FOURTH GRADING PERIOD

Telephone Conversation
Wole Soyinka /Nigeria

The price seemed reasonable, location

Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. “Madam,” I warned,
5 “I hate a wasted journey—I am African.”
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder piped. Caught I was, foully.
10 “HOW DARK?” . . . I had not misheard . . . “ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?” Button B. Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth.Red pillar-box.Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
15 By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfoundment to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis—
“ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?” Revelation came.
“You mean—like plain or milk chocolate?”
20 Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wavelength adjusted,
I chose. “West African sepia”—and as an afterthought,
“Down in my passport.” Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
25 Hard on the mouthpiece. “WHAT’S THAT?” conceding,
“DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.” “Like brunette.”
“THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT?” “Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles
of my feet
30 Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused—
Foolishly, madam—by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black—One moment madam!”—sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears—“Madam,” I pleaded, “wouldn’t you rather
35 See for yourself?”

Subject Teacher: Jessica P. Domantay

Teacher III
Passage of bill lowering
gov’t retirement age to 56
lauded
By: Pathricia Ann V. Roxas - Reporter / @PathRoxasINQ
INQUIRER.net / 11:29 AM November 15, 2018

Rep. Antonio Tinio of the Act Teachers party-list. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
ACT Teachers Reps. Antonio Tinio and France Castro on Thursday lauded the panel-
level approval of the bill proposing the lowering of the optional retirement age of
government employees from 60 years old to 56.

The House committee on government enterprises and privatization approved on

Wednesday the still-unnumbered bill, principally-authored by Tinio and Castro, which
seeks to amend Republic Act 8291 or the GSIS Act of 1997.
ADVERTISEMENT

“These civil servants dedicate twenty, thirty years of their lives in the service of the
nation. It is high time that the government heed their clamor for the option to retire at an
earlier age in order for them to enjoy their retirement benefits for as long as possible,”
Tinio said in a statement.

Castro meanwhile pointed out that public school teachers have consistently raised their
demand to be given the choice to retire earlier during formal and informal consultations
nationwide.

“It is imperative that Congress listen to these government workers who have devoted
their lives to honing the minds and nurturing the hearts of our youth, in spite of
receiving meager salaries, working in underfunded schools and doing additional,
usually unpaid, miscellaneous tasks,” she added.
The lawmakers stressed that the measure would not be detrimental to the state
workforce as most government employees prefer to stay in service for a long time even
working up to 65 years old, the mandatory retirement age.

“While the 65 years old mandatory retirement age remains, government employees
should be given the freedom to retire earlier, especially those who are suffering from
ailments and are in need of intensive medical attention,” they stressed.

The bill will then be scheduled for plenary debates following its approval at the
committee level. /cbb

Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1053877/passage-of-bill-lowering-govt-

retirement-age-to-56-lauded#ixzz5dIZrEvrp
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