fait accompli

October was such a hectic month and before it bids its last hurrah I found myself under the weather — unsettled, unwell and queasy. My croaky voice even betrayed me that I was compelled to keep it shut, which of course, delighted my roommate.  Because my boss was in his 3-week European respite, my office work load proved to be lighter than usual.  This rare opportunity permits me to do things, my way…  But before reality sank in, I was already ensnared in the convoluted events that flooded my October…

-oOo-

Close friends knew for sure that October is the month of my birth.  As early as the first week, I was already pre-occupied with throwing birthday treats for family and friends.  The first one was in my office.  The celebration in my office was a triple treat as I shared birthday with two other co-lawyers.  We treated the office with Chinese food, brazo de Mercedes ice cream for dessert and two bottles of crisp Sangria.  The next was my treat to my girlfriends from the judiciary.  This time, I went Italian. Unaware that it was a treat, I surprised them with pizza and pasta.  Then came the much-awaited Libran nights (with four other Librans in the spotlight)…  Fabulous guys, gays and girls flocked to our usual watering hole to celebrate that night with us — singing, dancing, drinking and sharing yummy food.  It was indeed a party of quadruple fun! Come the very date of my birthday, I spent it with family.  We had a quiet dinner at a famous American restaurant in Serendra.  The original reservation was cancelled due to the unfortunate bomb incident that happened early on that day.  Later that night, me and hubby proceeded to the chateau and drank vodka tonic until the wee hours of the morning. It was a moment of uncontrollable laughter.

-oOo-

October profusely overflows with numerous activities in my kids’ school. First, there was this El Dia de la Hispanidad (Filipino-Hispanic Friendship Day) where I found myself rummaging all-over the city to look for my children’s Spanish costumes.  We were also tasked to prepare Spanish food to be brought to the Agape.  Then, there was this Guardian Angel’s Feast day for Nursery pupils, where my little daughter was assigned to lead a prayer through singing. (Of course, the mom helped in memorizing the lines). And the most dreadful of all:   the second Periodical Examination.   Again, the mom played a major role in the review.  I was literally trapped in the four corners of my home, posing as a look-out to any straying, stubborn kids who refused to study their lessons.  My night life for the week was zero.  I was overwrought indeed!

-oOo-

The Third Friday of the month had me an Italian Cooking Galore with Friends.  The head cook was in full-battle Chef’s gear setting the mood for a real culinary delight.  Brimming over the dinner table were different kinds of pasta (I love the tuna Tuscany!), salads (I love the fresh mixed fruit) and a wide array of sumptuous appetizers, from the beefy and cheesy nachos to the poultry a la Kentucky.  Thanks to our talented featured chefs for the night! 

-oOo-

Then came some filial obligations… The 28^th of the month, We were heading to a far-away province to visit the dearly-departed ones (on my hubby’s side). It was a six-hour drive from Manila.  While there, the children had real fun enjoying the freshness of the surroundings, the crisp coolness of the air and the abundant greens everywhere.  The 29^th of the month, we dropped by at my hubby’s hometown in time for the Barangay election.  We were mostly on the road… 

-oOo-

And of course, October will not be complete without the Halloween party.  This year’s Halloween party was different than the usual.  There was no creepy costumes, no high-pitched music, no loud parties, no screaming aplenty.  Just a handful of friends all clad in black (The black theme was intended for picture-taking purposes only).  The idea was originally to share scary stories over delectable home-delivered dishes and numerous bottles of Martinis.  But the night ended up with some, imparting their own romantic adventures and heart-breaking dramas.   By the time the party was over, I was really very ill.  I cannot laugh.  I cannot even utter a single word.  My voice sounded guttural.  It’s time to go home and to take my much-needed rest.  It was a break I so well-deserved.  Anyway, a long extended weekend was looming ahead…

See: http://www.peaches19.blogspot.com

    One Tuesday afternoon (September 25, that was), I sneaked out from work to experience a different kind of adventure. Early morning on that day, I received a ‘text-invite’ requesting my presence in a Dice Game to celebrate an old-aged Chinese tradition, usually held during the Mooncake Festival.

 

      Unmindful of the voluminous legal works piling up at my office desk, I rushed to the "Chateau" to participate in the said event. Good friends, relatives and business associates came one by one, all looking forward to be part of the much-anticipated game. Except for some who is of Chinese descent, each of us remains clueless of how the game is played.

      As explained to me, the game is commonly played by most Chinese in the Philippines in celebration of the Mooncake Festival. The game needs six dice and a bowl (in our case, a dainty red glass bowl). A player takes the dice and throws them into the bowl which may or may not yield a combination. If the throw produces a combination, a person wins a prize depending on the combination produced by his/her throw. As they say, the prize could be of anything–, appliances, food, or cash. In our dice game, it’s raining cash!!! (Thanks to the affable host and the generous sponsor).

       Indeed, cash prizes await lucky participants. Each combination of throws corresponds to a different prize. A throw with:

· One dice of four wins P100.

· Two dices of four wins P200.

· Three dices of four wins P500

· Four dices of the same number (except 4) also wins P500.

· Two sets of trio of any number wins P1,000.

· A straight (1-6) dice wins P5,000.

· Six dice of one to six or any three sets of 2 consecutive numbers also wins P5,000

· Five dices of four & six dices of any number qualifies for the jackpot of P12,000. The combination yielding the highest dice would win the elusive jackpot.

· And a combination of six dices of four or one wins all the prizes including that which everybody has won so far in the game (but in our case, the host modified the rules to ensure that everybody will win something)

     The game began and we were all surrounded by piles of mooncakes (fresh from their red boxes). The first person threw the dice… Then the next… It was so much fun. There were cheering, bellowing, teasing and bantering. Then there were the cash prizes. As the game progresses, the yells and howls slowly come to fade. Everyone is now in focus. Everyone is now seriously playing the game, eyeing for the much-coveted jackpot. Each came up with their own unique technique of throwing the dice. Some would blow the dice first… The right-handed person would use his left… Some would intensely shake the dice. Some would use both their hands in throwing it. Others would whisper a soft chant for the dice. And so on and so forth… My first try won me P1,000. I smelled luck on my side. But then again, someone is luckier than me. After several rounds, she bagged the elusive jackpot and took home the grand prize on top of the other consolation prizes at stake. At the end of the game, everyone is laughing. No one went home empty-handed. No one regretted having joined the game. As we were feasting on the remaining mooncakes on the table, we talked about how the tradition brings good luck and good fortune to everyone and how it dates back from ancient times. But surely it is, deep in our thoughts, we are all looking forward to the next mooncake festival…

It was a cloudy Saturday morning and we are all getting ready for my son’s soccer culminating activity at his school in Colegio San Agustin, Makati (CSA, for brevity).  Excited mom as I am, I went to the nearby mall (as early as it opened) to buy food for the "picnic cum agape" that would be held after the awarding of medals.  The mall was already bustling with eager-beaver people anticipating to get a catch in the mall’s 3-day sale – (up to 70% off).  And I have to deal with these shoppers as bravely as I can…  Deliberating what to get for the picnic, i settled for 1 dozen hotdog waffles, 15 pieces yummy empanaditas, liters of lipton kalamansi-flavoured iced tea and gallons and gallons of water (one would never know how soccer players guzzle water when they’re super tired).

The whole family (grandma tagging along) and my two angels rushed to the football field to show our support to the family’s champ.  My son was in high spirits vowing to eat alive all his worthy opponents! (Yes, he brags when nervous).  He was even more thrilled when he saw his other team mates warming up for the game.  Jogging, stretching and kicking some balls….

CSA’s Coach Mario divided all the players into two categories, the big-built group, consisting of red, yellow and blue team and the medium-built group, consisting of white, orange and gray team.  My son was with the medium-built white team.  At exactly 2:30 pm, all the players rallied in the field with Coach Mario giving important instructions.  In the medium built, there would be three elimination games.  First game:  Orange vs. White; second game: White vs.Orange and third game: Orange vs. Gray. 

The soccer game begins, with everyone showing his own mettle and skill, with everyone doing his own David Beckham in the field.  I was "deafened" by the shouts and cheers of other parents chanting their son’s name.   I was busy capturing the whole event with my digital gadgets. My hubby, on one hand, was pre-occupied with posing as an ‘unofficial’ assistant to the assistant coach of the white team.  Go, Go, Go… All players unrelentingly run for the ball. My son was his team’s defender.  No lucky kick for him.  I sensed disappointment.  The eliminations game was a cardiac-finished…   The tally result:

                                    1^st                    2^nd              3^rd                         Total                 

            Orange              3                      -                   0                     3

            White                0                     0                    -                     0

            Gray                 -                      3                    3                     6

But it ain’t over til it’s over.   The Gray team garnering the highest point is assured of the finals slot.  The next big question is: Which team will compete with the gray team?  There goes the rematch between white team and orange team.  This game is truly spine- tingling and nerve-wrecking!  It’s anybody’s ball game now…  Edgy and panicky as I am, I watched from the distance.  Bhaamm…! the white team made their first goal… Everyone applauded, everyone cheered.  Time is of the essence.  The orange team’s star- player was close to exhaustion.  Then came the white team’s second goal…  Yes, it was my son!  My son made that winning shot.  My hero… The white team’s hero… Everyone tapped my son’s back… My hubby, the proud father was jumping in joy… I was near in tears….  White team advanced to the finals!

The championship match between white and gray is not as nervy as the previous.  At least, (I thought) silver is better than bronze… Gold is surely a bonus.  First goal came from the white team.  I rejoiced! Run… Kick….Run…Kick!!! Go for the ball… Gray team then scored… One minute and forty seconds left.   Tic- tac- Tic- tac.. And before I knew it, white team made another goal.  And time’s up…. White team won!  My son’s team and their avid supporters were all roaring wildly.  VICTORY!!!

I was able to video the whole awarding ceremony.  With the gold medal still hanging in his neck, my son approached me and hugged me.  And in his very own childlike but proud, little voice, he retorted: "It’s awesome, mom.., from lamest to greatest"! I hugged him even more… We went home with big smiles in our faces…  The mom, beaming with unfaltering pride!!!!

          I treasure each moment with my children.  Being with them, at any corners of the earth (in the breakfast table, in the mall, in the beach, in the bedroom or even in the car) is just an absolute bliss for me.  But the experience of actually conversing with them - giving them your insights and waiting for their retorts - is just like flipping through a book with a much-anticipated climax.  You will never know what they’ll say until you really hear it. Their naïve ideas, blurted into words, are always full of surprises.  It amuses me though that their candid and ingenuous words often times make real sense. Below are just some of the many memorable yet comical remarks they forthrightly said:

1.       "I think you’re just now the “little” best mom in the whole wide world" –  My 4-year old daughter said to me when she thought I bought a book only for her ‘kuya’ and did not get her anything…

2.     "I peepED through his door and mom, he’s not working, he’s just reading newspaper" -  My then 4-year old son was telling me about my boss (a justice of the Court of Appeals) when I brought him in my Office.

3.     "Can you just buy another one" – My impatient then 4-year old son was telling his Tita O, who was looking (under the seats of a darkened movie house) for her still amortized-ring which she accidentally dropped.

4.     "Mom, is it really hard to be a grown-up?"  One difficult question, my son asked me when I went frantic over a trivial issue.

5.     "Why can’t you just get money from the wall in the mall" - my son (age 7) referring to the ATM, wondering why his parents still need to go to the office.

6.     "When we’re rich, could you buy me a real pink pony?" – straight from the mouth of my 4 year old daughter who at that time owned a small pink pony doll.

7.     "Dad, can you get me a big book about all the jobs in the world, I haven‘t decided what I want to be when I grow up!" – uttered by my 8-year old son while in the car during one of our long drives.

8.     I can’t believe a normal adult would buy something like this! - very well said by my son when his Tita E. bought him a black slimy (almost real) toy mouse.

9.     “It’s time to call the fixer!” – my daughter referring to his handyman lolo J when something was broken in the house.

10.  "Dear Jesus, thank you for all my toys, for my old toys, for my new toys and for all the toys in the world. Amen". -  a night prayer said by my then 3 year old daughter as if only toys and only toys really matter in her world.

11.   “Dear Jesus, please don’t make my mom and dad GROW old because I know they will surely die”.  A night prayer said by my then five-year old son already worrying about unimaginable things… (Morbid indeed)!

12.  "Who do you think is WEALTHIer, Auntie M or Tita E? – a baffling question asked by my son, awed by the so-many gifts showered to him by his Auntie M and Tita E…(initials supplied, for privacy)…

13.  “You don’t look pretty today mom, but maybe tomorrow you will…” - Ouch!!! Uttered by my daughter when she saw me with “un-brushed” hair with a big zit in the middle of my nose 

14.  “Really? one click of that button and my mom would send somebody to jail?” – a bewildering response of my son to his Tito P, the latter explaining to him the nature of my job when my son asked me why i keep on typing many words in my office computer.

To juggle office work and family life is no easy task. Both aspect of my life demands full attention, careful analysis, circumspect planning and meticulous execution in order to avoid unnecessary injury of whatever kind. It’s barely lunch-time and not one in my ‘to-do-list’ had been ticked-off.  As pressure keeps mounting on and as stress continues to provoke me to blow my top, I have found a sure way of thwarting them all– A  ‘Harry Houdini’ act — allotting one hour or two, to get away from them all.

Escape Act No. 1. — A drop and smash game in the badminton court.  A competitive badminton game with friends (in lieu of lunch) makes me physically revitalized, mentally reconditioned and emotionally stable (ha-ha). The powerful smash, a witty drop, the sweat, the quick shower, a one-liter energy drink and most of all, the fun and excitement, could really make me going for the rest of the day.  This one I wouldn’t give up… Not until I beat Mr. N. Robertson in a single match…

Escape Act No. 2.  Tai-chi Chuan, anyone.  They say, this activity of Chinese origin, turns all the negatives into positives.  A sure fire way of attaining balance in life, not to mention the health benefits it gives.  The mother of yin and yang.   For whatever this worth, I really enjoy executing the slow, fluid movements of this activity, from creating a taichi-ball and patting the horse’s mane to the complicated kicks and so on.  I had just completed the 24 basic forms of this and I am now hurdling the advance forms.  Whew, what a challenge! 

Escape  Act No. 3 -  A one-hour spa.  My officemates would understand what this means.  I do not want to divulge further, as it may incriminate all of us, but one thing is sure, this spa in the afternoon is the most effective way to beat stress.  (Thanks Petes… for that fragrant, secret oil).

Escape Act No. 4 - Chatting, the old-fashion way.  Not in the net, but with office co-workers and some girl friends.  There was never as engrossing as talking and talking and talking.  After doing mental calisthenics in resolving cases, after endless brainstorming, after twisting your brain to find the right and just solution and after defending the conclusion reached in front of your boss, an hour of talking about anything under the sun is really very calming.  One couldn’t just imagine the diversity of topics we have – from political issues to what’s-in-your-I-pod stuff, from business matters to Kathie Holmes’ gnarly feet, from Buddhist teachings to kama-sutra’s perfumed garden.  You name it, we talk about it.

Escape Act No. 5 -  Coffee bean and Tea Leaf.  And anything that goes with it….I mean, the usual chatting, listening to MP3s (recently burned by an officemate) and reading a good book (not a law book), newspaper and magazine.  Drinking coffee in my office is just as routinary as breathing, and as relaxing as smoking.  Tea is equally exciting. Our office tea pot brews black, green, white, jasmine and mint, chamomile, rose, earl grey, cinnamon and sometimes, combination of known tea herbs– you name it, we have it.

Escape Act No. 6 – A phone call from hubby.  A minute or two of talk with hubby cuts the boredom of office works.  I always find talking to him so thrilling and exhilarating even though, the purpose of his call is just to ask, how the kids are, what I have for lunch, or how’s the traffic that morning or did I come to the office late or sometimes, just double checking the amount of check I issued…  Whatever his intention in calling me just brightens up my day. 

And lastly, that incomparable therapeutic malling.  My office is just a walking distance from a big mall.  That is why if I really feel burnt-out, I usually ask an officemate to have a walk in the mall, to binge on sweets (usually smoothies), to check stuffs put on sale and to purchase that stuff put on sale. There is this unexplained feeling of satisfaction whenever I acquire (at a reduced price) an exquisite conquest, which I had long been eyeing-on. 

Try escaping…. It’s fun…. It’s soothing…… It’s comforting…..

Just recently, I hosted an unplanned little party…

Rushing home from my Saturday dentist appointment, I dropped by a small convenient store to satisfy my ice cream craving.  Because I cannot decide on what flavor to get, I chose tiny pints of everybody’s favorites—Vanilla, for hubby, strawberry for my son, pistachio for me and caramel also for me.  I also picked packs of cream to complement their sweet taste. Then came the idea of holding a ‘create-your-own-ice-cream-party’.   Not that I tolerate binge-ing on sweets.  I just wanted to bring out the creativity in everyone of us.  The party people:  Me, my hubby, my six-year old son and my two-year old daughter.  Thank goodness for the left-over choco syrup in my fridge; the canned fruits (peach slices and crushed pineapple) direct from my pantry shelves, the sweet bananas given by my mother 2 days before and few pieces of stickos accidentally found in the bread bin.  So goes our little unplanned party.

My hubby, who is as consistent as ever, settled for the simplest- a vanilla ice cream topped with choco syrup and a teaspoon of the hand-whipped cream. (he demands for preserved cherries, but they ain’t available). My team-up with my daughter ended us with a peach-melba cum banana split ice cream.  The most creative of all, my son’s very own creation.  As he blended all the available ingredients, he came up with the most colorful, clown-like concoction of ice cream, with the crushed pineapple posing as the hair, wedges of bananas as the hands, the stickos protruding as ears and traces of the syrup everywhere.  The appetizing looks of our creation were simply irresistible.  Oh what fun…  Such bonding… Such closeness…  My unplanned tiny party turned out to be one heck of a family affair!

Waking up from deep sleep in the wee hours of the night, I cannot deny the feel of sensation stirring inside me—heaven on earth, so to speak.  The way the hands knead into my belly, the delicate fingers interlocked in my hair, the legs folded into mine like a human puzzle.  The warm sweet smell of the breath against my cheek… The gentle movement that creased the smoothness of the bed…  The soft skin enveloped in the familiar contour of my arms amidst the moist coolness of the air…  And sometimes with sleepy gaze, the lovely smiles reassuring love, comfort and affection.  Looking back to the night before, I remember the endless cuddlings, the hugs and kisses, the exchange of sweet words, the gentle touch, the tight embrace. Oh, such an indescribable feeling…. I must admit, sleeping with your children is one of motherhood’s loveliest experience.