4 kids & a dog

Sunday, and my folks arrived at a little past 10.30 am. They got lost. My dad just enjoyed the open highways too much, he went up the fly-over instead of going under it. Anyway, they got to my place alright.

All four of the little devils were with them, including my beloved little doxie, Pippa. Her real name's Pippa Pepita Petunia Preponderous ____. But we all call her Pippa. My mom calls her "si pandak" (the short one).

Earlier that morning, I had gone to the daungan (the small pier) where the bancas dock, and bought some kilos of freshly harvested mussels and oysters. They turned out to be fat and sweet, dipped in a garlic-butter sauce (for the mussels) and vinegar with chili peppers and garlic (for the oysters). I had a crash course in preparing the shellfish from my mom. Nothing to it; you just pour boiling water on the oysters, and steam the mussels in a pan.

The kids ran up and down, up and down, up and down the stairs with the dog who was barking every half second or so. And they got onto my airbed and created a make-believe circus with trapeze artists. The only circus in the world where you can find a doxie trapeze artist.

Lunch was served and that gave us some half hour of relative quiet. My mom had brought these small plastic disposable cups and so I was busy refilling four of them every two minutes while their owners busily applied themselves to rice and pork adobo. Pippa was so hungry, she didn't need prodding to finish her food. It was actually gone in four seconds flat.

While the kids and my dad were at the table (which could seat only four), and myself waiting on four small disposable cups, I noticed my mom had gone over to the corner shelf and starting putting my very few knicknacks in order. I patted my dad on his shoulder and pointed this out to him. We both snickered as we didn't dare laugh out loud.

My mother is an obsessive-compulsive woman. She loves knicknacks and decor and has them all over her house. It's a lovely house, hers. But I wouldn't want to own it with all those small porcelain or ceramic things to clean and dust and put in order everyday. I have very few, myself, and these were given to me as presents by friends, too precious to give away.

After they'd gone, at around 2 pm, I proceeded to clean up the place (at least, the ground floor) as it looked like a tornado had gone through it. And the floor was sticky with spilled water and food. The toilet floor was muddy with small footprints, and a paw print here and there. But I felt good. The house felt like it felt good. So many warm and excitable bodies in it, even for just a short while.

After an hour resting, I ironed my clothes (which I had washed the night before!) and prepared the bedroom (read: put up the mosquito net). Then I plopped in front of the tv set and watched the second half of "My Cousin Vinny," consuming the last of the pan de sal. I was in bed by 9 pm, bushed and out a few minutes after that.