Welcome back to school! I hope you had a wonderful summer vacation. Some kids feel nervous or a little scared on the first day of school because of new things: new teachers, new classmates, new friends, and maybe even a new school. Then comes long homework nights and endless stories about the happenings in school. And most especially, the unavoidable and inevitable traffic around school areas. Then that is when you know, it’s back to school time.
Shout out to those who are celebrating their birthday this month. Extra shout out to Jesus “Jun” Butay, Jr., Omar “O” Lascano Lugtu, Adrienne Kawano, Gail Fujiwara, Vanessa Kate Erin Galiza, Sean Matthew Impelido-Butay, Adrian Chris Delos Santos and Gene Alvarez. 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?
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, “Aww… 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) up 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 back and takes her cup of coffee and they both take a sip at the same time.
“Anni (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 Ana (what) my guts tell me, court you and make you my wife.”
Katherine’s mata (eyes) widen and she is shocked at 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.
“Yes, I know, we were talking about Angel,” Ray says and sits up straight. “That is why I have to tell you something,” he continues.
“Hani (What) are you going to tell me? That Angel is a druggie?” Katherine guesses.
“Haan (No),” Ray answers.
“Angel is pregnant?” Katherine says with disbelief.
“Dili (No), he says impatiently.
“Nanoyin (What) is it? You find Angel attractive and you start to like her?” asks Katherine, teasing him with a sweet yuhom (smile).
“Hindi (No),” Ray says seriously.
“Hmmm.… Let me guess. She is your long-lost daughter?” Katherine asks Ray with a pahiyum (smile) on her dagway (face).
Ray turns pale and faces Katherine. “How did you know she’s my daughter?” he asks, arap (face) plastered with disbelief coming over him.
“She’s your daughter?” asks Katherine who also has mukha (face) plastered with disbelief now.
Ray does not deny nor confirm. There is no answer from him.
“Is she?” Katherine asks again.
Still no answer from Ray.
“Are you serious, Ray? How did that happen?” asks Katherine.
Still no answer from him. He cannot stand the look Katherine is giving him so Ray looks down and puts his kamay (hand) on his head and then messes up his buhok (hair) for he doesn’t know ano (what) to say or do now.
He can feel Katherine is still staring at him, waiting for his answer even if he is not looking at her.
He slowly stands up, walks slowly towards the door, and doesn’t say anything to Katherine.
He just leaves her there, sitting, with a lot of questions in her mind.
Is Angel really Ray’s daughter? If she is, then Angel and Michael would be first cousins. Will Ray tell them about this? How about the feelings Michael and Angel are starting to have?
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 language. 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 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.