Let’s Talk Pinoy!

Whoa! Second month of the year already? That was quick.

Ah, February, the love month! What are you doing differently this Valentine’s Day? There’s a limited number of restaurants offering dine in during this pandemic so what will be the new normal? Virtual date? I heard someone has plans to order two dinners through Doordash or Bite Squad—one dinner will be delivered to him and the other one will be delivered to his date. And they will meet and have dinner virtually through Facetime. Wow! What a change in our lifestyle. Whatever works, right? Just be healthy and safe during this pandemic.

Let’s see what’s going on with Michael this month and where they will be going next, shall we?

As fire comes from his mouth, Michael flings his phone into the bushes and it crashes into the cane grass. He stares into the field. In shock, he instantly regrets throwing his phone.

This time, wishful and playful words come marching out of his mouth. He begins walking towards the cane grass and gracefully makes his way into the Pā‘ia forest. As the course sharp grass blades dig into the soft skin on his body, he winces in pain—gingerly pushing aside lump after lump. He can’t see his phone anywhere.

Grimacing with every step, Michael feels the tiny micro sharp hairs on each blade of grass grab hold of him as he passes. His pants snags on every turn. Michael has never done any landscaping work so this is all new to him. Digging around feeling the ground, he feels something crawl up his arm. He screams and shakes his kamay (hand).

“Aww … man, what have you done now Mikey? Geez, couldn’t I have just thrown it away in the sasakyan (car)? Why did I have to chuck it into the grass?” he whiffs under his nose.

Suddenly, a sound catches his ear.

Michael stops moving, puts his duhol (hand) on his ears and holds his breath.

The sound again. He can hear it.

He can hear his cell phone ringing!

“Riiinnggggggggg … Riiinnggggggggg …

He makes his way to it.

As the blades continue to slice through his virgin like skin, he gets closer and yes it is his phone ringing. He moves twice as fast and the blades don’t hurt anymore. The tears have turned into focus and he spots his phone flashing an arms length away. As he reaches for the phone, he picks it up through a spider web. He turns the phone around. “What? Two minutes left?” he gasps to catch his breath. “Noooooo!” he shouts as he throws his ima (hand) to the skies. Two minutes pass and his notification on his locked phone reads: one missed call and four messages. Tsk. Who could it be?

Quickly he punches in his passcode. Invalid password.

“Come on Michael! Geez, what is the password?”

Suddenly, he remembers he changed his password yesterday.

MichaelAngelO(143)

Embarrassingly smiling, he inputs this password into the device. It is accepted and unlocked. He immediately turns off the password requirement in the Settings.

First, the missed call. He opens the phone app. Missed call from unknown caller.

“Ah, never mind,” Michael whispers.

He goes to his messaging app.

One message from his Dad. Next.

One message from Susan.

Two messages from a mainland number.

He opens the mainland number.

Ah, just spam.

He opens the text from Susan.

It’s a screenshot of a text message from the Police Department. It is a list of wanted people. And on this list is Angel Ramos Corpuz and it has an address on it: 59 Poni Place, Pa‘ia, HI 96779.

This means the police will go to visit this address later ngayon araw (today) and ask some questions.

He needs to get to her before they do.

With a lot of nut grass hanging from his shirt and his shoes covered in mud, he slips his way back to the kotse (car).

He puts in the address into his phone and hurriedly drives.

He nearly drives into the bassit (small) dalan (street) when a lightning bolt clicks in his head.

“Wait,” he says and glances over at a lugan (car) parked down the malati (small) kalye (street). It is a black sakyanan (car) that seems a bit out of place.

Most of the cars in this area are beater cars and a few Toyotas. This saken (car) has a clean and dark tint. It just doesn’t look right.

He slowly turns away from the gamay (small) dalang (street), glances over and jots down the license plate.

He parks nearby on the other side of Baldwin Avenue.

He has Susan on speed dial and calls.

Susan: Michael!?

Michael: Susie, can you run this license plate. LMD-126.

Susan: Why what’s going on?

Michael: Well, I sped over to the address on file for Angel as soon as I got it and before I got there, I noticed a sasakyan (car) that was kinda suspect.

You can hear typing in the background and a few whispers.

Michael: Who is with you?

Susan: Nobody. I’m here at trabaho (work). Everyone is always passing my desk because SOMEBODY didn’t move me to the second floor like he told me he was going to do this week. Ahem!

Michael: Yeah, sorry about that. I know I’ve been so busy.

Susan: Busy? Busy chasing after a girl who is wanted.

Michael pauses for a moment or two.

Susan: That auto (car) is from the police department. Surveillancing the balay (house) next to your kasintahan (girlfriend). It has been reported that there is drug activity at the third bahay (house) over from your nobya (girlfriend).

Michael: Ahhh, can we get them to leave or something? I need to get to Angel karun (today) … now.

Susan: Sir, did you forget? I’m just an intern. I have no idea how to do that.

Michael: Oh yeah, that’s right. Grr. Okay.

Michael hangs up and calls his uncle.

Uncle: Michael, what’s up?

Michael: Uncle, do you have surveillance going on in Pā‘ia aggaw (today)?

Uncle: Yes, I do. Why?

Michael: Um, I have an informant that says your guy has been spotted. You might want to pull them out.

Uncle: What do you mean? Who is your informant?

Michael: Uh … Uh … Uh.…… I can’t say or he might get arrested for doing this for me.

Uncle: Huh? Okay whatever. You know, you’ve been acting really weird lately. How’s your nobia (girlfriend)?

Michael: Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t talked to her since I dropped her off. I have to go.

Michael hangs up and slowly creeps his way towards Poni Place. As soon as he sees the surveillance car pull out, he pulls in.
As he jumps out of the sasakyan (car), he runs up the hagdanan (stairs) and knocks on the pintuan (door).

He knocks again. And again.

No answer.

He pounds the door with all his might.

And finally, Angel opens the door, in shock to see Michael.

Michael and Angel see each other again. What do you think is going to happen? Is Michael going to call the police and turn in Angel? Is Angel going to run and hide? Visit us on our Facebook page and leave us a comment or ideas at www.facebook.com/filamvoicemaui.

I’m Dulce, helping you to master your Filipino Languages. Like always, let’s laugh, let’s makinig (listen), and Let’s Talk Pinoy! Hanggang sa muli! (Until next time!) Ingat! (Take care!).

Dulce Karen Butay was graduated from Maui High School and earned her Associate in Arts degree in Liberal Arts from Maui Community College and her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, specializing in Accounting, from the University of Hawai‘i—West O‘ahu. She is currently the Administrative Officer at the County of Maui, Department of Finance. Butay is a licensed Resident Producer of Life Insurance with World Financial Group and an Independent Consultant of Saladmaster. She is now part of the Travel Club of Saladmaster and won an all-expenses paid trip to Cancun, Mexico with the love of her life, Paul Manzano. Butay has traveled to Texas, the Philippines and Thailand as one of the delegates from Island Healthy Solutions, a Saladmaster dealer here on Maui.