June 23, 2013

Happy birthday, Dad!

Hi Dad,

Happy 65th birthday!

Very soon your friends and family will be flocking to your fezbuk account to post greetings on your timeline. I'll just greet you here instead.

Besides, I have not accepted your friend request for the longest time. Sorry about that, but I know someone else is handling your account, and I wouldn't want that someone poking around my fezbuk stuffs once I accept your request hee hee.

This gut feel of mine was confirmed when "you" posted something on your timeline over a week after you have been laid to rest. But!! That's okay -- you made your choices and you got to do what you got to do.

Heniway, sorry again for not finishing that tribute video I was supposed to show during the interment mass. Ate Liz chose a nice song for it:


The thing is, there are just not enough photos of you around the house, somehow. Where did all your albums go? But let us worry about that. ^^

On your special day, let me re-live the nicest times we had.

Let's go to Padi's Point! Any beer garden would do as long as there's a live band and a chance for the guests to come up on the stage and SING! You love that, don't you? We'll order our favorite pale pilsen and crispy pata (If you brought your medicines, otherwise it's vegetable sticks for us. But heck, it's your birthday!) and catch up on balitas and what-nots. Try not to talk about money -- this topic gets you all gloomy and grumpy. Let talk about business instead. Pigs, chickens, eggs, buyers, deliveries, metal scraps, fishponds, etc etc etc. How about fighting cocks? Have you been winning in those prestigious Batangas arenas lately? Are you breeding some prize fighters at the moment? What vitamins are you giving them?

Now's a good time to talk about politics, I suppose, with you a public servant now and all that thingy. With my expertise in local polling, I could give you some ideas on governance. I heard your fellow councilors say they were pushing you to be Barangay Chairman. I must say it would be quite a feat to stand up against the current Chair, but maybe with a little survey here and there, we could swing the voting preferences to your favor.

And by the fourth bottle, I should be telling the waiter that you'd like to have a shot at that microphone with your favorite song. And being the birthday boy, they should let you sing. ^^

But! I can't tell him Frank Sinatra's "My Way", which is always your first choice. I've never heard anyone sing it like you do, which is why you and Mommy make a killer duet, and why your children love singing, too. But for now, let's stick with Marco Sison's "My Love will See you Through", shall we?

Of course you will have a little speech before you sing. You would thank us, your children, for bringing you to that place, wish everyone a very good evening, and maybe compliment the singer for her looks or sexy outfit. You're a great public speaker -- your years in the teaching profession and living in Batan only made you better at charming the crowd. Your ka-barrios in Galamay-Amo will always remember the happiest party that sleepy town has ever known because of you.

I know the crowd will love your singing. You never do falsettos, and I have always wondered why I can't hit the high notes as well as you do. I suppose I only got the looks (half of it) and not the voice haha!

The songs you choose are all perfect for you. Maybe in time I would have a song list that won't get me in trouble. I should be staying away from the likes of Maroon Five and Guns n Roses, and instead go for Frank Sinatra, Matt Monroe, Marco Sison, and Nat King Cole -- your kind of singers.

And when we're done with the last round of beer, we'll be saying goodbyes while you give us your blessings (Mano po). You will give your regards to Jons (somehow you never pronounced Joan's name correctly, after all those years that I have been with her hee hee. Oh well, natatawa na lang lagi kami).

We miss you, Dad. Happy happy birthday!

Nagmamahal,
Bon, Joan, and the rest of your family




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