Dulce Karen Butay
Can you believe we’re already in the second half of the year? Time really flies! How was your Fourth of July celebration? Did you light your own fireworks, or did you enjoy the show from your neighbor’s yard? Maybe you brought something festive to a potluck—perhaps a red, white, and blue cake? Did your table feature an All-American spread with hotdogs, hamburgers, and potato chips? Or was it a delicious mix of family favorites like poke, sushi rice, kalbi ribs, and spam musubi?
We’re half-way through the summer, and I hope you’ve had the chance to do something fun and memorable with your loved ones. Living in Hawai‘i, we’re truly lucky. We’re surrounded by the ocean, and beaches are always just a short drive away. Whether it’s a quick beach day or a long weekend camping by the shore, there’s always something beautiful to enjoy. After all, we live in one of the most maganda (beautiful) places on Earth.
Shout out to those who are celebrating their birthday this month. Extra shout out to Cherilyn Faylogna Danzer, Lyndsay Danielle Butay Hayen, and Jay Peros.
Happy, Happy birthday to you! Maligayang bati sa inyong kaarawan! (Tagalog) Naimbag nga panagkasangay mo! (Ilokano) Makapagayaya nga aggaw na nikeyana mu! (Ibanag) Masayang kebaitan queca! (Kapampangan) Masadya gid nga adlaw sa imo pagkatawo! (Ilonggo)
Let’s see what’s going on with our story this month and where Michael and Angel will be going next, shall we?
“Can I ask you a favor, my dear pisan (cousin)? Could you please go to our balay (house)? I really miss my Inahan (mother) and my Amahan (father) and it would mean the world to see their mukha (faces) and hear their voices again,” Angel pleads with heartfelt longing.
“Yes, of course kasinsin (cousin). I’m going to takbo (run) there now so you can talk to your parents,” Julia says it excitedly.
Julia runs as fast as she can to reach her cousin’s balay (house), her kasingkasing (heart) racing with worry.
She stops to catch her breath, glancing at the dark windows and feeling a knot in her stomach.
“My dear pakaisa (cousin), your bale (house) is so dark. I’m really not sure if anyone is home right now,” she says softly.
Angel feels a wave of anxiety wash over her. Where could her family be? It was nighttime, and they should have been home by now.
The porch light is off, and the usual humming from inside is missing. Julia fumbles with the knob, opens the pintuan (door), and steps into the silence.
“Auntie Lena? Auntie Lena… …” Julia calls out. When no one answers, she calls out “Uncle Eloooo … Uncle Elo!
From the kitchen, Julia hears her aunt’s voice. “Patawarin yu ku pu (I’m sorry), Julia, we don’t have electricity.”
Julia walks in to find her kasinsin (cousins), Maribeth and Johnny sitting at the table, lit only by the soft flicker of a single candle. Her aunt looks up with worry in her eyes, and her cousins’ hands are clasped tightly in their lap.
“The bill… we couldn’t pay it this month,” her pisan (cousin) Maribeth says softly, her voice heavy with shame. We tried to stretch what we had but it wasn’t enough.”
Angel hears them, and her korason (heart) sinks. The weight of their quiet struggle fills the room more than the darkness ever can.
Julia pulls a chair close and takes their kamot (hands) in hers.
“Oh shucks… I forgot… Angel… are you still there?” Julia fumbles for her phone and sees the screen glowing. Angel is still on FaceTIme, her nawong (face) filled with concern.
“I am here. And I heard everything,” Angel says and starts to sob.
“Big sister, Pasensya na (I’m sorry) you had to hear all that,” Maribeth says, trying to smile, a little embarrassed.
“Don’t be. We’re family. If something’s hurting you, it’s hurting me too,” says Angel, who is holding back her tears, and her voice is soft but firm.
Angel takes a deep breath and asks about her parents. “Where is Tatay (father)? I just saw Nanay (mother) a while ago. Where did she go?” Angel asks and looks around for her parents on the screen.
Julia glances toward the hallway. The mood shifts, a quiet pause.
Julia turns the phone towards herself and whispers, “She went to their room, I think. She didn’t want you to see her crying.”
Maribeth and Julia walk to the room. Maribeth calls her Inahan (mother) and says, “Nanay, Angel is asking for you!”
Lena starts to sob and says, “Thank goodness you are alive, my daughter! We were so worried! I hope you are safe!”
Angel’s eyes flutter close as emotions creep in.
Flashback to what happened at the airport brings back her memories. It seems like yesterday. Tears start to roll down her cheeks.
“Angel …” a familiar voice—soft, trembling—cuts through the haze.
Angel’s eyes snap open. She exhales sharply, blinking away tears.
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 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 on Maui.