Dunkin' Donuts Blues

Before anything else, allow me to tell you that I have tons of schoolwork to do--programming projects, reading assigments, and a speech in my public communication class. Diyako tangka. However, I'm here working on the computer keys again--books closed. I set aside all of my schoolwork in exchange for this blog post. Lame.

So, what now?

I just had a webcam chat with my family today(technology, thank you). It's scheduled every Sunday, 1PM Philippine Timezone (so it's 11PM, Saturday here). My mom, brother (yes, the Emo), and two younger siblings were on the other side of the screen to check on me. I learned from my mom that papang was too hungry (kapupuwasaan) to ever join them in the internet cafe 'sa pantag a PNB', as my mom would describe it. As usual, we had our kamustahan. My mom updates me with the happenings at home and in the family. There's nothing really special, aside from the fact the my brother Bentong cannot be in the top 3 among the whole Kindergarten class in Aba Al-Khail because he is in the second section. (For the record, the highest average is 93 from the other section. His is 92.) He should have been in the top 2, and I'm positive he will definitely make in the top spot. Sayang. This reminds me when I was in my freshman year in HS. I was on the top section, but since a student from Section C obtained an average higher than mine (a difference of 0.20), she grabbed the top spot. My brother unfortunately can't have the same fate, but he's learning and that is what's most important. He is a bright kiddo.

Anyway, Bentong is not the star in this blog. It's Ai-ai, the youngest member of the family. Usually when I talk with them, I don't show any sign of weakness at all. I don't want them to worry about me. They have nothing to worry about really. I'm perfectly fine here. However, just recently, I went melodramatic again. My sister made me cry with these words from her over the headset and the webcam:

"Kuya Atoy, baling kaden mapita owm? Mbantay ta peman sa Finding Nemo ago Lion King. Matiti kaden baling. Baling kaden mapita ah? Dinga lipati so dunkin' aken owm."

("Kuya Atoy, come home tomorrow okay? We will watch Finding Nemo and Lion King together again. What's taking you so long? You go home tomorrow okay? Don't forget my (dunkin') donuts.")

And then I burst in tears. When she noticed that I was crying, she curiously asked, "inokanan penggoraok (why are you crying?)". How I wish I could tell her that I BADLY want to go home and watch movie with her. I wish she'd understand that we will see each other 8 months from now, inshaallah. That's a long wait. In these times, I wish I were a child like her--completely immuned of the worries of the world, and sometimes, the sad realities in life. As a result, my mom went sobbing too (and so are most of the people in that internet cafe). Geez. From the other side of the screen, I can see the internet cafe's attendant sobbing with my mom too, and so are some students from JPI (yes, they're in their uniform). Weird.

To my younger sister Ai-ai, see you soon inshaallah. I'm always reminded of you everytime I eat donuts in the cafeteria, everytime I watch any Disney Pixar production, and everytime I come accross with any young girl of your age. I love you and I miss you so much. Kuya Atoy will be home soon, inshaallah. We can watch Enchanted again (and sing the OST together once more). Or perhaps Lion King (memorized na ata naming dalawa ang script/dialogue ng mga movie na eto: Lion King, Finding Nemo, Enchanted, and some Barbie series like Fairytopia, Mermaidia etc). We watch these movies almost everyday, and oftentimes, she asks me to explain some parts of the movie that she doesn't understand.

I'll be home soon, and yes, I'll take a dozen of your favorite donuts with me.

(The picture above was taken a day before I left for the United States. I woke up early to send my brother Bentong to school. I woke my sister early too, just to take this picture of them together.)