There was a gentle tap on our bedroom door, and a tiny voice could be heard whispering. “Nanay, it’s time to go.” This is how I woke up last Saturday morning, technically not a rest day at our Liloan abode, Casa Ruffolo Uno.
The clock read 5:00 a.m.
If someone wakes me up at such an early hour, when the sun is half deciding if she wants to come out or not, there must be something important that warrants my attention.
I opened the bedroom door and there stood our “First Firstborn Mutant,” a.k.a. Nicholas Louis Ruffolo.
The second firstborn, Antoinette, and the baby boy, Jeff Junior, were still asleep.
“What’s up Nick?” I asked.
“We go to south. It’s time to go,” the response came in English and a dimpled smile.
Oh right! I was scheduled to be at Cebu Daily News at 8:00 a.m. that morning to join Day Desk Editor Doris Bongcac to offer workshops and lectures on campus journalism at the Cebu Technological University – Moalboal Campus.
I told Nicholas the night before that I would bring him along, so he needed to pack his bag and make sure it’s filled with the things he needs and wants.
Just before we left Casa Ruffolo Uno, I checked his bag and inside were a change of clothes (Ate Joy prepared a separate bag of more clothes and toiletries), three packs of crackers, a bottle of water, a package of wet wipes and five books (three storybooks and two copies of Reader’s Digest Asia).
I travel constantly. It’s a life essential that I am now imparting to our children because there is so much you can learn from visiting new places, interacting with people and giving up the comforts of your bed on a Saturday morning to take a three-hour land trip to southern Cebu.
Later that afternoon, I shared what I knew about feature writing and facilitated a mock press conference that had a US Peace Corps education volunteer, Robbieana Leung, as our guest speaker. I never knew there was a Peace Corps volunteer in this part of Cebu, and yet there she was, working
on improving the university library and helping make the dream of a Moalboal Public Library a reality.
Ms. Leung had committed to spend 27 months in the Philippines, to serve the general Filipino community, and had already logged nine months of service to the Moalboal community.
Nicholas and I left earlier than the team last Sunday as we tried to catch up for Inquirer Ambassador Raquel Choa’s “Beyond the Chocolate” series event, where she presented other uses of chocolate and cacao.
People were already making art from chocolate on canvas when we arrived. Raquel was presenting shoes and tables with inlaid cacao leaves when we arrived. Nicholas enjoyed the day playing with Raquel’s younger children: AJ, Angie and JP. He was just plain wide-eyed when he saw so many different kinds of people. At one point, he asked me, “if everyone is my friend” as he found himself shaking hands, giving people a hug or a kiss, and then engaging in conversations with one and all.
By 4:30 p.m., he whispered in my ear: “Nanay, it’s time to go home. I miss Antoinette.”
We had a quick meal at the Pancake House; and our little boy asked to have his leftover eggs, chicken and mac n’ cheese packed to go for his twin.
By the time we got home, he was calling for his twin sister. “Antoinette, I have something very special for you.”
I heard her opening their bedroom door and going down the stairs to meet Nick.
“Oh, it’s you Nicholas,” she said.
A hug and a kiss followed.
Today, our firstborns will celebrate their fourth year on terra firma. It has been four years of endless fistfight, hair-pulling, biting and kicking. It has also been four years of loving hugs and kisses, thoughtful words and kind thoughts.
Happy birthday, twins and firstborns! My wish this year is for our potty-training goals to reach the peak of success and that you will continue to take care of each other and spread love to rest of the family.
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The month of July also marks a significant milestone in the history of printed word as the University of San Carlos (USC) Press will be launching the 2016 Cebu Almanac. I’m not a Carolinian, but my mother was a second-year history student of USC when she had me so I have a soft spot for this university. Cebu Daily News is the official media partner, and the event is co-organized by Phialo Communications. It is also worth noting that this proud Cebuano product is printed by the Cebu-based company, ClintKAMMS Corp. My congratulations to USC Press manager and CDN columnist Dr. Jose Eleazar “Jobers” Bersales and project lead Professor Francisco Largo! On July 8 at 2:00 p.m., check out the book launching of Shivaji Das’ “Angels by the Murky River” at Ayala Center Cebu. He will have a travel writing workshop and a conversation (you can call it a talk show in another world) with yours truly. The book launching is part of the Cebu Literary Festival. Thank you Hendri Go for spearheading this meaningful event!
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