Last Sunday morning, my husband woke up with a new sense of energy. He asked:
"Are you apt to broiling milkfish (a common delicacy in this part of the world), some marinated pork belly and invite over our older daughter, her husband and daughter for lunch?".
Automatically, I replied:
"yes",
not only because I was feeling more energetic as well but our older daughter has been missing charcoal-broiled milkfish. Besides she has been very helpful lately, facilitating our adjustment to this new environment and their company would make our Sunday special. So right after the 6 o'clock morning mass, we were off to the local market to get lunch ingredients.
Driving back home from the market, my husband asked me:
"Do you feel the lightness that comes with our moving to this place? I feel at ease in this place; almost everything we need are within easy reach,
you want to eat out, the eateries are practically around the corner;
the market and grocery are very accessible, you go anytime of day and you can get what you want;
several masses are said to suit our convenience on Sundays, what's more the church is air conditioned;
walking around our streets is pleasant, safe and no stray dogs around.
Do you feel that lightness as well?".
"I do", I was thinking that finally we are practically settled in this new home. Familiar things are put in place, picture frames of the family are up, favorite items found their convenient places, our major furniture seem to have been made for the place, we can now comfortably lounge on the living room couches and the grandfather clock does its work again, striking the quarterly hours. So yes, now we can finally call this "home".
Rewind two months earlier......
As soon as our personal effects were put in place, my husband and I decided to stay in our new home.
"Mom, are you staying there tonight? What about dinner?", my older daughter called.
"We like tuna, we have several cans in our pantry", I replied. She brought us roast chicken, I think she couldn't bear that our first dinner is from a can. You know what? It was the most delicious roast chicken ever? Honestly, it was so good and just the right size and maybe we felt so blessed which added to our enjoyment.
We had our phone working and Internet connection just a day after, thanks again to my older daughter's persistence in following up the service provider company including that of cable TV who called that they were ready to transfer our connection.
During our early days here, our older daughter was often around or on the phone almost every hour, asking, giving, helping, she thought of a lot of things: three containers of purified drinking water were delivered immediately; she often brought us food she prepared herself. She helped me locate the nearest supermarket and accompanied me to get our immediate needs. She sought the schedule of masses in the nearby church and telephone numbers of the gate security. Oh, that was quite a load lifted off my shoulders as I was busy fixing the house. Now that we're settled, she continues to call; she occasionally invites us out to breakfast; when at the mall, she would ask whether I needed something.
Our son too, would call from abroad where he lives with his wife and son to check how we're getting along. He gives advise not from personal opinions but scenarios that would make us think so we come to our own decisions.
He emails pictures of our grandson weekly and FaceTime with him gives us the greatest joy for we see his progress: his first steps, his new shoes, learning to walk in the park, sipping from a straw, now he dismantles (assembled by his nanny) Lego parts and throws the pieces in a basket, ohh!!, just seeing his new tricks takes our aches away.
Not to be outdone, our younger daughter, who also lives abroad with her husband, would get in touch almost every night. Initially we would chat on iMessage, then we progress to FaceTime, (this is where her husband would say, hi!). She always like to know what we're doing, how we're feeling, what's the progress in fixing the house; puts in some suggestions. Looking back, I saw her role in trying to make us relax, a way of saying that "everything will work out fine" while she reiterates that we are not to hesitate to ask for help in whatever way.
While we continue fixing the house, trying to figure out where to put our stuff, our other son-in-law shows much interest in our progress. Whenever they come over, he'll look for what's new in every nook, what frames were put up, where we put items of interest, looking at everything in silent appreciation. My granddaughter too, took so much fancy on the "tiny house", something very popular on TV nowadays.
"wow, papa, I couldn't believe you had a tiny house built",
she said (we had it built as a tool/storage shed),
All throughout this journey of moving and settling down, our children were there, helping us in every which way they felt is best for us. What more would we ask for?
This morning I heard the CD player blowing:
"I believe in mu-u-sic, I believe in----love".
For the first time my husband turned on the CD player. Care to know what the next song was?
" you--- light up my life --- you give me hope---to carry on...."
Very soon, I know that he'll be turning on the videoke and the house will be filled with his modulated voice again.
So yes! We're finally "back on track".
Now I'll be looking forward to celebrating my 70th birthday next week with a light heart in the loving company of the dearest and the closest.
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