On Father's Day
I had no clue when I was growing up that there was such a thing as a Father or even a Mother's Day. Back during those days it was just as simple as it can be...New Year, Easter, All Soul's Day and Christmas. In the late 80s, Peter, my then fiance, made an international call to greet my Dad "Happy Father's Day!" I could hear a hint of disappointment from his voice as he remarked, "That was nice of him to call. Someone who's not even related to me remembered."
My dad was a hardworking man. He made sure that there was always food on our table. There was a time when he lost his clerical job at City Hall and was trying to make ends meet. We had fried "galunggong" a type of blue mackarel scad for breakfast, lunch & dinner. It was cheap, delicious and is usually accompanied by rice, chopped tomatoes, onions, white vinegar & fish sauce as dip. One time he came home with some good news about a new job & surprised us with a take home chicken barbeque with java rice, the signature dish at Aristocrat Restaurant. My older sister and younger brother got excited about the new dish but I cried because that fried "galunggong" was not on the table. "I want gunggong! Where's my gunggong!" as Tito Mado would tease me with this funny story later on when I was older. I was about 4 years old at that time.
Dad was a simple eater but yet picky. He loved his meat and did not care much for chicken or fish. He loathed vegetables other than eggplants. A simple dish of broiled eggplant with charred skin removed, flattened with a fork with a side dip of white vinegar, salt, pepper, crushed garlic and onions. He's in heaven! Pork longganisa, pork chops, bistek (milanesa) with grilled onions, stuffed crab shells, camaron rebosado, torta, steamed crabs, shrimp, salted eggs and an occasional fresh oysters from Bataan. All these had the same side dip of white vinegar, salt, pepper, crushed garlic and onions. Sometimes he would call before he came home to find out what's for dinner. If he wasn't in the mood for what Inday, our faithful helper was about to prepare, he'll surely pass by Moderna, a hole in the wall Chinese restaurant for some take home pancit canton (noodles) or lechon kawali (cubed pork with crispy skin).
The San Andres market was his favorite place to buy fruits. He enjoyed an assortment of fresh fruits both local and imported. Mangoes, bananas, pineapple, watermelon, papaya, lansones, duhat, suha, chico, apples, oranges, grapes and pears. On holidays, he'll treat himself with a small brown bag of freshly roasted chestnuts.
He would also stop by the local panaderia for some freshly baked french bread, monay, pandesal, hard bread, pan de leche...a combination of 2 or 3 or sometimes all! He likes his bread with butter or thick slices of cheddar accompanied by a cup of coffee. I could hear him sip his coffee and munch his favorite bread and cheese combo. No matter how hot the day might be, this was certainly his ritual for a midday, afternoon and midnight snack.
He never drank in his life, not even a beer. Oh wait, once he did and that didn't go well. On holidays or special occasions, he'll get a bottle of Johnny Walker or Chivas Regal as a gift and that will be on display in my Mom's antique "platera." As a curious teenager, I would open the bottle to get a whiff of the scotch or brandy. It always gave me a nauseating/churning sensation every single time! Revolting, I may add for I cannot imagine who in their right mind would want to drink this stuff?
Did I mention that he was diabetic too? With that in mind followed by the stress that came with running his own consumer's guide magazine along with the other daily grinds at home and raising 3 teenagers with my Mom, you better be grounded and not try to be a smart ass around him. He's not at all that strict but when his temper flares up, you better know when to shut the f*ck up! Tony Soprano, Pauly Walnuts and Silvio Dante's vocabulary combined are somewhat tamer versions.
He loves to sing and enjoyed the music of Julio Iglesias whether it be English or Spanish. He would play his LP and attach a mic to our stereo and just have a good karaoke time. Mic on one hand and a cigar on the other. My mom had a busy teaching schedule at two universities while my Dad would be home by 6pm. Dinner was usually served at 7 and we would all eat with him even before my mom gets home at 8:30pm or sometimes at 9. He likes to conserve energy and would turn off any or all the lights when they are not in use. He easily gets pissed off by this and would always remind us that he pays the electric bills! After dinner he sits on a couch by the window without any lights and sips his coffee which I made for him. He sometimes would lit his cigar and just relax to Julio's music, contemplating on what transcribed during the day and thinking of what needs to be done tomorrow.
He always asked me to make his coffee because I was the "best instant coffee maker in the world!" As always, he would exclaimed, "That's my girl!"
I was and will always be. I love you Daddy! I'm sure they celebrate Father's Day in heaven. I miss you.
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