Journey 11
DAY NINE
First thing in the morning, after a shower and breakfast, Mayen and I walk down to the seashore to buy a fish to be prepared for the family later on in the day.
I regret not bringing my camera when I see the big fish, a maja-maja, dead eyes staring at me, mouth open wide, as it is chopped up by the fisherman on a crude table outside.
We return to the house carrying the pieces of fish in a plastic carrier bag, one of its eyes pressed up against the inside of the bag. At least I'll get a photo of this when back at the house, I thought to myself.
While reloading my camera with film - there's some activity going on in the kitchen - Mayen, realising my wish to have taken a photo of the fish has asked the fisherman to come up to the house - there he is, busily reconstructing the pieces of fish on a plate by the kitchen sink. How amenable is that?
After a while we go back to the shore, to the same spot - Mayen's sister, who she stayed with while schooling - was arriving with five of her six children from the island of Mindanao - from the town Surigao, right on the north of the island, not too far away - arriving soon at the quay here by pump boat [a small passenger ferry] travelling over, apparantly, one of the deepest stretches of ocean in the world.
Mayen takes a beautiful photo with my cellphone of two yellow flowers we find lying on the shore - I will find a means to post it here sometime.
We chat and watch armies of termites crawling over the tree above us. Eventually the ferry comes in to view and we head back to the house - this time I have my camera and I pause to take a shot of the fisherman's table.
By the time we arrive back on the road, Mayen spots her sister, Christy, and family already walking past and rushes excitedly to greet them.
I am introduced, my red feet explained, and we walk back to the house with much laughter and happiness.
Wherever Mayen and I go in the Municipality we cause great amusement and arouse the curiosity in the many children we meet and often they just stop and stare at us - we take the liberty of play acting in front of them - dancing in the street - singing.
We arrive back at the house to find "bakla" brother having a pedicure in preparation for his big night from a local woman. She has a busy time, after about three hours solid, sprucing up various family members she suddenly fell to the floor, having a fit. After coming round, having the abrasion on her face tended to and a glass of water, she collected her things and a few pesos for her work and left - staggering and spitting as she disappeared down the road.
It was a fishy day altogether today - at some point in the morning Mayen's father appeared, carrying a small tuna fish.
The clamour of the day, subsided,
I'm surrounded by my own space,
And time stretching out before me.
A crescent moon tonight,
Rising in the western sky,
Needle sharp at each end,
Pricks my mind,
Causing me again to think of you,
Devotion now lies to the east,
My heart, in supplication,
Turns and remembers,
I offer a secret, whispered prayer.
Click the flags to read about all the alarm bells.
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