G Spot
Sumalasu
By Virginia Pasalo
THAT was what she said, on her birthday, 24 October 2014 , two years ago. This account was written at that time, and thanks to Facebook, for keeping this memory:
“After confinement at the hospital, my mom, who loves to shop and eat, cannot get up or swallow. We gave her easily-digested food and supplements which she refused at times. She has this habit of pretending to swallow and giving us the impression that there’s nothing in her mouth and spits the whole thing in tissue paper. We found out in the course of healing her, she spat out most of the medicines and the herbal supplements. In exasperation, my brother would say, “Please don’t spit the medication and the supplements, you will no longer be able to shop or walk, and also because they cost so much!” My mom retorts, “Uray no P100,000 no saan ko nga maalimon, awan maaramid ko!”(Even if it costs P100,000 if I can’t swallow it, I cannot do anything).
Yesterday, my cousin Alice texted to say hello. Suddenly, I remembered, mom used to gobble up suman, so I asked her if they could make suman and send it via Victory Liner in Dagupan in time for her birthday. She agreed to make the suman. After that, I got another text from my sister Emma who told me, Nanay has started to get up, and she told my sister, “Kayat ko ti suman, diay ar-aramiden da idiay Pangasinan!” (I want to eat suman. The one they make in Pangasinan.) What a coincidence! So while waiting for it to arrive (11:30 p.m.), we brought her to the QC Memorial Circle where she feasted on the fountain lights nibbling on a stick of barbecue. At 9:30 p.m, we called the bus driver who said they are now in Dau. So we parked at EDSA with blinking tail lights and waited. The wait seemed forever but when the bus finally arrived, all concerns evaporated and focused on Nanay’s suman.
As soon as we arrived home, I opened the package in front of her, and her reaction was enough reward for all of us. She was radiant and genuinely surprised, asking, “Where did you get it? Where did you get it!?”
We jokingly told her it’s a gift from San Jacinto, from Uncle Miguel, the one who hardly gives any gifts to her. She could not believe her ears, but she smiled from ear to ear. She finished one suman last night, and she instructed me to keep at least 3 as provision for the next day.
When we greeted her Happy Birthday this morning, she turned around thinking we were greeting someone else behind her. She forgot today is her birthday, but she reminded us to bring her shopping.”
This year, her birthday fell on a Monday, so we went to see her a day before, a Sunday, in Fairview on the 23rd. She did not request for suman. She had forgotten it. I had forgotten it. The jetlag made me forget many things. Along the way we bought fried chicken, something she enjoyed lately. When we greeted her “Happy birthday, Nanay!” she smiled, sat up and started to eat the chicken. Then she suddenly stopped chewing, saying, “Kasla adda nalipatak nga kanen.” (It seems I have forgotten to eat something.). I did not want to confirm what she had forgotten. I could not produce the suman now, the suman made by my cousin Alice, in Lobong, San Jacinto, Pangasinan. That takes time to make, and I do not want to spoil her birthday. She would certainly tell me, “Aniamet, nalipatam diay suman ko!”
Sumalasu!
Isumet la nga isu
suman manen, kanu
ipaw-it mo idiay lugan
ni nanay la’t mangan
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