When my sibs and I were kids, we were cruel to one another. We called each other nasty nicknames -probably normal to many families. Allow me then to introduce, in order of appearance:

Our eldest, the kuya (Leonido), was called 𝘼𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙜 because his two big front teeth made him look like Apeng Daldal, a Filipino comedian during the ancient times;

Next (Isagani), 𝘽𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙠𝙞 (lizard) because he was so skinny, he could be swept by a strong wind and get stuck on the ceiling;

Me. I was called 𝘽𝙪𝙣𝙞 (ringworm) because, obviously, I had them like tattoos on my skin;

My twin brother was called 𝙆𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙠 (Big-headed) not because he had a small head, duh; and finally,

Our only sister (Marites), the youngest, 𝙆𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙖 because it was the most dreadfully ugly name to call any girl that time. She bore most of the childhood mischiefs we committed. Whenever an older brother would pick on me, guess who I’d pick on for revenge? The one who offered the least resistance. Yep, Kulasa no less.

One mischief I still remember because every time I see her, she’d remind me of it: she was gifted a walking doll for her birthday -the only one she had as a child. Before the cake candles were blown, the poor doll was beheaded. Kulasa became Sisa for a long while, naming her headless doll, Basilia.

But it’s her birthday today. I will be less cruel.

I love her because I can see our mother in her: simple and humble, with a happy disposition; would sacrifice herself for her children; resilient and tough esp after losing her husband. She’s the princess in the family and remains to be so, having no other choice.

We have grown to support one another because that was how we were raised. The fighting and the bickering -that’s just to spice up our young lives so that one day in the future, one of us will write about it.

Dear sister. I know I am old, but I can still sing this song for you:

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳

𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘪𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳.

Cheers to your day, Marites! You are loved much by your demented oddballs.

#MyCafeNotes