today is his moving-up day from grade four. not being able to be with him on his special days, i can't help but miss him. on times like this i turn to his old videos on multiply. seeing how tiny and bulol he used to be (my nephew singing three years ago), i can't believe he's nine already and will be admitted to grade five next school year.
it was like only yesterday, kim and i would usually "borrow" my nephew and take him with us on our road trips to cuenca, batangas (he loved seeing the mountains and trees) and robinson's place (he loved clinging on to kim's arms, saying he's a monkey) in lipa city (my nephew at the mall four years ago).
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| "tito kim, monkey mo 'ko!" |
my nephew used to be this toy who volunteers to dance or show off his drumming skills just to entertain me on a rather boring day inside the house. and then one day, i just woke up to see he was already allowed to play outside on his own, even riding his bike! after accepting i can't stop him from growing up, it was i who taught him to ride his bike without training wheels. the growing up sped up after that. he started reading k-zone and got his own mobile phone and learned to send sms that i have to reply to asap otherwise i'll get a follow-up "ninang, why are you not texting me back?"
but some things don't change. when i'm at home, he is still my alarm clock who asks "puyat ka ba?" ("have you been up all night?") and he still sings to me on my birthday.
while on multiply, i also stumbled upon a collection of my nephew's wittiest and funniest quotes that i posted years ago. let me share some here:
at two:
he would say: "buhay mo!" when he doesn't want to mind you or "pala kang hamburger!" ("you look like a hamburger!") when he's mad at you.
* * *
he wakes me up with this monologue: "ninang, wake up na. day na o, look, may sun na o! anong gusto mong almusal? sopas? o pancit? pancit? o sige, ipagluluto kita." ("godmother, wake up already. it's day already. look, there's the sun! what do you want for breakfast? soup? or noodles? noodles? okay, i'll cook some for you.")
* * *
he asks everyone: "gusto mo ng kapatid?" ("would you like to have a sibling?")
* * *
while aboard a grocery cart: "ninang, wrong way, wrong way! go that way (pointing to the toys section)!"
at three:
it was one of his first few days at nursery school and an uncle of mine who lives just across the daycare center visited the school one day just to check how my nephew was doing. my nephew saw him peeked through the window. he excitedly grabbed a chair near the window and stood there jumping: "wowo wex (lolo lex), andaming bata dito!" ("there are so many kids here!")
* * *
his favorite movie: "yung bisontel. yung may dragon." (bisontel = enteng kabisote pala!)
* * *
i saw him reaching for a toy truck from one of our cabinet drawers. i didn't bother to get it for him because he wasn't asking for my help, meaning he is confident he can do it on his own. i have seen him pull out his tiny chair at times to reach for his toys and i just keep an eye on him in case he falls off. but that particular time, i noticed he stopped jumping after a few minutes but kept looking up his toy truck and whispering, "come here, come here."
at four:
while singing narda: "mapapansin kaya sa dami ng 'yong ginagawa kung kaagaw ko ang lahat may pag-asa bang makilala ka...", he suddenly paused and asked me, "ninang, ano yung pag-asa?" ("godmother, what does pag-asa mean?")
confused on how to explain it to him i just said, "in english, hope." and then he said, ahhh... and continued singing. i wonder if he really understood me.
* * *
while on the phone, he asked me: "ninang, sinong kusap mo? si tito kim? sabi mo galit ako sa kanya. kasi antagal-tagal niyang dumating dito." ("godmother, who are you talking to? is that uncle kim? tell him i'm mad at him. because he's taking too long to get here.") he meant he misses kim, ahwww...
at five:
when he's not in the mood: "tumitingin pa kayo lahat sa akin e. pala akong telebisyon." ("you are all looking at me. like i'm a television.")
* * *
subtlety: "galit ako sa dalawang taong iyon (pointing to his mom and dad)." ("i'm mad at those two people over there.")
* * *
his definition of a good smell: "ambango mo naman, ninang... pala kang fried chicken!" ("you smell good, godmother... you're like fried chicken!")
* * *
my mom was asking my nephew to stop playing and study for school instead. he replied, "sandali lang, tapusin ko lang 'to (playing)." ("just a moment, i'll just finish this.") and then my mom said, "sandali, sandali ka pa dyan," ("you even had to say just a moment") while passing by him. my nephew stared at my mom as she passed by, looked at me and whispered, "ang kulit." ("so insistent.")
* * *
my mom: "mag-aral ka na. ang dami-dami ko pang gagawin. may pupuntahan pa ako. hindi ko na alam kung anong uunahin ko e." ("study now. i still have many things to do. i also need to go somewhere. i can't decide which one to do first.')
he said, "alam mo kung anong dapat mong unahin? (insert significant pause here) ang unahin mo. ay ang pag-alis." ("you know what you should do first? first. you leave.")
* * *
during one of our most heated arguments: "ninang, bakit mo ako pinapagalitan? ako ba si tito kim?" ("godmother, why are you nagging me? am i uncle kim?)
* * *
when he was to leave for vacation: "lolo, aalis ako ha? wag kang magbabarik. wag kang kakain ng kung anu-ano, wag masyadong madami. ang sugar. ang cholesterol. gusto mo bang sumakit na naman ang tyan mo? gusto mo bang magkasakit? gusto mong mamatay?" ("grandfather, i am leaving, okay? don't get drunk. don't eat too much of everything. the sugar. the cholesterol. do you want to get a tummyache again? do you want to get sick? do you want to die?")
* * *
when his cousin refused all the toys he offered him: "alam mo ba yung word na disappointed? i am disappointed."
* * *
when i failed to go home one weekend: "ninang, galit na ako sa'yo kasi antagal mo umuwi. hindi mo kasi tinapos agad yung work mo!" ("godmother, i am mad at you because you're taking too long to get home. because you didn't finish your work on time!")
* * *
afternoon nap time: "ninang, kasya pa ba sa'kin itong kumot ko pag 29 years old na ako?" ("godmother, will my blanket still fit me when i'm 29 years old already?")
* * *
when i asked him why he doesn't like to audition for the star kid quest: "wala naman akong talent." ("i don't have a talent.")
at six:
while my mom was putting him to sleep: "lola, bakit lab mo ako pag nakahiga?" ("grandmother, why do you love me when i'm lying in bed?')
* * *
he caught me watching gossip girl: "ninang, bakit lage nya sabe xoxo?" ("godmother, why does she always says xoxo?")
* * *
while watching t.v., axe's new ad was aired (that one where the girls were chasing this guy who used axe), terrified: "ninang! anong gagawin nila?!" ("godmother! what are they going to do?!) and i said, "aamuyin lang nila yung lalake!" (they will just smell the guy.")
* * *
i have more anecdotes on my facebook. maybe i should compile them, too. but for now, let's stop at when he was six. i wish he could have been six forever.
anyway, ending this post with my favorite kulit clip of my nephew filmed in april 2007, catch him saying "i am going to maynila and i am sad to cry..." enjoy!
