By Farah G. Decano

T’WAS past nine o’ clock at night when I finally decided to turn off the lights in the first floor, go up my bedroom and rest my tired half-a-century sexy body. Don’t get me wrong. It is always good to have a little amount of delusion for positivity.

Earlier, Mama woke up from her sleep twice.  She was worried about the same issue – the visit of my brother this Christmas. “Sinong susundo sa Kuya mo?”  “Kelan sya darating?” “Did you prepare his room?”  With her disheveled hair, mama really looked really anxious. Twice also, I assured her that I got it all planned out and escorted her back to  bed.

While enjoying the silence in my bedroom, I realized how detailed my mother was in planning.  When she was younger, I cannot dissuade her from her stubborn meanderings. She was the immovable wall in our family. The only irresistible force who could match her willpower was her oldest female child.

Before escaping to dreamland, I rang another lawyer about a case we both handle.  She answered with an unusual whisper. Curious, my sleepy eyes suddenly lost their desire to shut.

“Anyare?” I asked.

“Ssssh…Mom does not like it when she sees me on the phone at night.”

I learned that she was in her parents’ house because her father had stomach flu. She decided to sleep in the sala so she could easily monitor developments.

“Where is your Mom?”

“Lakad pa ng lakad. Kung anu-ano ang hinahanap.  Ayaw matulog.”

I chuckled. Her mom’s type A behavior is similar to mine. Magulo. Kiti-kiti. Stubborn. Then, pañera started talking in her normal voice…not to me though.

“Mom, bukas nyo na lang gawin yan…. I checked and all windows and doors are locked na…. Para que pa ako nandito if kayo rin pala ang gagawa?….Mom, matulog na kayo.”

Then pañera started talking softly again. That was a signal that she was back in our conversation. “Haaaay. Gusto nya lahat sya ang may last touch.”

I reminded this firstborn female lawyer about her early years of childhood – that she herself was very headstrong, very confident, and very outspoken. She was not called “Sutella Reklamo” for nothing.

“You were a difficult child then, right? So, just see your mother as your three-year old self in an elderly body.  You can call her,  ‘Senyora Sutella’.

Suddenly, I heard the junior Sutella address the Senyora Sutella.

“Mom! Tapos ko na gawin yan….Mom, kung kayo ang gagawa, uuwi na lang ako.”

“Mom! Si Dad na lang asikasuhin nyo….Nandito ako para di nyo na alalahanin
ang mga ibang gagawin.”

As I heard my colleague stress out, I laughed to myself. I was amused that we are in the same situation.  My nearing nonagenarian Mama was as difficult two years ago.  Now, we are in this period that we are both mothering our hard headed mothers.

The younger Sutella spoke in whispers again – that was my cue. I learned that Senyora Sutella had gone to her bedroom. Pañera discussed the grandfather rule in corporations.

I thought I would be having an uninterrupted discussion with the pañera, when…

“Mom! Nandito ako sa bahay nyo para pakiramdaman ko kayo…. Hindi ako ang pakikiramdaman ninyo.”

“Pinapakiramdaman ka?” I asked my colleague.  She noticed that her mom’s bedroom door opened a little.  “Yes! Buti nga at hindi na ako flina-flashlight-an tulad ng dati para lang malaman if tulog na ako.”

I guess, Senyora Sutella was left with no more surprise antics because her equally smart Juniora easily predicted her next moves.

We were already ten minutes into our discussion when my bedroom door opened and the lights suddenly switched on. I saw a head peeping behind the door.  My gulaaaay!!! My wobbly mother just inched her way to the 2nd floor!!!

“Farah, paano ang tulugan ng Kuya mo pagdating nya?   Sigurado ka na prepared na?”

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