The Return of eLf ideas

ideas of an eLven being in Canada

Saturday, April 09, 2005

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. Posted by Hello

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?

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