First Gravity (Completed)

10. Business as usual

Corrine

Naku mabuti nalang, mabuti nalang talaga at hindi masyadong malalayo ang lugar dito sa amin sa San Benesicto at hindi malaki ang babayarin sa taxi, hindi katulad sa Manila na malalayo. Naloka ako sa nangyari kagabi.

Lumala na ang pag sisinungaling ko sa mga magulang ko, nag sinungaling na ako kagabi sa party, nag sinungaling din ako sa paglalasing tsk. I need a renewal of virtues. Hindi ako masamang anak huhuhu..

Swerte na lang at Sabado ngayon walang pasok, mga pasado alas dyes nang magising. Naalimpungatan lang ako sa kulitan ng dalawa kong kapatid na nag sisigawan sa hallway.

Ganito kasi kami sa bahay, typical na magkakapatid, nag babangayan, nag aalaskahan, biruan hanggang iyakan.

Hindi naiiba ang weekend na ito sa iba pang mga araw. Riot everyday dahil sa pagkakaiba iba ng mga personalities namin.

Si Joseph eighteen sumunod sa akin, Mr. Popular ang tawag sa kanya sa school, matinee idol, sumusunod sa yapak ni Romano, athlete din and garnering fans here and there.

Samantalang si Nate naman ang bunso sa aming tatlo, 16 years old. Shy type at focused sa academics, pero kusa siyang pina-follow ng mga kklase niya, may sarili din siyang fans club.

One thing we all have in common, mahilig kami sa pets, may mga aso kami na ipinangalan kay Batman si Bruce saka si Wayne. Meron din kaming adopted pusakal na si Mingming, isang parot na si Jack Sparrow, iguana na si Rainbow, may mga ornamental fishes din kami, clown fish, saka angel fish.

Pating at buwaya joke lang ang huling dalawa.

Ganyan ka puno ang aming pamilya. My mother is the president of the company.

"Isoli mo, pipilayan ko tong si Fifi!"

Hawak hawak ni Nate ang bagong pet ni Joseph na tarantula. habang inaagaw ang cellphone kay Joseph.

Nang silipin ko sa giwang pinto ang ginagawa nila, hawak ni Joseph ang cellphone at mas lalong tinutukso nito si Nate.

Joshua

The grocery stores in the Philippines was full of CGC products, I've never even tried all of it.

I took responsibility to handle this company, so I gathered all patience I could muster to endure this one of a kind tedious activity product monitoring.

I've just done checking the electronic brands, I'm now in the groceries Brittled Pili nuts in a bottle I was thinking are we really being serious  and uh.. ube yema balls, really?

And oh, macapuno jam, these are my Mom's favorite. Oh dad. I should have known.

My mother is a Filipina, I actually was born here in the country and lived until my mother was cancer diagnosed and my father brought us back to Phoenix, Arizona.

My mother was of a Sulod Nation of Panay Bukidnon indigenous. Their community is in the valleys inside the ridges of Central Panay. That's how local my blood is. I'm as much Filipino blood than few others. I used to loved this country.

"Ay ilam! Anu man daya man?!" I've heard someone in aloud tone. The language is a variant of Hiligaynon and my mother's tribe used that language.

It has been forever since I've heard that dialect. That voice was of a woman. I hurried to check maybe she's someone I knew.

But how? they barely came down because it's too far to town much like a city like this.

Maybe they've change. My mother studied in the city, maybe more of them does that now. My mother adapted the city tongue to blend in, people in the city cruelly scrutinize those who lived in the mountains.

I found her, the grocery bags she's holding was torn by some sharp plastic pack. I helped her pick up her groceries and gave her another bag.

"Thank you. Uy, you're a fariner eh?"

I smiled for an answer.

"Do you have a car?" I asked politely and offered her a ride.

"Ay ubayan kaw ni makaako. No I don't have car, but no need may haws is just around da kornerr, Salamat dulang."

She said God bless you, but thank you anyways. She sounded funny but I insisted to bring her home.

It's either she  wanted to be nice or has ran out of English that she finally allowed me to bring her home. But I like her, she reminded me of my mother's estranged community.

Her house is American colonial cottage. It has huge windows for natural light and ventilation. The upper part has mini porches. Her kids are poking fun just right outside the iron gate. One kid is holding a cellphone and the other trying to reach out for it.  He is also holding a huge spider. While a girl wearing a pyjama is holding what looked like a fish tank and I heared her scream.

"Ibalik mo na yang cellphone ni Nate, Seph! Tingnan mo to, muntik nang mabasag ang bowl ng Scale clan!"

And it dawned on me it is Corrine. What? she looked....crazily ravishing...in her pyjamas. I momentarily freeze my vision on her direction. It took me several more moments to gain back my brain control.

There mother asked them what is going on and they all talked together at the same time. I'd better get out of here for my own sanity. I still heard there mother telling all of them to shut up.