DAY 331: August 10th, 2010

Dear Jam,

Well, it wasn't only the first time Auntie Sher saw you - it was the first time Molugan, where the home of your blood rests, finally saw one of the great grandchildren of late Mayor Gregorio Bajuyo. You must know that our family is the very foundation of the sleeping town, in fact most of the people who live in Molugan are our relatives. And your genes have an imprint of leadership, since your great grandfather, my grandfather is the very first mayor of El Salvador - the Municipality where Molugan is a small barangay. So it isn't surprising that you get the star treatment, something that your Auntie Sher has had gotten a hang of since she arrived.

It was also the first time you met with Lolo Tony, your Mamilou and Auntielou Ching's older brother. We call him "attorney" as is his honorary title. He is a very intelligent man, a walking encyclopedia, dictionary, and thesaurus. It's cute how when he was discussing to your Nahnang and I about the true race from where Filipinos originate when out comes a large bubble of saliva from his mouth that really gets your full attention. From then on, you couldn't stop staring at his mouth. That or you just found it fascinating to see more mouth than teeth. He claims that he has six teeth remaining as of present. xD. He laughs at it anyway and it's nice of him to accept the fact with a laugh.

We had to leave you in the care of Nahnang and Ate Hannie for a while because we couldn't bring you with us to the cemetery. Now this one is a sweet story about your Auntie Sher. Since she left Philippines, she has not seen her mom again even as Auntie Elda passed away. So it was like a reunion of all reunions when we went to visit your Lola Elda's tomb. Everybody couldn't help but cry even as I, who has seemingly run out of tears, broke down. What was beautiful is seeing your Auntie Sher open up and for the first time I saw the woman who I always looked up to for her strength become as the helpless child I have never seen her. She's had a share of physical and emotional pain and to see her smiling despite all the weight of her past bearing down on her makes her even admirable to me.

After the tears comes laughter and full stomachs. We passed by the family compound and had a look at the Florida mango Lolo Tony has been boasting to weigh a bit more than a kilo. I wanted to have a bite of that but he wanted to beat the world record of the three-kilo mango from Iligan City. What I did get a taste of, for the first time, was a a different kind of coconut growing on the very soil of Bajuyo compound. Your Auntie Sher and Uncle Shane just had about a smorgasbord of native Filipino food. I wonder what's going on in their digestive system. We came back for you just before 2:30 PM so we can get in time for my shift.

It was a long day but it was all worth it. When you grow up, you'll know and I will tell you all these beautiful stories that makes up the Bajuyo family.

JAMantic of the DAY:
You get acquainted to the fruit called "marang".

Your MAYmah,