Let’s Talk Pinoy!

What pranks or jokes did you pull with your sibling, friend or a colleague this year? Was it a unique one or you copied it from someone? April starts off with the joker in all of us and if you got fooled, I hope you didn’t take it personally or too hard. After all, it’s just April Fool’s day. I hope next year I will be brave enough to do a prank (or two) on my friends, sisters or kids. Do you have any suggestions so I can practice now? Leave comments or suggestions at www.facebook.com/filamvoicemaui, I would love to hear it!

Last month, Michael went to confront the man who was hiding behind the bushes. Let’s see what’s happening this month, shall we?

As Michael talks to the boy and sends him on his way back balay (home), Michael sighs a bit of relief as he walks back to the balay (house) and through the harapan (front) pintuan (door) where Angel is waiting.

“Cinno (Who) was that man?” asks Angel.

“Just a boy down the dalan (street) in love with you,” says Michael seriously.

“Oh really?” Angel says. Before she closes the lukub (door), she takes a last look at the man from a distance who continues to take photos.

Angel closes the pasbul (door) and pauses. She looks up and reopens the door to take a second look outside. The man from the distance is gone.

Puzzled, she stares into the horizon and ponders if she really saw anyone. She looks to the left, no one. She looks to the right, no one. Confused, she closes the ganhaan (door) behind her and peeks through the curtain.

“Hani (What) is it?” Michael asks.

Still perplexed, Angel replies “Wala (Nothing).”

“Really? It doesn’t look like it was ‘waay’ (nothing),” Michael responds.

Angel: I thought I saw someone.

Michael giggles. “Ana (What)? Another kid who is in love with you? Let me check.”

Michael hurries to the ridaw (door) and opens it and as he does so, a few pigeons fly away. “Nope, awan (nothing), just a few birds.”

As Michael holds the puwerta (door) open, he turns to Angel. “Listen. Angel, my office called me not too long ago. Who are you?”

“Anni (What) do you mean?” Angel gazes.

“There is nobody registered as Angel Ramos Corpuz from Bacarra living here in Maui. Who are you and why have you been lying to me this whole time?”

Angel looks at him blankly. She doesn’t know ano (what) to say.

Silence.

Michael: Are you even going to tell me anything?

She looks down at her toes and says, “I tried to tell you when we were in Ma‘alaea but you wanted to muma (kiss) me that day.”

A lightning bolt hits Michael—no not a lightning bolt—a thunder bolt. A marvelous thunderbolt hits Michael from multiple sides sending chills down his spine.

“How is she so blunt?” Michael thinks.

“How can she say this to me so effortlessly? Do I look so desperate like that? Do I come across that creepy? Does she think I’m crazy?”

Suddenly, Michael begins to float, his feet becomes lighter and lighter. A strong gust sweeps his feet from under him as he tumbles and spins in a cyclone of emotional insecurity and unrest. A storm of doubt, fear and shame rips at his very soul. And just as the truck called regret comes directly at him, aimed to impale the very head that was too scared, too timid to go for the halik (kiss). Just as the massive truck is about to hit him, Michael braces himself for impact and covers up. A loud horn streams throughout the entire neighborhood and all of a sudden, Michael is back on the ground, in the kitchen of where Angel lives and he is left sweating profusely. Angel again stares at him going through yet another internal anxiety attack.

Michael painfully looks away. He remembers that day. It’s the day they were strolling to Mā‘alaea Ocean Center, shared a plate of fried milkfish from Tante’s and Rosie got wet from the strong wave. What a day that was. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her. He wanted to ummo (kiss) her that day but didn’t have the courage to make a move. He didn’t want the day to end so he drove to Lahaina to spend more time with her.

Angel: I tried again last week. I was hoping a kaibigan (friend) would come. Then I was hoping you would knock at that lukub (door) and rescue me. I wanted to run away from this house. Lydia is a very nice lady who took me in when I was living on the beach but she is getting a bit too much. She has changed. Everyday is getting worse.

Michael: Hani (What) do you mean?

Angel: Well, she knows I am here illegally and always threatens to report me to the immigration office. I can trabaho (work) but not legally. I don’t have a problem doing the trabaho (work) she gives to me because I used to do this ubra (work) back in the Philippines. But the pulling hair and calling names is a bit too much sometimes.

Michael is speechless. He doesn’t have a clue Angel suffers verbal and physical abuse from the person who helped her.

Angel breaks down and sobs. “I came to the U.S. because I wanted to help my family. I wanted to feed my family and buy medicine for my dad. I wanted my mom to be able to buy food and not worry when my siblings will be able to eat. I didn’t know it was all a scam. My family borrowed kwarta (money) from a lot of people just for me to get here. I want to do trabaho (work). I want to send them salapi (money) so I can pay those people who we owe pera (money) to. Michael, nanoyin (what) can I do?” Angel belts out a stream of emotion for the first time and the unbearable tears fall to the ground.

Michael reaches out to give her a yakap (hug) and pulls her into his arms. He was gagap-pan (hugging) her as if she were the only thing in the kalibutan (world) matters.

With a mournful look in her face, Angel gakos (hugs) him back.

They arakup (hug) for a long time, his korason (heart) singing and confused at the same time.

He kawul (hugs) her until she stopped sobbing. His puso (heart) aches for her.

“Ana (What) are we going to do?” thinks Michael.

Have you made a hard decision in your life? Do you make decisions based on emotions? How do you handle emotions in decision making? Anni (What) do you think Michael and Angel will do next? Do you think Michael’s actions will be clouded with his emotions? Will he do the right thing? Ano (What) is the right thing to do? Please 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.