Whew! November came and went in just a few blinks. How was your Thanksgiving? I am so thankful to have my daughter home for the holiday. There’s no place like home, she said, especially for home-cooked meals. It’s not only on Thanksgiving Day that I am grateful for my loving and supportive family and friends but I am thankful for them every day, along with all the blessings He has given and continues to give me. I am grateful for new people I meet and become good friends with.
With turkey day out of the books, we look forward to my favorite month of the year, December. A month where you get to see family you haven’t seen in a long time and find presents under the Christmas tree. Maybe play Santa Claus to the kids and make memories lasting a lifetime.
Shout out to our December Birthday celebrants: Cora Evangelista, Guadalupe “Oping” Bautista, Maricel Agcaoili Butay, Lilia Ross, Jay Corpuz, Kristina Angeline Cabbat, Helen Bumanglag, Mimi Botuyan, and Annisa Lynne Marie Casabay. 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!
Let’s visit our friends Angel and Michael and see what’s going on with them this month, shall we?
Angel gets scared with Ray looking at her seriously. She holds on to the lamisa (table).
“What is he thinking? Does he know about the incident on O‘ahu? But that was over a year ago. Oh gosh, doesn’t he like me for his nephew?Maybe because I am poor or not pretty enough. I don’t dress up. I only wear a T-shirt and pants. I don’t really have a lot of clothes. I’ve been trabahu (working) job after job but Aunt Lydia is taking all the money I am making so I haven’t really earned anything. I haven’t even been able to send money to my family,” she says to her mind. She looks down at her plate so they will not see the tears forming in her eyes.
“Angel … Angel!” Mikey calls her and snaps his fingers to get her attention.
“Ha?!” Angel asks confusedly.
“Mom is asking if you don’t like her cooking or you want something else to eat.
Looks like you didn’t even touch the makan (food) on your plate,” Michael says.
“The food is delicious. Daghang salamat (Thank you) for the pagkain (food). I’m just getting full but I will finish what is on my plate. I don’t want to waste pagkaon (food). There’s a lot of people who don’t have kapangan (food) on their table,” she says quietly.
“Well, that was a delicious meal, my dear sister-in-law. Madamogud nga salamat!
(Thank you).” Ray turns to Michael’s mom. “As always, you are a great cook. No wonder my brother has been gaining weight every time I see him.” He laughs, then he turns serious and says “I have to get something in the sasakyan (car) and will wait in the living room. Michael, we have things to talk about.” He wipes his mouth, stands up and goes to the front puwerta (door).
Everyone is left quietly finishing their kanan (food) on their plate.
Michael’s dad turns to Michael and says, “When you are done, you can just leave your dishes. Your Uncle Ray wants to talk to you both.”
“I would like to help clean up and wash the dishes. It’s the least thing I could do,” Angel says in a low voice.
Michael’s mom says, “It’s ok, Angel. Rob and I are still going to eat our dessert so we will be at the dining table for a while. Ray would like to talk to you and Mikey.”
Angel looks at Michael and then looks back at Michael’s mom. “Salamat po. (Thank you.) Daghang salamat (thank you) for the pagkain (food). It was very delicious. Agyamanak (thank you) for cooking.”
“You’re welcome, Iha, anytime,” Michael’s mom says.
Michael stands up and goes to help Angel get up from her chair and they walk to the living room, where Uncle Ray and Katherine are waiting.
“Sit down,” says Ray seriously. “You know why we are here, right? Angel?” He looks at Angel who’s looking down at her gamat (hands).
Angel nods without looking at Ray.
“How about you, Michael? Do you know why we are here?” Ray turns to Michael.
“No, Uncle Ray. Hani (What) is this about?” Michael asks confusedly.
Ray lays the manila folder on the table quietly. “Diri (Here).
“Go ahead, Michael, open it and read it.” Uncle Ray says seriously, looking at Angel, who is still looking down at her kamay (hands).
Michael reaches for the folder. His ima (hands) are shaking. He opens it and there, he sees Angel’s mugshot.
His nawong (face) turns white. His kamot (hands) are shaking. He turns to Angel and asks her, “Ano (what) does this mean?” he asks her with a shaky voice.
Angel starts to sob. Her tears are running down her cheeks because she sat on the sofa. Now she is sobbing so hard.
“Please explain to us,” Michael asks her quietly. “Tell us if this is true.”
“Did you do this? Did you hurt someone? Did you kill the cop?”
Angel is just shaking her head while sobbing.
“This is not true,” Angel says, one word at a time.
“Well, explain why your picture is up on the wanted list,” Ray says to her seriously.
Angel wipes her tears with the back of her kamay (hands), takes a deep breath and looks up.
All eyes and all ears are turned to her. Even Michael’s parents who are still sitting down at the dining table, quietly listening to her.
Anyways that’s all I have. Keep an eye out for my column 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.