I've noticed that Epril has a problem common among Filipinos: An inability to judge time. Yesterday, when she was on her way out to visit a family member in hospital, go out to eat lunch, and do some shopping, I asked, "It's 11 o'clock now. When will you be back?" She replied that she would be back at 1:00, which I knew was impossible, but held my tongue. At 1:00 I called her up; she was just leaving the hospital. She was quite surprised to learn of the time, and insisted (before her watch told her otherwise) that she still had a little while left. (By the way, this is a girl who owns 6 watches... for fashion purposes, obviously.)
Today, Epril asked to sit down in front of my computer "for 5 minutes"... not "5 minutes" as a figure of speech, but as a span of time. I actually set the stopwatch on my mobile phone for illustrative purposes and then walked away. When I came back and showed her that 5 minutes had gone past, the look on her face was priceless.
Maid Susan is forming her own secret camarilla of household staff here on Marigold Street. Maids from up and down the block are gathering at my house and speaking a strange cant and plotting who-knows-what between bites of fried pork fat and rice as WoWoWee plays on the home theater. (I've tried to weasel in on their gatherings, sitting down to watch The Philippine's most famous gameshow with them — claiming my concupiscent need to ogle Miss Liveraide in her green dress — but they perfunctorily change their talk to the subject of laundering and lechon every time I walk in the room.)
Little sister Ednil is no longer at the house. She stays back home in the jungle now. I keep asking Epril and Susan why she hates me so much... attempting hyperbole in an effort to figure out the truth; however there doesn't seem to be any particular reason to her departure other than just a typical 16-year-old's been-there/done-that ennui.
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