April starts with the joker in all of us and if you were fooled, I hope you didn’t take it personally or too hard. After all, it’s just April Fool’s Day. Hopefully next year, you will be the one playing a prank on your friends or your co-workers. Be prepared or if you want some ideas, let me know I might have some ideas or suggestions for you. Leave me a message or comments at www.filamvoicemaui.com, I would love to help!
Shout out to our April birthday celebrants: my sister Daisy Butay-Hayen, my Auntie Norma Butay Aurelio, and Carmelita Montero Quemado. Happy, happy birthday to you! (Tagalog) Maligayang bati sa inyong kaarawan! (Ilokano) Naimbag nga panagkasangay mo! (Ibanag) Makapagayaya nga aggaw na nikeyana mu! (Kapampangan) Masayang kebaitan queca! (Ilonggo) Masadya gid nga adlaw sa imo pagkatawo.
In last month’s issue Michael and Angel were out in the boonies running away from a man who was weirdly taking pictures of Angel. Let’s take a look at what the story is this month, shall we?
They walk to the saken (car) quietly.
Angel gets inside the sakyanan (car), and buckles herself.
“Michael, I did not kill a cop. Do you believe me? I didn’t do anything!” She starts sobbing.
“Ssshhh … Be quiet for now. Explain later. Right now, let’s go to my bahay (house),” Michael tells her.
“To your balay (house)? Your nanay (mom’s) house? I don’t want to go to your bahay (house). Your nanang (mom) is there. I am scared of your inahan (mom)!” Angel cries a flood with trembles and hiccups
“Stop crying. It’s not going to help you. And besides, my mother is the last thing that you should be worried about,” Michael says calmly.
The car is filled with silence. Angel stops crying and does not say anything.
Michael is right. Even if I cry a river, it will not solve any of my problems. I need to set aside my emotions and face my problems. His yena (mother) is the last thing I have to worry about. I’m sure his Ima (mother) is nice and she will treat me like a daughter of her own. Ahh, I miss my nanay (mother), she says quietly and let’s go a malalim (deep) sigh.
Michael is the only kaibigan (friend) she has right now. Where are my gayyem (friends) anyway? Hahaha … I don’t really have kaluguran (friends), she says to herself. I thought Rosie was my kofun (friend) but she hasn’t been around lately.
Michael gives her a glance because she let go a halalum (deep) sigh. “I could only imagine ano (what) she is going through,” he says to himself. Anni (What) has she done? How am I going to help her? Ana (What) am I going to do? I’m so confused right now. He, himself let go an adalem (deep) sigh.
“Am I in trouble, Michael?” Angel asks Michael softly.
Michael did not dinig (hear) Angel because he was in malayalam (deep) thought.
“Michael?” she says. Michael does not answer.
“Michael, did you dungug (hear) me?” Angel asks louder.
“Ha? Nanoyin (What) are you asking?” he says. Confused.
“Am I in trouble?” she repeats her question.
“Ahh … I don’t know. It depends on ana (what) you did,” he says reluctantly.
Silence fills the kotse (car) again.
Michael concentrates on his driving. He drives carefully so they will not get into any accident as he has a lot on his mind.
Angel closes her eyes and says a prayer.
She doesn’t know how long she closed her eyes because when she opens her eyes, they are already parked in front of a big balay (house).
“Is this your bale (house)?” Angel asks.
Michael does not answer.
“Wow! Your bahay (house) is so big!” she exclaims.
Michael does not move from the driver’s seat. He lets go a lalum (deep) sigh.
Angel mirrors him and she also lets go a halalum (deep) sigh. And then another one, and another one.
Michael looks at her and asks “Are you ready?”
“To face your inang (mother)?” Angel asks.
“Yes,” he says quietly.
“There will be a lot of questions and frustrations,” Michael says.
“Yes, I understand,” Angel says softly.
They both take an adalem (deep) breath and slowly open their doors.
Their feet feel so heavy it feels like they are dragging it.
The driveway is only a few steps to the door but it feels like a mile for them.
Michael opens the door and goes inside the balay (house).
He thinks Angel is behind him but when he turns around, the door is still open and she is still standing outside.
Angel feels like her feet is planted in the ground. She cannot move her feet. She’s scared to go inside because Michael’s mother is there. She doesn’t know what she will do to her, thinking she is getting her son in trouble.
“Michael is that you?” a voice says and they both freeze.
Who likes being questioned? Or confrontation? I myself try to avoid this kind of situation. What is going to happen in Michael’s house?
Anyways that’s all I have. Keep an eye out for my article on 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.