Family
By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo
IN the beginning, we walked together, some walking ahead, some taking time for conversations. Sundays were intended for bonding with family members, those who live in the Philippines, with the exception of Lydia, who was busy with her grandchildren, the renovation of her house, or avoiding a collision with her asthma.
During these walks, my sister Emma is always on the look out for “abandoned” plants, those that were planted on vacant lots, or those found outside of uninhabited houses and fenced areas where they are either wilting or on a pre-departure stage. Emma carries with her, a mini backpack packed with a cutter and an umbrella. The umbrella opens only when the heat becomes unbearable, or when stray dogs become territorial and exhibit a hint of hostility. The cutter is of course for cutting, to cut cleanly, from the limbs of the plant, with precision, avoiding unnecessary harm.
My brother Rey prefers to jog, and so he goes ahead, and reaches the top ahead of us.
“Where’s Oni?”, he asked.
“We saw his back before the bagras (Eucalyptus deglupta), and then he was no longer within our sight”, my sister Che replied.
“I’m going back for him, he might have had an asthma attack.”
“He’s a grown man, a nurse, he knows what to do if he had an attack”, Che reminded him.
Rey proceeded to go back and look for him. Emma called Oni’s mobile number, no answer. Che is annoyed.
“Why are you worried? I am sure he did not have an attack. Maybe he decided to change direction. If he is lost, he will find his way. Nobody gets lost in this village. Don’t be overprotective.”
With that statement of logic, we walked through Atlas Street, for Emma’s cutter to get busy. She had already cut from the plant yesterday, although not as cleanly as she intended. Today, she’s going to trim that area and cut with compassion and grace. Having accomplished her mission, we proceeded to the church grounds where a vendor is setting up her stall to sell bibingka and puto bumbong. She bought some. As we were walking up on Juliana Street, we saw our brothers Rey and Oni.
“I got lost. I went through a lot of streets before I saw Manong Rey at the corner. What did you buy? Let’s buy some more.”
Che went ahead to the house. Emma and the two boys went back to the church grounds. I walked back leisurely, taking photos of the clouds. Earlier, I missed taking photos of the airplanes crossing the face of the moon, or cruising under a star, or what looks like a star, and maybe not, as it was moving in an upward motion, getting smaller and smaller, until it was swallowed by the vast blue space. Maybe, as Che said, it might have been a satellite, to monitor activities in the West Philippine Sea. In an upward motion?
Maybe she is right, or maybe it is an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP), identified or unexplained. It could be a vehicle from an advanced universe, curious about our way of life, about the patterns of human behavior, looking at our family dynamics, the way our own scientists are fascinated with the dynamics of ant colonies.
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
