Tet grilled some burgers and made clam chowder for the three (well four) fathers in the house. My Dad, my brother, Richard (with his brand-new daughter) and myself (Hammer).
So it was us, the clan, out in the hot, humid terrace.
Paolo the eldest nephew had just gotten the all-clear from the DOH that he doesn’t have H1N1, after a sick classmate of his sipped from his frapuccino Monday. Paolo was excited just to be outside his room. Ysabella, one month old, was decked in a Daddy’s Girl jumper. Bianca, almost 12, is too dalagita to care and would rather go back upstairs to Facebook.
The adults: Ate Yvonne clicking away at her ancient camera, Kuya Billy and myself stuffing ourselves with burgers. Tet clucks and complains about her sister’s wedding dress designer.
Joshua, 13, goofed around as always, excited about his new school (DLS-Z), deciding on what name he should be called in La Salle, since he was so successful in convincing everyone at his old school that his name was Bob. G, who just turned 7, is disappointed that his real name of Guillermo or nickname Billy Boy isn’t catching on with his classmates.
At the head of the table, Dad bursts into song, something from his favorite musical Carousel, and sings to G:
Not Bill!
My boy, Bill! He’ll be tall
And as tough as a tree, will Bill
Like a tree he’ll grow
With his head held high
And his feet planted firm on the ground
And you won’t see nobody dare to try
To boss or toss him around!
Then Dad turns to Ate Yvonne, 39, and sings the next part of the song, which he used to sing to her when she was a baby:
You can have fun with a son
But you got to be a father to a girl
She mighn’t be so bad at that
A kid with ribbons in her hair!
A kind o’ neat and petite
Little tin-type of her mother!
What a pair!
I can just hear myself bragging about her!
My little girl
Pink and white
As peaches and cream is she
My little girl
Is half again as bright
As girls are meant to be!
This from a guy used to send platoons straight into the jungle. When I think about my father, I think about him singing.
Tags: father's day
