Wedding Ninang for the 3rd Time

Saturday, December 13, 2008
Wedding Ninang for the 3rd time
Yesterday my nephew and his fiancee came to formally ask my husband and myself to be godparents to his wedding. Twenty-six years ago, he was my baptismal godson. Twelve, maybe thirteen years ago, he chose my husband to be his confirmation godfather. Last week he called to ask us to be his wedding godparents. yesterday he formalized his request.

How time has flown. Soon after he was born, as soon as his mother resumed work after the designated maternity leave, he'd be brought over by his parents or picked up by my driver (yes, I had a driver then, his salary assumed by my father until a sister groused that this was unfair) so he'd not be alone in his parents' apartment. So basically, I was a surrogate mom of his then, I was newly paralyzed. In fact, when I was confined in the hospital, his then 7-months pregnant mother would take care of me, visit me a lot in all her pregnant glory. So my nephew and I, we go back a long way.

His parents got him one playpen which was put in my bedroom. Each morning, he'd be put there with some toys. And from a distance, I'd play with him, make sounds that would cause him to perk up, silly things. When I'd go out with the maid and driver when he was much older but still a day boarder in the house, we'd bring him. He'd sit on my lap. Sometimes, my knees would shake, he'd know what to do. He'd put his hand on top of my leg then he'd say "stop that." We always teased him because he'd pronounce all l's like y. So we'd say, say "Tolota" and of course he'd say "Toyota". Once we were cruising Aurora Boulevard and he looked out the window and said "gabby" when he saw Gabby Concepcion's posters in one of the theater's frontage. Because he was with us a lot, we'd have rules for going out. He liked to stick in his index finger inside his nostril and that would usually be rule number 1. "bawal mangulangot." Rule number 2 would be "bawal mag-aya umuwi" because usually, we'd get him a treat - a toy, Brown Cow, etc. and as soon as he had this in his hands, he'd say "uwi na tayo." GI Joe was his favorite and one time, December 24, we were still looking for one he particularly liked, or that is my husband then boyfriend was, braving the last-minute Christmas rush in SM Cubao. Yes, he was like a son to us, so much so that when my own son was born, six years after my nephew was and we'd bring my son to Unimart, the guard there asked, "Saan na ang panganay niyo?"

In a little over nine months, he will get married and we'll be part of it. My first son is all grown up. He who joined my real son during the kite-flying activity because my husband couldn't make it. He who now takes pictures of my son during gigs he chooses to be part of.

My favorite nephew. Shhhh... while the rest of my nephews and nieces may sense that, they do not necessarily officially know it.

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After posting the above I remembered other things and I think they should be written about because they are precious memories. Like he'd say "onits" for orange. And when I was pregnant, by then he was six years old, he'd still come over and we'd play catch ball. A big, red dotted ball (I could never catch a small one) we used. I was maybe 5 months pregnant and he'd toss it hard to me from the door. One time he threw it particularly hard and I said, "hina-an mo, matatamaan ang baby ko". He said smugly, "taba lang yan". Another time, we got him books for Christmas. I couldn't remember what these books were but they must have been truly special because I excitedly told him to open the gift. When he did and saw what was inside, he turned his back and disappointed apparently, he complained, "akala ko maganda." I've since learned my lesson - not to expect all children to like books. Toys are still the safest bet. But trust me, his children will not be spared. I'll buy them books. I'll be a "mean" lola and get them books. In fact, unperturbed, I got him books even after that public disavowal of anything in print. This time, the books I chose had a character whose name was similar to his. I don't think he ever read it either.

Wedding Ninang for the 4th time

Tonight I got a call from the lola of a young lady. No the lola isn't my contemporary but was my wedding ninang. Her apo asked her to call me to ask if I could be ninang at her (the apo's) wedding. I guess it's the age. My age that makes me ninang material. I really have to lose weight...

Wonder what the color motif will be. But I was assured it would be a simple wedding really. With very good music. The young lady is a music teacher and is a member of a church choir. Hmmmm... exciting.

Unexpected Treats

This a.m., though I needed all the time I could to do my work, as a housewife and mother I had no choice but to leave it for a spell to do the groceries. Which I did. At the supermarket I frequent, there was this rack of sandals that showed 40% off. I saw Maid C looking at the sandals longingly. She kept getting the pinkish red one and I asked how much it was. She said P395. Then I thought at 40% off, sige, I'll get it for her son in the province. She was elated. I kept asking her whether she was sure the color was it because her son is male. She gave in to me and looked for another color but I saw how attached she was to the red one so I let her be. As we went down the aisles, I told her to ask if the tag on the sandals was 40% off already. She went off and came back after quite a time. She was told that the sale had ended. She said it was too expensive and returned the sandals.

But I'm tenacious, remember? And though she had said that she had asked the manager and her assistant re the price, when we chanced upon the manager, I asked if the sandals were on sale. He said he'd check after verifying that I was interested. He took a while. I didn't mind the wait because there were purchases to be made. When we next saw him he said "sige ma'am, bibigay ko na sa sale price." I will not moralize or comment on the matter. But there was one happy mother there, I'm sure. I hope the lola will take a picture of the son so the mother will be happier.

While at the grocery, saw a former maid of mine with her unsmiling daughter who just had her tooth pulled. I saw her holding mushrooms and then some. I asked what she was going to cook. See aside from tenacious I'm also nosy. She said "spaghetti." O-ha she has more sophisticated ingredients in her spaghetti than I do. I put mushrooms in mine only if there's an open can in the fridge. But there she was buying mushrooms for spaghetti. Her husband works in a hardware shop. Caught her checking out her stuff and asked how much. I gave her money.

Wait. Lest you think I'm recounting the above to show off, to tell the world how generous I am, you're wrong. Through the recounting I'd like to tell you how God blesses us a hundredfold.

At around 2 p.m., while I was working in the sala because I was feeling antsy in the bedroom (bed is not directly hit by the cold air from the aircon), the doorbell rang. When the maid came in she had a Nike plastic bag. I thought it was from my most generous sister but no, it was from a friend. NDP, daughter of NVD. What was in the plastic bag? CHicken galantina with gravy. A quarter of a whole chicken. No occasion. Just like that. I was flabbergasted. When I texted her, she said that she had given the same amount to her mom, the renowned NVD.

Tonight, husband asked my son to join him at the wake of a fellow teacher who had been my son's swimming instructor one summer. At first I said I'd join them because I knew that teacher too. Then I realized I hadn't blown-dry my hair when it was wet and thought it would look a mess. Plus I was working. So I said I wouldn't join them after all.

I didn't incur God's wrath for that decision. WHen they came back, they had for me Seattle's Best javakula brownies. Plus the info that the wake was on the second floor of a building in UP.

God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.

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Eek, as I reread the post above, I grimaced. How utterly stupid. "because her son was male." what a duh thing to write. sorry, sorry, sorry. Blush.

MAIDS A AND B

hay. Of course I'm going to emote. Earlier, I asked Maid B to clean my table as I tried to pray my novena. As she cleaned she was annotating. Really, she was. I contemplated whether I should stop praying my novenas or to proceed. was God testing my patience? I thought he might be and prayed for enlightenment. With great effort I finished.

Then Maid B proceeded to dusting stuff elsewhere in the room. bog, I heard. She was no longer annotating. This time one religious item or some thingy was falling to the floor. I said "Nabuka?" She said "wala a, ga limpio pa ko di" she hurriedly added as she continued dusting while ignoring the fallen thing. Later she showed it to me: a tiny image of the Sacred Heart. Then bog, went another item. I asked "nabuka?" Might as well have taped my questions and pressed replay, no? She said no. Then she promptly showed me pink piggy, a small magnetic thing for the ref. Sigh. She finished doing those and went to another area. Bog. Hay, I was inured. Hopefully nothing broke.

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After praying my novenas, I read the papers. I was enjoying myself but felt guilty because I had to work. So I began working. Son arrived from school unexpectedly. Which meant no food was ready for him. If you follow this blog, you'll know that Maid A who is the cook works ever so slowly. So I asked the son what he wanted. ken Afford's Sisig, or maybe Fish fillet. Then he remembered "pa xerox nito. 2 pages 30 copies each." Maid A said, "60 pages ni." Hayy. I said "30 each." She said "te 60 tanan". Why couldn't she just stick to the instruction 30 each? The word 60's entering the picture might lead to confusion. Son said "ako na nga". But I prevailed on him to let her do it. Kainis. I told her to call me from the resto because son gave additional instructions for the fish fillet: tartar sauce. She has been gone so many minutes, no phone call yet. Sigh. She can be so stubborn. Sigh.

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Update on Maid A: The xerox copies weren't stapled - she forgot she said. The fish fillet had no tartar sauce. SHe didin't call because she said they had no phone at Ken Afford. Duh. So how do they deliver? SOmetimes, I think she makes a career out of being difficult, irritating, annoying, etc. the works.

Son began stapling the xeroxed sheets two per. Then he decided to ask her to help. Guess where she stapled them? No Virginia, not on the side, at the center. My gulay...

Feeling Sick and a Thoughtful Son

Saturday night, despite feeling really sick (I drank Decolgen and Kremil S or something for a queasy stomach before leaving the house), husband, son and I proceeded to Power Plant for dinner with college friends. Then hied off to one of the barkada's condo. I brought this pashmina with me because I was feeling cold. Luckily my friend noticed I didn't look well and kept saying we should go. Luckily too she packed some goodies for us in a plastic bag because I wanted the plastic bag badly. Yes, the plastic bag. I knew I was going to be sick in the car and I was. Right along the road under Guadalupe bridge, is that JP Rizal? Shortly after the Rockwell condo. I felt better afterwards but by Sunday I was in no mood to get up. Son left for Megamall for a project and prior to coming home he texted and said he'd be driving through McDO. Did I want anything? I said Yes, cheeseburger and fries. He brought home an order go big time, ergo large fries and large drink. But he warned me that the drink was diet COke because I told him I'd share the order with his dad. I ate a quarter of the cheeseburger and a few fries. Drink? Wilkins from the dispenser.