Let’s Talk Pinoy!

Fun in the sun! How are you spending your summer this year? We have roughly 12,000 visitors coming to Maui each day. With COVID-19 still going on, are you thinking about traveling or doing a staycation? Whatever you decide, I hope you have fun; after all, Life is truly short. We must enjoy and spend time with friends, family and especially with your kids. Kids grow up so fast. One minute you are changing their diapers and the next thing you know, you are sending them off to college. Which is what I will be doing next month. As for now, I am enjoying the company of my daughter before she will go away for college and become an adult in a couple of months.

Shout out to our July birthday celebrants: Lyndsay Butay-Hayen, Meisen Alibin and Migz Cariaga. Happy, Happy birthday to you! (Tagalog) Maligayang bati sa inyong kaarawan! (Ilokano) Naimbag nga panagkasangay yo! (Ibanag) Makapagayaya nga aggaw na nikeyana mu!

Let’s visit our friends Angel and Michael and see what’s going on with them this month, shall we?

“Ayyyy! bastos!” Angel says as she lowers herself back down into Michael’s braso (arms). With her is the backpack.

The buzzing continues.

“Okay missy. I will find you,” Angel blurbs as she tears into the top main zipper of the backpack and sticks her entire arm deep inside. Her kamot (hand) darts past the clothing and the hydro flask following the buzzing,… left past the notebook, right past the wallet. “Ooohhh, I wonder? Haan (No), focus Angie,” she reminds herself.

Follow the buzzing. Tapping into her Zen-like powers she locates the buzzing phone.

“Ah ha!” she exclaims as she rips it out into the air and accidentally presses the green accept call button. “Who is …,” she belts out as she finally realizes the nobya (girlfriend) turns out to be somebody else as the caller ID burns into her eyelids it reads Nanang (Mother).

“Michael!” the voice comes in hot.

“Michael! Hello? San o (Where) are you? Hello? hello?” the voice cracks.

Angel freezes!

She stares at the phone and it’s at this moment she realizes she messed up.

“Hello? Michael? Michael …” the voice cracks and begins to cry …

“Michael…… please talk to me, my son. Nokarin (Where) are you? Please come balay (home).”

Angel turns a pale yellow.

“Hani (What) did I just do? I want to scream. Dili (No), I don’t want to scream. I want to cry.”

“Michael …” his Nanay (mother) whimpers on the phone. “I don’t know sitaw (where) you are. I want you to come bahay (home). I dasal (pray) for your safety. Your dad even pangadi (prayed) for you. Please just tell me you’re ok. Please …”

Michael is still sleeping. Angel gasps as he moves a bit and moans.

“Michael!” his Yena (Mother) yells. “Are you hurt?”

“Mmmm,” he groans.

“Oh my gosh Michael. Aha (Where) are you? We will come get you right now!” his Ima (mother) says firmly.

“Mmmm …” he begins to talk in his sleep.

“Mama, fried chicken. Pizza joe.”

“Whaaat?” both Angel and Mom blurp out.

“Wait, who is that?”

“Who are you? Sitaw (Where) is my son?

Angel just freezes in time.

“Anni (What) do I do? Ana (What) should I say? Oh I should have never grabbed his phone. Can I put it back? Should I hang up? Haan (No), she will continue to call. Grrr. Ahhhh. Ano (What) do I do?” Angel says.

“Huh? Hani (What) do you do?” Mom asks.

Angel realizes she just spoke her last sentence aloud and immediately covers her mouth and clinches her teeth.

The horror in her eyes, as his mom says “Angel? Is that you? Nasaan (Where) is Michael?”

Michael’s mom is overcome with fear as she hears Angel’s voice.

“Angel, tigil! (stop!) Don’t hurt my baby!” she screams into the phone.

“Ana? (What?)” Angel is confused and stops to process the words.

“Hani (What) did she just say?” Angel says, puzzled.

“Angel! Let go of my son and turn yourself in. Please patugut (stop) it now,” his Nanang (mother) says.

“Ano? (What?)” Angel is completely baffled. “Who is she talking to? Does Michael have another Angel friend?”

“Angel … We know who you are and anni (what) you did!” the mom says.

“Nanoyin (What) the? Who is this lady talking to?” Angel thinks, as she is more confused than ever.

“We know ana (what) you did to that officer, Angel. Just let my son go. Please, I am asking you,” she pleads to her.

“Officer?” Angel asks herself.

Mom’s voice shatters. “He doesn’t deserve this. He is a good person. Just let him go! I’m begging you, please.”

“Ano (What) are you talking about lady?” Angel couldn’t control herself anymore.

“You know hani (what) you did,” says the mom.

“Ana (What) did I do?” Angel asks confusedly.

“You are on video. They are coming after you!” the mom exclaims.

“Nanoyin? (What?)” Angel asks.

“You killed that cop!”

And there it is, she said it. How do you feel when someone tells you something like that? How do you react? What are you going to say?

Anyways that’s all I have. Keep an eye out for my article in 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.