and I told him that my brother scolded me and he now must return to me my watch. He said yes.

It’s been more than three weeks and my friend hasn’t returned my watch. I found out that he pawned it somewhere in Pasig to buy drugs (Cocaine) for his use. Hindi pa naimbento ang Shabu nun.
I would be in big trouble once my parents found out. My brother hasn’t told my parents yet where my watch was. My friend promised that he would come up with the money to retrieve my watch from the pawnshop.

I finally got my big black Seiko watch back after another month. Sayang I do’nt even know where that watch is, what happened to it. I wish I was more maingat. There were many things that my parents gave me that I just lost or were stolen. They worked very hard to afford some simple luxuries for their children and yet I didn’t take care of them. Ma, Pa, I’m really sorry. I wish I could bring back those times so I could correct my mistakes.
Pa, thank you for that Big Black Seiko. I wish you were here with me now, samahan mo ako mag-ikot tayo sa mga tindahan, libre lang naman ang tingin.