Dulce Karen Butay
Happy Independence Day! How was your 4th of July? Did you light fireworks? What is your favorite dish? Did you have an All-American menu like hotdogs, hamburgers, and potato chips? Or was it a variety of favorites of family and friends?
It’s the second half of the year. How is your summer so far? It’s halfway through the summer and I hope you did something really cool with your loved ones. We are so lucky to live in Hawaii because we are surrounded by bodies of water. Beaches are everywhere. We can spend a day or even go camping for a long weekend. After all, we live in a maganda (beautiful) place on Earth.
Shout out to those who are celebrating their birthdays this month. Extra shout out to Lyndsay Butay Hayen and Cherilyn Faylogna Danzer. 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 see what’s going on with our story this month and where Michael and Angel will be going next, shall we?
Ray drives to Katherine’s place in silence. They don’t talk at all while they are traveling. Ray is concentrating on driving while Katherine is just focusing on the road too. When they reach her balay (house), he turns off the engine and says to Katherine, “Pasensya ha lang ako (I’m sorry), it’s late at night. You are probably tired.”
Katherine smiles at him and says, “It’s ok.” She is about to exit when she turns to him and asks, “Would you like to come inside for a cup of coffee?”
Ray hesitates at first but when he sees her ngiti (smile), he says, “Oh sure. I will not be able to sleep anyway.”
He gets out of the lugan (car) and follows Katherine to her balay (house).
She unlocks the lukob (door) and turns on the lights and goes to the kitchen to brew some coffee.
He closes the ridaw (door) behind him and goes to the living room and starts scanning the pictures on the shelves and wall.
Ray pahiyum (smiles) when he sees some pictures of him with Katherine on the wall. He stares at one particular picture that takes him to the past.
He is reminiscing about the old happy days he and Katherine shared when he hears a voice.
“Ray … Ray…back to earth Ray,” Katherine calls but he just yuhum (smiles).
Ray follows Katherine to the kitchen and they start to make their own coffee in silence. Ray takes the cup from Katherine and carries it for her. Katherine walks towards the living room and Ray follows her, carrying their cups of coffee.
Katherine sits on the edge of the sofa. Ray puts their cups of coffee down on the dulang (table) and sits beside her. He leans back, closes his mata (eyes), and places his kamot (hand) on the back of his head.
She glances at him and says, “Awww… Detective Walker is tired.” She stands up behind him. “Let me help you,” says Katherine, and she starts to massage his head.
“Oh … that feels great,” says Ray. After a while, Ray takes her gamat (hand) to guide her towards the sofa. She starts to walk back to the sofa and sits next to him.
Ray puts his paa (feet) on top of the la mesa (table) while Katherine hands him his cup of coffee.
“Thank you, sweetie. You always know how to make me feel better, you know me so well,” Ray says with a sweet pahiyum (smile).
Katherine smiles at him and takes her cup of coffee and they both take a sip at the same time.
“What are you gonna do?” asks Katherine.
Ray takes off his bitis (feet) from the table, puts down his cup, and says, “I decided to go with what my guts tell me, court you and make you my wife.”
Katherine’s mata (eyes) widen and she is shocked by what she hears. She is speechless.
She turns and looks at Ray and says, “I … I … I was talking about Angel’s situation,” in a shaky voice and still trying to recover from what she heard.
How are you able to react to that? You are in the midst of a problem and there someone spurts out his love out of nowhere.
Anyway, 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 of 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 the owner of Maui Balsamic Vinegar and is a licensed Resident Producer of Life Insurance with World Financial Group and an Independent Consultant of Saladmaster. She is a 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.