Post by Kelly Jacobs on Jan 27, 2009 11:49:20 GMT -5
The car stopped with precise timing and positioning as Sid parked at the last available space in the big house's garage. On the right was a black sedan; on the left was a silver convertible. I wasn't at all interested in the make of cars, so I don't know what these two's brands were. I looked at Sid, his face clear as he set the car in idle. He pulled the hand brake up: a sign meaning that it's okay to leave the car. I waited for him to pull out the keys before opening the door on my side, stepping out to retrieve my children from the backseat. I've never been at ease with riding vehicles or commuting or traffic.
"Mommy? Are we going to stay here for long?" It was Jamel. She had her head out of the window.
"Just for a few days, honey. Your Tita needs help with the wedding preparations. Mommy's going to be very busy, so you behave, okay?"
"Yes, Mommy!" she beamed a toothless smile at me, biting on a chocolate bar. Jamel just turned six, and her craving for candy and chocolate had an adverse, yet common, effect on her teeth no matter how many times she brush-or so she tells me and her dad.
Being at her Tita's new Victorian home makes her feel excited. It was a big leap from our dark dungeons and stone-walled rooms at home. She started to jump up and down on the car seat. She hit her head against the window frame in the process, but ignored it anyway. "I love it here at Tita's! The house is so cozy!"
Sid had appeared from behind me, scooping the hyperactive Jamel from the window. She eased out effortlessly. We could have fitted two Jamels in that window.
"Dear, please take Sean's stroller out of the trunk."
"No problem."
"Daddy, is it true that Tita is going to have a baby?" She smiled again, the excitement evident in her eyes. "Is that why we're going to have a new Tito?"
So they're Tita is getting married. She's five months pregnant, and she wanted to tie the knot with her fiancee already. The idea of a marriage thrilled me; the idea of a baby thrilled me, too-and Jamel. It's great, but Jamel's over-excitement worries me.
I remembered the time we told her that she's going to be a big sister with Sean. She was so elated, jumping up and down her canopy bed that she tripped in her blankets and fell headlong into the floor. Imagine her getting that excited at the age of three. Although there were no bleeding, we had to take her to emergency. She nursed a big bump on her forehead for a week.
"Come here, baby," I called out to Sean. I ducked inside the car, collecting the baby bag and hauling them on my shoulder. Sid took the bag from me. I could deduce that he was answering Jamel; she held her breath loud enough for me to acknowledge her surprise. I wasn't able to hear what his reply was as my attention was on Sean. All I heard was Jamel clapping her hands and shouting in excitement.
I smiled. I can now foresee what sort of questions she'll ask her Tita later.
Sean tried to scramble out of the straps that secured him safely to the baby car seat, his small hands hopelessly slipping on the buckles. He whined.
"I can't- these- MOMMY! Please!"
I smiled. I love it when Sean cries out like that. His voice wasn't whiny, and he learned to say please this early. He's hyperactive, too, just like his sister. But Jamel's hyperactivity matches no one's.
I leaned down and unfastened the straps and buckles. I took his small toddler frame in my arms, crouching out of the car. He embraced me in the neck and planted a sloppy kiss on my cheek.
"Thank you, Mommy. I love you so so much!"
I held him closer. My little fragile son. It's a good thing that he isn't feeling sick today. Just last week, he had fever and cough. "You're welcome, baby. And I love you, too."
"Mommy, I want to see Tita's baby. Is the baby small? Daddy says I'm small. Am I a baby?" although his words were still baby-ish--it tripped on the s's and t's--I understood him perfectly.
"You still are my baby, Sean. You and Jamel," I brushed his cheek with the back of my hand. "But you can't see Tita's baby yet. The baby is still in her tummy."
"Is that why Tita's so fat?" His eyes boggled as if he was trying to fit Tine's growing tummy in his eyes.
"Yes baby. But don't ever tell you're Tita she's fat, okay? She'll get conscious," Sid said, a smirk on his lips. "And that goes for you, too, Missy. We don't want her kicking us out of her cozy house." One time, he teased their Tita about being fat now that she's pregnant. She broke down and ignored him for days. It wasn't until Sid cooked her omelet, her favorite food, that she talked to him again as if nothing had happened.
I closed the door and placed Sean into his big, green stroller. The color of the stroller brought out the green in his eyes.
I looked at them for a moment. The kids were half of me and Sid. Jamel had my eyes and Sid's hair. Sean had Sid's eyes and my hair. Although, I was pondering on where they got their hyperactivity. Neither Sid nor I was extremely active as they are. They must have gotten it from their Tita. Their Tita who's pregnant and getting married in a few days. I smiled again.
"Reminiscing, Mommy? The wedding hasn't even started yet and you're already nostalgic," Sid remarked, squeezing my hand with his free one as he was holding a giddy Jamel in his other arm. I pushed Sean's stroller and started for the door.
"Time flies so fast. Jamel's six and Sean's turning three. Tine's getting married, and she's going to have a baby. Isn't that great?"
Sid faked a frown. "Yeah," he said, "Time flying fast is great, especially if you're forever 15."
Fifteen. Yeah. I punched him in the arm the highest I could ever go. He was a 10 inches higher that I am and his arm was all I could reach of him. Not unless he leans in, of course. "At least I don't tell everyone I'm still 18 when I'm already 24."
"You're just lucky you don't age."
"Aww. I just love it when you say that."
"Mommy? Are we going to stay here for long?" It was Jamel. She had her head out of the window.
"Just for a few days, honey. Your Tita needs help with the wedding preparations. Mommy's going to be very busy, so you behave, okay?"
"Yes, Mommy!" she beamed a toothless smile at me, biting on a chocolate bar. Jamel just turned six, and her craving for candy and chocolate had an adverse, yet common, effect on her teeth no matter how many times she brush-or so she tells me and her dad.
Being at her Tita's new Victorian home makes her feel excited. It was a big leap from our dark dungeons and stone-walled rooms at home. She started to jump up and down on the car seat. She hit her head against the window frame in the process, but ignored it anyway. "I love it here at Tita's! The house is so cozy!"
Sid had appeared from behind me, scooping the hyperactive Jamel from the window. She eased out effortlessly. We could have fitted two Jamels in that window.
"Dear, please take Sean's stroller out of the trunk."
"No problem."
"Daddy, is it true that Tita is going to have a baby?" She smiled again, the excitement evident in her eyes. "Is that why we're going to have a new Tito?"
So they're Tita is getting married. She's five months pregnant, and she wanted to tie the knot with her fiancee already. The idea of a marriage thrilled me; the idea of a baby thrilled me, too-and Jamel. It's great, but Jamel's over-excitement worries me.
I remembered the time we told her that she's going to be a big sister with Sean. She was so elated, jumping up and down her canopy bed that she tripped in her blankets and fell headlong into the floor. Imagine her getting that excited at the age of three. Although there were no bleeding, we had to take her to emergency. She nursed a big bump on her forehead for a week.
"Come here, baby," I called out to Sean. I ducked inside the car, collecting the baby bag and hauling them on my shoulder. Sid took the bag from me. I could deduce that he was answering Jamel; she held her breath loud enough for me to acknowledge her surprise. I wasn't able to hear what his reply was as my attention was on Sean. All I heard was Jamel clapping her hands and shouting in excitement.
I smiled. I can now foresee what sort of questions she'll ask her Tita later.
Sean tried to scramble out of the straps that secured him safely to the baby car seat, his small hands hopelessly slipping on the buckles. He whined.
"I can't- these- MOMMY! Please!"
I smiled. I love it when Sean cries out like that. His voice wasn't whiny, and he learned to say please this early. He's hyperactive, too, just like his sister. But Jamel's hyperactivity matches no one's.
I leaned down and unfastened the straps and buckles. I took his small toddler frame in my arms, crouching out of the car. He embraced me in the neck and planted a sloppy kiss on my cheek.
"Thank you, Mommy. I love you so so much!"
I held him closer. My little fragile son. It's a good thing that he isn't feeling sick today. Just last week, he had fever and cough. "You're welcome, baby. And I love you, too."
"Mommy, I want to see Tita's baby. Is the baby small? Daddy says I'm small. Am I a baby?" although his words were still baby-ish--it tripped on the s's and t's--I understood him perfectly.
"You still are my baby, Sean. You and Jamel," I brushed his cheek with the back of my hand. "But you can't see Tita's baby yet. The baby is still in her tummy."
"Is that why Tita's so fat?" His eyes boggled as if he was trying to fit Tine's growing tummy in his eyes.
"Yes baby. But don't ever tell you're Tita she's fat, okay? She'll get conscious," Sid said, a smirk on his lips. "And that goes for you, too, Missy. We don't want her kicking us out of her cozy house." One time, he teased their Tita about being fat now that she's pregnant. She broke down and ignored him for days. It wasn't until Sid cooked her omelet, her favorite food, that she talked to him again as if nothing had happened.
I closed the door and placed Sean into his big, green stroller. The color of the stroller brought out the green in his eyes.
I looked at them for a moment. The kids were half of me and Sid. Jamel had my eyes and Sid's hair. Sean had Sid's eyes and my hair. Although, I was pondering on where they got their hyperactivity. Neither Sid nor I was extremely active as they are. They must have gotten it from their Tita. Their Tita who's pregnant and getting married in a few days. I smiled again.
"Reminiscing, Mommy? The wedding hasn't even started yet and you're already nostalgic," Sid remarked, squeezing my hand with his free one as he was holding a giddy Jamel in his other arm. I pushed Sean's stroller and started for the door.
"Time flies so fast. Jamel's six and Sean's turning three. Tine's getting married, and she's going to have a baby. Isn't that great?"
Sid faked a frown. "Yeah," he said, "Time flying fast is great, especially if you're forever 15."
Fifteen. Yeah. I punched him in the arm the highest I could ever go. He was a 10 inches higher that I am and his arm was all I could reach of him. Not unless he leans in, of course. "At least I don't tell everyone I'm still 18 when I'm already 24."
"You're just lucky you don't age."
"Aww. I just love it when you say that."