Mama on Travelling
Mama was the ultimate homebody and the perfect hostess. She could juggle cooking, baking, making ice cream, gardening, sewing, making quilts, crocheting, taking a nap and getting ready for an evening of hosting a party for my dad’s bosses.. with ease. Then on weekends, she was always ready with a picnic basket full of goodies when we’d go on outings.
When I left the nest for high school in Manila, joining three of my four older siblings in a house my parents rented, Mama was the natural choice to bring supplies to us, because Papa was busy working. It was only later that I understood why he still had to keep on working even though he’d officially retired from the company he’d given 24 years to.
Despite being ultra-dependent on Papa, not to mention having a nonexistent sense of direction, Mama was always enthusiastic to fly to Manila, provided she had a driver to take her to the airport in Cagayan and another one to pick her up in the big city. And once her luggage was unpacked and the supplies stored into our freezer and pantry, she would go on the next stop of her trip – visiting her sister and other relatives living in Manila.
Mama was not one to sit still. She would be sitting in a corner, crochet hook and thread in hand, talking about one topic or another, when she would suddenly get up to check the refrigerator or stocks to see what could be cooked for lunch. Of course, we had a cook/helper to do her bidding, which is probably why she had time to do all the other stuff.
But that would explain why she’s repeatedly asking who’s in the kitchen, where we are going, and where all her children are.
Author’s Note: If anyone reading this can relate to what I’m saying, then my decision to write it out is validated.
Life in the Bukids 