Hiding in Smiles, Leaving in Tears

Sunday, July 11, 2010

We were waving hands and saying our goodbyes to our foster parents (Mrs Linda and Mr. Valentino Bravo) for a day. They were all happy to see us off. Hugs and handshakes were all around. In their faces, they were happy to see us off. Yet, in their eyes, tears were starting to flow. We did not know what will they do after the cookout yesterday but we are happy to have met them. The morning then after, Kiki, my room mate during the foster family experience told me the tears streamed down Mr. Valentino Bravo’s face. I was surprised after hearing that. Then again I know why. My mind was still playing the videos of all the stuff we did with them.

Twenty-four hours. That’s the time we spent with them. Although we met first with Mr. Bravo, we met his wife a few moments after we arrived at their home. The first impression I had was I will be the student of Mr. Miyagi. The way he looked like was the master of the old Karate Kid series. People joked that whoever will be his foster children would we doomed. It did not faze me and I went with him and Kiki to our first destination- the Fraternal Order of the Eagles Club.

It was my first time to enter to such a place. I have a non-existent nightlife and I was unnerved at first. Later on, I learned that Mr. Bravo is a really nice guy. He sat us down on the chairs as he order soft drinks for him and his foster children, us. A cute bartender girl went our way and we talked with her. Soon enough, Mr. Bravo joined the conversation and we were all smiles as we talked. After the girl left, our foster father talked about the Eagles. He said that this club is not merely a club. It is also an outreach organization, especially to fellow members. The next event of the club was to raise funds to fund the hospitalization of one of their friends. Once time hit 5:30, we had to go to another house. He said that our hosts for the evening are also foster parents. I did not know who but we sped our way to our next destination.

Knocking on Walter’s Door

We pushed through miles of road to get to out next destination. This was Walter’s home. He is Mr. Val’s friend. However, he confessed that he has not been on the road we were at for a long time. He and Walter met now and again, but it was several years since he knocked on his door. Corn after corn after corn greeted my gaze every time I looked outside the car window.

A few minutes later, we parked by Walter’s driveway and we entered his home. Inside, we saw Mudrikan and Janvic. Soon enough, we raided the table. It was eat time. Finally, the corn we saw by the wayside finally found its way into our stomachs. On the table, there was a generous helping of corn on a dish. Moving away from that point, I saw a new kind of dish- sloppy joe. I only saw it in television before and it got nowhere near my taste buds. After a helping of this ‘new’ dish, I got the reason why it had such a name. Eating it was a sure mess. The plate saved me from spilling that mess onto the table, or worse- the carpet.

Next in the itinerary was a tour inside the house. I noticed though that the floor was covered with carpet. Comparing it back home, it is rare to have it. I think it is a luxury in the Philippines. The last stop was the garage. It is where the ‘toys’ where kept. Classic cars were hidden there. One car was covered. Once the veil was uplifted, we saw a well maintained car. Mr. Val commented that it would be worth a lot of money. That car is over 30 years old, yet the paint job was still shiny, the fenders untouched by rust and the interiors wonderful.

It was getting late and we had to go. We said our goodbyes and then went to Val’s home.

Chilling at the House

The title fits it perfectly and we all scrambled to get to cooler air since the outside sun was bearing down on us. However, my feelings changed once I saw the horses. Back home, they are quite rare and I was eager to get a closer look. Immediately after dropping off the bags, we ran to the barn and met the horses. Mr. Val was there and he talked about his life as a breeder. At first, he never thought of raising horses. However, his wife was persuasive enough that he started doing so. They traveled all over America and participated in Horse shows. They told us that they have Peruvian horses. This means that these horses have a natural gait and it they give a smooth ride. Yet they are not race horses.

Aside from the horses, they have a cat and two dogs. The names are Tiger, Chico, and Pancho respectively. Tiger was hiding at the time we arrived. Chico and Pancho raced towards Kiki and I. They greeted us eagerly and licked us everywhere. They were in a playful mood and Kiki raised his hands and was startled by the energetic greeting. Pancho was the only one allowed inside the house. That evening, he gave me his chew toy and I played with him. I dragged him through the floor with the chew toy in his mouth.

Linda Bravo arrived later at 11 pm. She dropped in on us while the guys were talking about history. Soon after we told stories, showed pictures, and let this sharing go on until we retired to bed.

From Morning to Fort Chartre

Video note: Fun at the farm early in the AM

Waking up to a farm reminded me of my favorite game, Harvest Moon. I got addicted to that game and I was disappointed then that my game time was cut short. The reason was I had to undergo a journalism workshop. I was at grade school then. Now, I had a chance to go work in a farm while doing a journalism seminar.

We then went to Fort Chartre. It was a dream come true since I am fond of history and military related objects. I guess three dreams came true this day.

Oh, Deer!

The word deer has been totally changed after hearing a story my friend told me about his uncle. This happened a month before this US trip. My friend told me first about his uncle. A self-sufficient guy, he raised crops and animals and

rarely go out unless for hunting. There was this one time that he was with his uncle. They were in a forest and his uncle saw a familiar deer. Some time back, this deer ate crops from his uncle’s garden.

He knew this was the same deer because he marked that deer before. In a fit of rage, he outran the deer and stabbed it to death with an arrow. I realized now that deers are also a big problem here. Though it is in a radically different but more fatal way. Hunting seasons were set up to check the growth of the deer population, but they are still too many.

Anyway, Val let us meet one oh his friends. He was a farmer and also a hunter. He gave us a tour around his farm compound and then let us see his hunting trophies. It was definitely the time for the guys.

The Memories Stuck in Replay

All in all, the memories I had with the foster parents will stay deep in me. In just 24 hours they made me experience some of the things I want to do and explore. Just before the time with them ended, Val talked about Last Song Syndrome. It was annoying for him and same goes for everyone. However, a video is stuck in my head. It is way more than a song and this is never annoying. This is the video, the memories I spent with them. And ending this post I will say, that the memories with them will be eternally be set on replay.