Letters to Marge & Maddie: Chapter 52 (Log of a strangely packed past few weeks that feel like a blur...)

Dear Marge & Maddie,

Hey hey hey... Welcome back.
i'm just here to put down what has been a very very tiring past few weeks.

Let's start with one's name suddenly being all over the news starting sometime in early August of 2019.
This was followed in a few days by the results of your grandmother's MRI coming out (tests dated August 1), and the rest of the family finally realizing in plain black and white that your grandmother's brain really is starting to show its age a little sooner than most.

This was followed a rather muted advance celebration of Ah-ma Mia's birthday on August 3rd, because most grandchildren still had school the week after. Thus, a Saturday celebration was decided upon to allow you grandkids to be up in Baguio with our birthday girl.

More tests were required cum August 5, which was also the day that the term "vascular dementia" entered the family's vocabulary on a much more regular basis, as delivered by one of the city's most senior neurologists, Dr. Hernandez. Daddy drives up a day or two sooner than scheduled.

This was followed by regular and very frequent visits to the hospital where Ah-ma Mia was confined in. She was thankfully discharged on August 7. Giving her a little over a day to enjoy a restaurant dinner on her birthday proper.

Daddy finally drives down to Manila on Tuesday, August 13. Only to suddenly be told that he, along with the rest of the family need to appear in the prosecutor's office on Friday, August 15. But he has confirmed attendance for the surprised birthday party of your Uncle (and godfather) JJ (Johnny Yap), organized by your Uncle (and godfather) Jepet, which was to occur on the evening of August 15. Nonetheless, off to Baguio daddy went on Thursday (August 14) evening almost immediately after dinner with you guys. Then swooped back down to Manila right after appearing in court (sort of), making it in time for the birthday party at around 930pm or so.

Daddy also had to attend the homecoming event of St. Peter the Apostle School, which expelled him last 1988. He attended, because he promised to finally see the one teacher who objected (in vain) to his expulsion. That being done, daddy left the homecoming with mommy. Then lo and behold, we were told that around 30 minutes after mommy and daddy left the event, the performing band's guitarist, Whiz Francis Reyes, who is one of daddy's happy acquaintances, apparently called our daddy's name on the mic, probably to invite him to jam on stage with the Dawn, one of the best bands of our era (and still is). i still have mixed feeling about missing that opportunity. On one hand, it would have been fun, and i'm confident enough with my music that many in the audience would have probably turned incredulously towards to stage wondering if i was lip-synching. Somehow, i believe i probably would not have turned the invitation down. Plus, it was in poor taste to refuse a fellow musician a jam. Especially someone of Francis Reyes's pedigree. On the other hand however, if i did go up on stage, people at the event might have accused me of being such a limelight hog. (Yes, you know who you are...)

Then Sunday, August 18  late morning was also the party of your cousin Pia, Thankfully, that party ended rather earlier than usual.

Daddy spending August 19 and 20 at the Ortigas office, then promptly drives back up to Baguio on the evening of the 20th. Only to be informed on the afternoon of the very next day by your Uncle (and godfather) Dominic that his dad had passed away a couple of hours before he messaged you. So daddy and your Uncle (and godfather) Dick discussed meeting up at the wake on Saturday, August 24 along with some of your other godfathers (namely Uncle Bogs, and Uncle Manly). So daddy, who was scheduled to drive back to Manila on Tuesday, August 27th, found himself driving down much sooner on morning of August 24th. But a few things had to be arranged and regarded back in Baguio, which found daddy back behind the wheel on Sunday morning (August 25th), with plans of driving back down on Tuesday noon. Hopefully, giving him time to spend dinner and chat with you and mommy. And in time to direct the first day of the photo shoot of Festival Mall, one of daddy's ad agency clients.

Interlude:
Your Uncle Philip has hatched a plan to quickly bring Ah-ma Mia to Taiwan to see a chiropractor, and probably a few other doctors. After everyone supposedly being gung-ho about it at first, we discover the following: Uncle Wilson's passport is currently at the Japanese embassy for visa processing. Thus, he will not be able to get the passport back in time for accompany Ah-ma Mia. Uncle Pom at first said, yes. Then again demurred. Which leaves daddy as the only son, who has not backed out (or is able) to accompany Ah-ma Mia. So off Uncle Philip goes booking tickets for Sunday, September 1, with a return flight on Wednesday the 4th.

Back to the story...
But while was getting ready to drive down on Tuesday noon (August 27th), he was then told that the family had to appear in court again the next day, Wednesday, August 28th. Oops, that crosses out the directing gig on Wednesday.
But that's just one day. So perhaps 2 out of 3 shooting days wont be so bad. So daddy drives down on the afternoon of the 28th, immediately after appearing in court.

Thursday, August 29th. Day 2 of the photo shoot that daddy is supposed to be directing. He wakes up early, getting ready to greet your Ah-ma Mia in Manila, because she has a dental appointment. And so daddy does. He greets Ah-ma Mia, then leaves her in mommy's able hands. Daddy now drives himself out to far-off Alabang, because Kuya Edgar was to be left behind to fetch you guys to and from school, as well as other possible things you guys needed to attend.

Then, after shooting one scene, Daddy checks his phone. Mommy, who had Ah-ma Mia in her care, sent this: CALL URGENT. The message was almost half an hour ago. Holeeee.... Daddy calls, only to learn that Ah-ma Mia almost literally shoveled her late lunch into her mouth like there was no tomorrow, and found herself in some strange case of food shock (also uspected by doctors as symptomatic of the precursors of minor strokes, which Ah-ma Mia's have shown that she was apparently suffered from a couple of times past). She was taken to the Emergency Room for more tests and MRI scans. And that Daddy now has to bail from the shoot (again) because he was the only son in Manila, and must check on Ah-ma Mia. So daddy is back on the road. Two and a half hours later, Ah-Mia was in the house (ours), and refusing to stay for more tests, much less treatment.

A full day's shoot happened at Festival Mall without much event last August 30.


Saturday, August 31, saw us heading out to the Powerplant Mall in Rockwell Makati, where we met up with your Uncle Dominic. And it is now 2am, September 1, and i am flying out in around 16 hours.


So how was that up there, huh?
Still breathing? i know i barely am sometimes.

Uncle Dominic is the tall guy in white with the puffy face.

'Catch you later.

Love,



Dad

Letters to Marge & Maddie: Chapter 46 (Happy. Birthday, Maddie!)

Dear Marge and Maddie,

First of all, a belated happy second birthday, Maddie!

Your mom, sister and I wish and hope that you enjoyed all that "Frozen" merchandise: "Frozen"cake, "Frozen" dolls, and other little "Frozen" stuff.

But anyway, more than the late birthday greeting, I'm writing to you about something else. Around last October, your mom and I took you guys to one of the most beautiful places on earth. It's called "El Nido." You, Maddie were only a year and eight months old at the time, while Big Sis Marge was a little over six.

We always get a lot of this whole "you-don't-bring-little-kids-out-on-vacations-and-out-of-town" thing. They always say it isn't worth it, since they say that you guys probably won't remember a thing about them. Science actually says that they're probably right. The chances of you remembering any of that trip to El Nido is extremely unlikely.

I've actually posted something like this not too long ago here.

But you see this picture here? This is a happy Maddie playing in the sea, frolicking in the sand, and having a generally wonderful time. Maybe they're right and you won't remember this. You won't remember what the corals look like. Well, mostly since you didn't exactly go underwater anyways. You probably won't remember how beautiful the beach was, or how sparkling to ocean was. You probably won't remember the boat rides. You probably won't remember much or probably anything at all. But...

Maybe your mind won't remember, but somehow I'm sure that no matter how old you will eventually get (and i hope you BOTH get to live to a reeeeeeeally ripe old age), somewhere in your heart, you will remember there was that happy time at the beach. And that though you don't or won't remember much detail, like what we ate, what you saw, or whatever, somehow I'm sure that in that happily hopping heart of yours, the laughter that you had in those days will go on and on, and those echoes will keep your heart healthy, and will help you learn to love life a little more.

So by the time you read this you probably won't remember any of that at all. Of course, there will always be the pictures. But your mother and I, and probably your big sister will surely remember how happy we were watching you have all that fun.

But most importantly we will all remember how happy we were that we were all together.

'Catch you later.

Love you,

Dad

Letters to Marge & Maddie: Chapter 36, Part 1 (Every time daddy leaves...)

Dear Little Ladies...

Tonight, daddy journeys off again up the hills to your grandmother's hometown, Baguio City. Sort of daddy's hometown, too. But not totally since your uncles and i did not really study there, and mostly just enjoyed lengthy vacations and school breaks up there. But regularly enough to have allowed us to call the crisp cool city our home as much as Manila was.

 This is/was my bus.

* * * * * * * *

Fast forward. It has been a week since i got up here, and a mere day before i ride back down.

Time surely flies.

* * * * * * * *

Oops... Fast forward yet again.

I ride down tonight. It has been eight days since i got up here.

Retooling my brain to going back down home is easy. It's the coming up here that's hard sometimes.

Not because i dont like it up here. But just because i like down there a lot more.

Not much in this entry. But it would be best if i post it already for posterity.

I must continue this in the next for i have much to say about it.

Much to share with you about the joys and challenges of being here and there.

But i will see you girls later.

Love,

Dad