We celebrate Mother’s Day this month. Let’s wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all the Nanay, Inang, Inay, Yena, Ima, especially to my mom Dolly Butay. Happy Mother’s Day to my sisters Daisy, Dianne and Debbie and to my daughter Vanessa Kate Erin.
To Mom: Thank you for loving and caring for me. I love you.
In Ilokano: Agyamanak iti pinangipateg ken pinangdunggom kanyak. Ay-ayaten ka.
In Tagalog: Salamat sa pagmamahal at pag-aaruga sa akin. Mahal kita.
In Ilonggo: Madamo gid nga salamat sa pagpalangga kag paghalong sa akon. Palangga gid taka.
In Cebuano: Daghang salamat sa paghigugma ug pagpalangga nimo sa akoa. Gihigugma taka.
Shout out to our May birthday celebrants: May-Anne Alibin, Jeslie Butay, Melen Agcolicol, Shane Hayen, Roberta Dumlao, Alfredo Evangelista, Christian Joshua Butay, Jared Hedani, Eleonor Carlos-Galapon, Jowy Langaman, and Brian Hayen. Happy, Happy birthday to you! (Tagalog) Maligayang bati sa inyong kaarawan! (Ilokano) Naimbag nga panagkasangay yo! (Ibanag) Makapagayaya nga aggaw na nikeyana mu!
Where are we in the story of Michael and Angel? Let’s find out.
Michael begins to pull the grass. But his kamot (hands) slip and slide. He cannot pull out a single blade.
I have awan (no) power left. I need to wake her.
He opens the puwerta (door) with her pretending to sleep. He goes in to whisper in her ear to get up. She arakup (hugs) him and halik (kisses) his cheek.
Shocked about this, he collapses on her. She looks up at the silhouette of a cabin in the jungle under the illumination of the moon.
“Where are we?” Angel asks.
Michael is passed out on top of her on the passenger side of the vehicle. It is the middle of the darkened night and she doesn’t have the energy to push Michael off her nor does she really want to. Instead, she reaches for Michael’s nearby jacket that is peeping out of his backpack and covers him with it. She pulls him into her and wraps her arms around him as he unconsciously snuggles into her. She slowly gives him a muma (kiss) on his forehead and runs her gamat (hands) through his hair.
“Knight in shining armor huh? Fell a few feet short but I’ll take it,” she whispers to herself as she smirks herself to sleep as well.
Meanwhile, Ray dials the phone to call Michael again.
Ring … Ring … Ring … No answer.
“Grrr … Now’s not the time to ignore me, Mikey.” Ray murmurs to himself.
Ray dials another number.
Ring … Ring … Ring … Ring …
“Hello, Ray. Why are you calling this late?” Robert asks his brother.
“Where’s Mikey, bro?” Ray asks.
“I don’t know. He hasn’t been balay (home) for a while. I haven’t talked to him for a long time now. I have a lot of things to talk to him about, especially the cases that we are handling. His nanay (mother) said he might have a nobya (girlfriend). She is worried sick of him. Why?” Robert says.
“About his kasintahan (girlfriend), what do you know about her?” Ray asks.
“Actually, I don’t even know her name. He hasn’t properly introduced me. I haven’t seen them but I know he has amiga (girlfriend) that he really likes,” Robert replies.
Ray starts to sound agitated on the phone.
“You’ve got to know something about this girl. Nokarin (Where) is she from?
What is her real name? Saan (Where) are her parents? Who does she work for?” Ray keeps going.
“Whoa whoa, where is this coming from?” Robert cuts off his brother from his questions. “What’s going on? Answer me now Ray,” he demands.
“This nobya (girlfriend) of his, she was involved with a fatal death near the airport. She was spotted last scene with this man.” Ray reveals.
“Whaat?! No way,” Robert says in shock.
“Yes, my dear brother. There was a case to search for her and it had been apparently going on for a while now. Since it was a homicide, access to information is restricted. Until now. I just got promoted and the Chief gave this assignment to me. As soon as I opened it, I guessed she looked familiar but after a few minutes, I just knew it was her. I can’t be wrong because I saw her up close and who wouldn’t remember Mikey’s first kasintahan (girlfriend)?
“Oh geez,” Robert exclaims.
“And then I tried to call Mikey for a while now and he is not answering his phone,” Ray continues.
“Wait, let me try and call him,” Robert tells him.
Ring … ring … ring … ring … ring … This is Michael, please leave a message …
Robert: Grr …
He tries again.
Ring … ring … ring … ring … ring … This is Michael, please leave a message …
Robert starts to get mad.
He texts him “Boy, call me NOW. ASAP.”
Robert goes downstairs to check the garage if Michael’s car is in the garage. Then he goes to the living room. He paces back and forth in the living room.
Mila, Michael’s mom, is watching her favorite soap opera. Robert doesn’t see her sitting on the edge of the sofa.
“Robert, why are you still up? What’s wrong?” she asks.
He doesn’t hear her.
Robert continues to pace back and forth as he stares at his phone. “OMG, Mikey, sitaw (where) are you?”
Literally one minute elapsed since his last text message. He writes and sends another one. And clinches on the phone.
He calls again and no answer.
“Hoy, hoy, hoy …” His wife snaps her fingers trying to get his attention. “What is going on here?” she asks him with irritation.
“Oh, there you are. Do you remember the girl Michael has been seeing?” he asks his wife.
“Yes, of course. She’s so gorgeous,” she says smiling.
“She might be a murderer,” Robert says.
Mila’s eyes widen. She is shocked and speechless.
“Yes, that was Ray who called. He was calling you but you didn’t answer your phone. He said she was last seen with the cop who went missing a while back. Do you remember?
“No way!” Mila exclaims.
Have you experienced being in trouble and tried to hide it from your mom? Do you wait for your mom to find out about it or do you tell her before she finds out from other people? Mother has many eyes, not literally but it’s a figure of speech. Mother will find out eventually about it so you might as well tell her to lessen your punishment.
Anyways that’s all I have. Keep an eye out for my article every issue. 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 received her Associate in Arts degree in Liberal Arts from Maui Community College. She earned 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 Saladmaster’s Travel Club and won an all-expenses paid trip to Cancún, Mexico. Butay has traveled to Texas, the Philippines and Thailand as one of the delegates from Island Healthy Solutions, a Saladmaster dealer here on Maui.