Monday, May 16, 2011

Family Get Together




My eldest brother Kuya Celest and his jovial wife Ate Ruby informed me a week in advance their planned visit to the farmstead on May 15, 2011.  The couple arrived in Manila from Sydney, Australia for a short personal/business visit sometime late April.  As I remember, my last mutual meeting with my brother was in 1982 in Singapore. 

The scheduled visit day, a Sunday, coincides with the fiesta of San Isidro Labrador in Lucban, and other neighboring towns.  Moderate to heavy vehicular traffic in the highway irregularly builds up. I was really getting excited to meet my eldest brother and his wife.

While my adoring wife, Mary Ann is doing her final preparation for lunch, I told her that I’ll be at the gate to wait for the arrival of Kuya Celest and Ate Ruby.  Waiting not too long, I sensed their presence when I saw a black and silver AUV slows down and signals left towards the gate.  Another silver AUV followed to park near the gate.

The tinted glasses of the vehicles prevented me from identifying the drivers and passengers.  But when the first passenger alighted from the first vehicle, I was completely surprised.  It was my younger sister Margie.  I greeted and hug her joyfully.  The next one I saw was my Mother, thereafter my Kuya Celest and Ate Ruby, my younger brothers Hernan and Rene, very close family friends Kuya Bert and Ate Connie. Occupants of the silver AUV are Margie’s 3 sons, daughter, daughters-in-laws and grandchildren.  What a surprise!

Laughter filled the air during and after meal time! The children play around while endless topics of events were chat about in the family gathering. We’ve got 3 birthday celebrants in the circle, Nanay who turned 89 last May 12, Hernan on May 1 and Kuya Celest on May 18. A chocolate cake was served by Margie and everyone devoured it delightfully.

God is good, for bringing me in a family who give and show love to everyone around us. Family get together is a wonderful Filipino tradition that we should encourage to the next generation.  And for ageing people like me (ops!) let’s try to make the most of what time we still have by promoting true love, joy and peace with our beloved ones.  Cheers!

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