gogol notes 3

17 november 2008

Dear tatay,

Late yesterday afternoon nanay, kika mao and I went to CPU because nanay said I should have some time outdoors. Kika mao wanted to attend the Baptist church service in her university. She decided to accompany us for a while because her friends were still busy with DOTA. I asked nanay to carry me all the way from our house to the acad oval – I don’t know how they call it there, tatay but it’s like the acad oval in diliman, although much much much smaller. Then just before we got to the oval I went down to run run run because I was seeing a really wide space and got so excited. When we got to the oval I ran to the football field. I had to squat to touch the silt from Typhoon Frank to feel that it’s real. I am touching sand and silt and dirt…the kind that we don’t have back in our apartment. Then I ran some more and there were the grasses already. So I squatted again to pluck some grasses to see if they were really real. I ran in circles, I ran all over the place, left and right to the scrawny dog of the other picnickers but nanay stopped me. She said the dog does not know me well and might bite me. But I insisted, so she carried me again and put me somewhere else. Like a chess piece. Nanay is clever. 

I did not run after the dog anymore. It was too far for my small legs. Then I saw the group playing with a ball. Then I wanted to play with them too. I think they were the same group with the dog. There were the 3 children and their mother and their father and some more adults. The small kid cried because he couldn’t have his time with the ball. The bigger kids had them. it was a volleyball but they used it like a football. but it doesn't matter as long as it can bounce and can be kicked!

Kika mao told nanay I should be brought there every Sunday. Nanay said we will bring our small ball next time so I can throw it up up up in the sky to fly with the birdies and the airplane that I saw flying together with the birds and the bats. When you come home for christmas tatay we will play there and you can help me throw the ball. Because I think you are stronger and you can throw the ball higher than the flying birds. But hit no bird!!! Because birds are our friends. :D

I hope in christmas I will be well enough to run. You think so, tatay?

I have colds. I have runny nose. Nanay brought with her my hanky. She wiped the snot from my nose every now and then.

Then in the morning tatay I asked nanay to play in the driveway. I did not wear any shorts. But my shirt was long enough to cover my pisot. Because my cars shoes is lost nanay made me wear the osh kosh. Nanay tried the rubber slippers but I can’t stand the band and if I don’t use the band they can’t stay on my feet for long. Maybe my feet don’t like them? because the cars and the nike shoes and the osh kosh stay. So I wore the osh kosh. Then I ran and ran and ran along the driveway. Sometimes with my head up high like that. Then after a while I had so much sweat so nanay took some cloth diapers to put on my back. kika mao said I should keep my back dry all the time or I’ll get pneumonia. What is pneumonia tatay? Is it like a cake? Or ice cream?

Nanay and I went ahead. Kika mao stayed for the service. It was already dark when we went home. It was only 5:45 but already dark. Nanay told me I am getting heavier each day. Maybe I am becoming big boy very fast. Maybe when we visit you in December, tatay, I will be bigger than you and you have to look up when you talk to me. That will be very funny. But I still want to be small boy so you can carry me all the time and put me on your lap while we listen to lala and locomotion and see pictures of myself on picasa.

Nanay said maybe I will visit the doctor today. Manang nening will bring me because nanay can’t take time off from her work. I will write you again tonight so you will know what the doctor said.

You take you vitamins every day tatay so your nose will not go runny like mine. And won’t have cough like mine.

Flying kisses,

Gogol