Olga's Despidida

Everybody brought something for lunch at Uncle Edito’s house in BF Homes, Paranaque City. Including the mahjong set. Plus, Melo brought two bottles of fresh carabao’s milk for mom and me! Thanks Melo!

Chief and I had arrived from Cavite, where we had visited Jag Gabutina, who was in the hospital. Dad Gabutina had slept over at the hospital after Vangie had to go home.

When we got to Uncle Edito’s house, Nedda and Victor with Rowell, Francis and Celine and Nedda’s two sisters, Baby and Olga had arrived. Olga was leaving for Riyadh by Wednesday and this family get-together was born out of last Sunday’s “Lechon” Fiesta in Angeles City.

A few minutes later, Melo with Toti and his family arrived. Mario and Cherry and their two kids had arrived a few minutes after we had started to eat lunch.

Guess, no Garcia clan reunion without the sound of marble tiles crashing against each other. This time there was the “junior edition” with Chief, Toti, Monina and Cherry playing mahjong. Cherry was being teased to “upgrade” to the next table. “Puwede ka na sa amin, panay ang bunot mo!” says Mom and Melo.

Their table was directly “back to back” against the “senior edition” with mom, Victor, Melo and myself.

Toti would say, “Tignan ninyo si Tita Meya, multi-tasking, dalawang table ang tinitignan” as mom would also take a peak at Cherry’s deck!

Sitting long at the mahjong table does result to back pain but I guess, it doesn’t matter much as long as everyone is having fun… and even, winning!

By 5:30pm, it was getting dark and we could hardly see the mahjong pieces. Luckily, I made “bunot” twice to capture the “high” (which means the first person to earn 5 chips). “Nakabawi ako” I said to mom. Even Chief won 45 pesos!

But more than the winning (and the losing), it is the family getting together on a weekend, catching up with each other and strengthening the “ties that bind.”

Even if both Uncle Edito and Tita Ache (mom’s elder brother and sister) are physically unable to join us as they both old and grey, we are sure they could feel the laughter and the warmth between all us in their homes, whether it be in Angeles City or Paranaque City! Am sure, even my own dad is smiling to see us together!