The mystery of a Santol

Last Sunday, Mama asked some people in the neighborhood to harvest Santol in the backyard. Later in the afternoon, I was surprised to see sacks and pails of the fruit. I had no idea there was this much in the tree because looking at it from the ground, I could see very few fruits.

Although I’m not fond of eating Santol, I like its characteristics. It bears an element of surprise which is not common in other fruits. Some fruits taste sweet from the outside down to the core. Others, on the other hand, are sour from the first slice to the last.

The Santol is a unique fruit since it’s full of secrets. Why its skin alone does not give a clue about its ripeness. Aren’t fruits supposed to give off an odor or at least feel soft in one’s hand when they’re ripe? A Santol doesn’t. You have to peel and taste it to find out.

Once you’ve peeled the fruit, you have to suck the Santol’s flesh to relish its taste. The fruit is often sour that’s why I was surprised our neighbors claimed the ones from our tree taste sweet. Honestly, I only like the flesh that surrounds the Santol’s seed because it’s very sweet. Avoid swallowing the seed though for you might suffer an intestinal problem.

You discover a lot of things from the Santol. It’s not a boring fruit that leaves nothing to the mind after its consumption. The fruit’s skin and pulp represents the unexpected events in one’s life while the seed personifies something or someone you can enjoy but never have to yourself.

Fairness in the Law

This past week, I’ve been constantly drawn to topics that concern extra marital affairs. I guess, listening to the fast circulating story of an illicit affair in the office shared by a couple from a different department had a strong impact on me. Of course, as a wife I wouldn’t want some woman to break up my marriage.

Before I go on, let me clearly state that I don’t indulge in office gossip. The uncalled-for office romance was only relayed to me by a colleague and after hearing her out, I locked her account in a trove and hid it in a place where no one would dare go.

I thought I’ve totally forgotten about the illegal office romance since this is our paper’s deadline week. I’ve been practically busy writing articles for my showbiz and lifestyle pages.

While watching QTV 11‘s “Draw the Line,” however, the story popped in my head again as the host of the show delved into a married woman’s painful story. She (fortunately) had to file a case of bigamy against her husband after she caught him living under one roof with his mistress. The guy’s mistress, on the other hand, now faces concubinage.

The program clearly expressed that justice continues to prevail in the country. I’d like to believe this but is there any truth to that statement? I’m just wondering why the wife has to wait for her husband to start living with his mistress before she could file a criminal case against him.

Concubinage and bigamy are taken so lightly in the country. I think law makers should come up with a greater punishment for those found guilty of cheating on their spouses. The family, after all, has to be preserved because it’s the basic unit of society. Everything good starts from one’s family.

I’m tired of hearing separated women crooning to devastating songs such as that of Cher’s “Strong Enough.” I don’t get inspired by these lines from the song:

‘Cos I’m strong enough
To live without you
Strong enough and I quit crying
Long enough now I’m strong enough
To know you gotta go

I believe in a couple’s strength to stay together, not only for their kids but for their love and respect for each other.

Fun Tag

I’ve been tagged by Avi‘s Crumbs.

The rule: Name 11 people you can think of right off the top of your head. Don’t read the questions underneath until you write the names of all the 11 people. This is a lot funnier if you actually randomly list the names first. No cheating.

1. Mama Lou
2. Papa Jeff
3. Kuya Luigi
4. Dante
5. Allen
6. Janjan
7. Pamela
8. Jon
9. Jennifer
10. Sonnet
11. Gavgav

1. How did you meet # 4? I met Dante in my second job. He’s been like a brother to me ever since.

2. What would you do without #5? I’d feel weird. We’ve been friends since college and he was the one who taught me to dance reggae.

3. What would you do if #2 and # 6 were going out? I’d freak out! That can’t be because Janjan is my cousin while Papa Jeff is my father:)

4. Who’s #10’s best friend? Me:)

5. Have you ever eaten around #1? Of course! I’ve done everything in front of her since birth because she’s my mother:)

6. Do you miss #2? Yes because I hardly get to talk to him these days. If I’m not busy at work, I’m busy attending to other things when I’m at home

7. Who is #11 dating? Nobody. He’s only 3 years old, but that nephew of mine is very handsome. In 10 years time, girls are going to go after him.

8. What do you think of #3? My Kuya Luigi is the funniest person I know. He was the one who influenced me to watch movies that were far too mature for my age. At the tender age of 10 (or 11), he introduced me to St. Elmo’s Fire, Endless Love, Blue Lagoon, Mannequin, and the like. When we were kids, he was an avid fan of the Transformers while I was into Care Bears and Rainbow Brite that’s why we frequently fought over TV.

9. What do you think of #9? Jen’s a loner who would only share stories about her life to a chosen few. But she’s very intelligent. We’ve known each other since college but I haven’t heard from her for quite some time now. She finds her job as a court interpreter boring but guess what, she was featured in the Daily Inquirer three years ago:)

10. Who does #2 like? Who else? No. 1, his one true love, Maria Lourdes Valdez. My beautiful mother!

11. Would you marry #8? I already did:)

Motherhood taught me…

As Mother’s Day gets nearer, I can’t help but reflect on the things I learned since becoming a mother. Some of these things I learned from my mama many years ago but back then, I was too young to understand them. Some, I learned by experiencing it myself.

Motherhood, they say, is not easy. I agree. It takes a lot of patience, effort and creativity. But on the other hand, motherhood opened my eyes, mind and heart to so many wonderful realities in life which I didn’t see (or refused to see) as a single woman.

Below is a list of those things which I learned since Sonnet came into my life.

1. To sleep shallowly. Any moment your baby gets hungry or wants her nappy changed, you should be up and about right away.

2. To use cotton nappies and stainless clips. A baby’s skin is very sensitive so you have to alternate the use of disposable nappies and cotton otherwise your baby would be the breeding ground of rashes.

3. To feed my baby not according to the book but according to her demands. If the book says feed her every 4 hours but baby gets hungry every two hours, hell with the book!

4. That a baby is a good listener. You could talk all day to a baby and she’ll stare at you in awe. Adults like arguments and debates.

5. That a baby has a naturally sweet scent. Adults need to spray a bottle or can of perfume all over their bodies to achieve a pleasant odor.

6. That babies are sophisticated music lovers. They listen to Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Verdi, Schubert peacefully with their eyes closed. They don’t bang their heads like a crazy dog or go grinding their bodies like worms.

7. That a baby’s smile takes you instantly to heaven

8. That a baby cries even when she’s not hungry or wet. She just needs a warm hug and lots of kisses.

9. That babies understand the definition of “No” and “Yes” (even when they can’t talk straight yet).

10. That I can afford to come in late at work but I feel like a loser when I fail to catch my baby awake at night. That’s why I hurry home everyday. Nothing equates to the feeling I get from seeing and holding my baby.