'Manang Tina, dia na si Amara.'
Atty. Royale said quite loudly upon entering the semi-concrete duplex house I am about to enter too. I think he said that I have arrived. I glanced around the house while entering and noticed its cleanliness and neatness. Hmmm.
Not bad for me.
'Mao na ni siya Cole si Amara?'
Manang Tina asked Atty. Royale if this is really me- Amara.
Manang Tina actually is old. She sports a head of snow and thick spectacles which have strings attached to both ends of her eyeglasses.
She reminds me of Oprah with white hair!
She's dark skinned and big lips and curly short hair. But she has this homey and kind aura that I didn't notice I genuinely smiled for the first time after the tragedy of my family.
I immediately grabbed her right hand and sticked it to my forehead. This is what my mom had always wanted me to do with the elders coming from the Philippines!
This is 'pag-mano' culture in the Philippines showing respect to the elders. With the thought, I immediately casted my eyes downwards since my tears started again to brim. But Manang Tina cradled my face for a while and gave me the hug I have always wanted since losing my family.
I cried so hard in her cradle! Her warmth pacified me with her gentle hair caresses on me from time to time.
Coming here isn't a mistake after all.
Manang Tina led me to the dining table and settled me to one of its chairs. Later on, I noticed there are a number of food which are Filipino cuisines, of course, on which my stomach betrays me with!
It growled so loudly that it made the atmosphere light and comical! Ugh! Eat me earth!
We then proceeded with our dinner. I actually forgot when was the last time I ate. I got used to my mother's call for meals and there is no one to do that for me now. I pushed my tears back this time and continued to eat native chicken adobo which is really so good, matched with boiled and skinned sweet potatoes.
I remembered Atty. Royale this time and to my relief, he's just across me, savoring the tasty foods too. When he glanced my way, I bestowed him a small smile to which he responded with a smile and a nod too. He feels like an older brother to me. And I just feel good with his authoritative but kind demeanor.
I was about to put another spoonful of adobo to my mouth when,
'Aroy, Nanay Tina! Arang kalimota gyud nako sa tugon ni Kuya Cole nga paatngan sila arun ingnan ka nahu nga mag andam na sa lamesa!'
(Goodness! Aunt Tina, I forgot that my older brother, Cole, had instructed me to wait for them outside so I could signal you to prepare dinner!)
A boy..
Around my age barged in the dining in a hurry, combing his hair frustratedly.
He has big round black eyes, vivid, despite his eyeglasses on. Black spiky hair in neat cut. Fair-skinned but more like mestizo actually and taller than me, I guess 3 inches more because I am five feet and three inches tall. He is wearing a plain white shirt and a tennis shorts. Funnily, he is by foot. And we are all wearing foot-wears!
Seeing us eating, the intruder's jaw dropped and scratched the outside of his left eyebrow. And oh wow! He blushed! He is getting redder by the second. So he immediately, retreated. But when he was about to leave, Atty. Royale spoke,
'Come back here, Caloy. Do not let the food wait for you.'
Did I say Atty. Royale speaks calmly but commandingly too? That's just how he is. So this boy, Caloy, settled on my right to eat.
I guess it's my turn to blush now. He smells divine!