Gateway

Marina's Childhood

While eating dinner with Jason and other scientists at the restaurant, I accidentally saw a fountain in the middle of the convention center totally encircling the park with its wonders while water is playfully splashing and spitting here and there, upwards and side wards moving, swaying along with techno songs and now one of the many classics such as "Heal the World" sang by Michael Jackson. I loved that song though, it's been preserved and re-mastered digitally from thousands of years since 2020's. So if we will calculate it, it's been years and that 22000 years has passed and many centuries has gone down to really appreciate the beauty and creations of our past leaders, angels, heroes, influencers and defenders. It's indeed a memory worth revisiting and I love Michael Jackson so much that my great, great, great, great, nth, grandmamma used to sing songs from old and told stories from ancient popular tales, romance or adventures from an author called MVManalo.

Mama, was my greatest influencer and has touched me and my heart with her love, care and support. We never really had a smooth relationship when I was growing up unlike my siblings with her. But when she was in her 60's until she grew older, we were the best buddies an girl friends that losing her was losing another half of my heart, again. My grandmamma, mama's mother was my mentor. I was so close to her that I love sleeping in her house more than at home with my family.

I always prayed that mama would stay healthy and young, but unfortunately, she is not getting any younger same as papa. I love them so much it hurts to think of losing them. But time moves on and so does the world. We grow older and eventually get sick or die but the memory and good or bad times we had with our love ones are the best things we treasure with them. So as long as they are here with us, let's love and cherish them and their presence. Time is our enemy and we all don't have much, so I made use of it. I bought my parents their own house near the beach, a car and regularly travel with them when I had the time. I still remember our house in Lemon Street back in Italy, that as if they were still alive and eating breakfast outside the veranda, hearing my dad telling corny jokes to mom who would normally laugh while fixing me and my brothers meals.

I always wished that time would just stop when all things are just simple, uncomplicated and happy. That, my parents would stay young forever and would never leave us, ever. But it's not the case and it saddens me to think that as my parents grew older, my siblings and I grew older too. I hurriedly ate my steak and asparagus to get out of there as fast as I could with Jason. Some scientists were talking mindless, endless, chatters with him when I motioned that I really don't feel good and wanted to rest back at the hotel. It's just a couple of minutes ride back to our suite and I laid flat on the bed when we arrived there. I really want to see mum and dad, and this time I want to stay there a bit longer. Jason agreed with me and since it's been five years since we stayed in Italy for a vacation, he called the laboratory to reschedule our clinic and lab appointments for next year. It's almost spring in Italy that autumn then winter season will be coming sooner than expected. Like how I feel and this morning sickness, weird food cravings are getting into me and my body, that Jason sort of advised that I'm getting fatter by the minute that I ravage a jar of strawberry jam after another.

The conference lasted for one week and I can't wait to see my family in Italy. Jason and I are aboard the plane to the airport when I felt a sudden thug on my tummy. Aha! I think I'm pregnant!, I thought while examining myself and how things are going since my period is delayed for three months and a half now.

I can't wait to hug mum that I wasn't able to sleep on the plane. Gosh! It was a mistake for I felt like a vegetable driven over by a ragged truck thus left me for dead after. Hihi! Crazy, but fun, and while riding a rented car which is a mini cooper, along the small curbs of the street, I can still remember the lemony and sweet, refreshing smell of the lemon trees and the sea. Haaa...this is the life! Ahhh, I am home.......hahahahahahha, I shouted from the top of my lungs which shocked Jason but instead of stopping me he laughed and joined me in shouting, from the half opened car windows of the cooper, at the people we meet along the way, Good morning!!!!....I love you, you and you!!! you....Buongiorno, Buono mattinata!!!...Ti Amo!!!, Jason and I said. Most of by standers and passersby we meet smiled and laughed at us, also replying the phrase over and over again, that it sounded melodic, it's wonderful. I am so happy to be back home. Ahhh......, I added smiling at Jason and kissing his lips while singing songs on the radio while driving the cooper. Amoreeee!!!!!

Mum is half Italian and half American and Papa is half Filipino and half Italian since his mother, my grandmother is Italian and father, my grandfather is Filipino. Mum's parents were both half Italian and American that since they owned a business then, they chose to live in New York where I grew up. We eventually moved to California then back to New York. Then many years after, decided to stay in Michigan. However, when a lot of changes happened not only in our climates but also, the economy, grandpapa and mama, spent their earnings to open a café until they grew old in Italy. After the Holy War and many plagues that happened on earth in the past centuries, who would want to live in the city when living in the country was deemed safer and air, environment, was cleaner, fresher.

            I am not a physicist nor a geologist that I would know about the earth and what lies beyond its core or outside the edge of the universe, but I do understand what's happening in the world. Maybe when the climate fucked up in the year 2020 during the pandemic, there must be a reason why the earth experienced that all sorts of issues such us droughts, fires, heat waves, storms, tornadoes, earthquakes and shifts. And talking about shifts, I just thought about a theory when I was checking out my scooter's tire and break pad up front. I came to a conclusion that maybe, just like a tire which needs oiling for it to move smoothly without hassles or clinging to its bearing. That, made me think that what if, earth revolves around its axis like a tire revolves around the metal bar connected to the bearing and the break pad? Though the axis is imaginary, all is connected and though light passes through our world billions of light years before it really passes through it, the earth's core might have something to do with the movement and the revolution all in all.