Basking in the Front Yard

Photo taken on Saturday, April 9, 2005, outside the house, at the front of the garage: Grandfather, relaxing on a sunny and relatively warm afternoon; perhaps he got tired from shearing dried flowers in the garden a while ago.

April 9, Saturday, a few minutes after lunch...

I saw Grandfather holding a small knife! Hmm...I wondered what he was up to, now. I didn't ask or bother him, pretending I didn't see the sharp object. He headed towards the front door. "Papa, where are you going?" I asked.

"Magpapahangin lang [I'll just have a whiff of fresh air]," he replied casually, concealing the knife underneath his jacket. I let him go outside anyway, but I left the door open. Then, I observed him from behind the blinds.

Ha-ha-ha! Grandfather proceeded to the front-lawn garden and began shearing the dried flowers off their stalks. I knew it! It's been days since he started telling me that those dried flowers were ruining the scenery.

I let Grandfather do his thing. I just approached him and said: "That's a good exercise, Papa. Are you okay there?"

"Ako bahala rito [I'll take care of this]," he said proudly.

And I returned to the living room, where I could watch Grandfather through the big windows, and continued reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Spring Was Warm Today
The day was sunny and relatively warm. I could feel the peak of Spring approaching. A few of our neighbors were busy tending their lawns.

Cackle here, cackle there,
The crows are everywhere.

Sun is bright, Sun is warm,
Oh, I can feel his charm.

The whir of lawnmowers I can hear,
The scent of grasses I smell, oh dear!

Flowers blossom, leaves glisten.
I better hum and listen.

After ridding the garden plants of dried flowers, Grandfather went inside and rested on his nest—the living-room couch—and watched TV. As usual, he set the channel to 39, Showcase. I've long observed that Papa has developed a fixation on that channel, perhaps because he used to watch a favorite program on that channel; what program, he could not longer remember. He's always glued to Channel 39 regardless of what program is being featured. I would sometimes catch him sleeping, and I'd turn off the TV; but after a few minutes as I return to check on him, the TV is ON again.

I usually utter a thin smile and then ask Grandfather: "What are you watching, Papa?" To which he automatically replies, "Ewan ko nga e [Oh, I don't know]."

I smile again, wondering what channel could I be leaving the TV ON when I become the elderly. MTV? Food Network? Jeopardy?