Chapter 29
From pichi-pichi and bibingka to Ma’s suman and puto bumbong, our dining table has every form of delicious rice cake you can imagine.
Ma whipped up something extra special too: the Buns by Beth buko pie with a crust that’s somehow extra tender and filling that’s extra creamy.
As for my contribution, I also prepared my specialty: scrambled eggs with the perfect runny texture.
When Auntie Baby arrived with a cooler of wine bottles in one hand and her portable karaoke machine in the other, she immediately ordered us to turn down Jose Mari Chan on our speakers so she could sing her own rendition of his songs.
She decorated our Christmas tree with garlands of sampaguita before setting up her magic mic in our living room.
There are very few things in this world that Auntie Baby loves more than karaoke.
And every single time, she proves that Seph’s singing abilities don’t come from her side of the family.
While both Kayla and Auntie Baby struggle to find pitch, the difference with Auntie Baby is that she believes she’s a terrific singer. And not just karaoke terrific—one time, we watched a clip of Lea Salonga performing on Broadway, and Auntie Baby commented that she and Lea sounded alike.
She said this as seriously and matter-of-factly as someone would declare that the world is round. In Auntie Baby’s mind, I truly suspect that she believes that her singing is as good as a Tony Award–winning vocalist’s.
In theory, I should be annoyed that Auntie Baby’s stalling everyone from eating so we can sit through another performance of Christmas carols. She’s already on her second glass of wine when she begins her third repeat of “Christmas in Our Hearts.”
Yet Auntie Baby butchering a Christmas classic just seems so in line with the holidays.
On the other side of the room, Achi and Kayla are competing with each other to see who can build the longest line with things in their pockets.
“Yun o!” Kayla raises her fists after she slowly positions her necklace at the end of her line. She then mimes answering a phone with her hand. “Ms. Ilagan, I’m getting a call from the guidance office. The rest of the faculty wants to congratulate me on my win.”
Achi keeps a straight face while she watches Kayla gloat. “Hold the phone,” she says, and takes out five pens from her pants pockets. She places them at the tip of her line very slowly and deliberately, staring Kayla down while her line gets longer and longer.
Once she’s done, Achi holds her hand to her ear and copies Kayla’s phone gesture. “Yes?” she answers her imaginary hand phone. “Is this the Saint Agnes faculty? You’re saying I won by a landslide?” She gasps and glances at Kayla. “And that I’m this year’s Christmas champion?”
It’s the dorkiest display of trash-talking I’ve ever seen.
No one even addresses how weird it is that my sister has an unending supply of pens on hand.
But I decide to keep some comments to myself.
To be honest, it does feel kind of nice to have so many people here.
I don’t know, maybe there’s something about the holidays that makes everyone’s quirks more endearing than annoying.
Everyone just seems so happy—especially my dad.
More than once, I’ve caught him smiling and taking the whole scene in while watching Ma or Achi.
“You should try to see if Achi can hear you,” I whisper to Pa while I stand next to him by the food spread. “Follow her around and say stuff in her ear.”
Pa bristles at the suggestion. “Wouldn’t that scare your sister?”
I shrug off his concern. “Fear is very effective in convincing people,” I argue. “Ooh, you can tell her things like I’ve always been your favorite daughter.”
“That’s new information,” he says, then chuckles when I pretend to be offended.
Then Pa suggests, “Why don’t we take a break from our plan for tonight?”
“Pa, we’re getting really close to your fortieth day.”
“But it’s Christmas Eve.” He checks if anyone’s watching before taking a sampaguita garland from the Christmas tree and slipping it around my neck. “We shouldn’t be haunting people during Christmas.
“Plus, you shouldn’t worry about me,” Pa adds. “I think someone else is distracting you tonight.”
Before I can argue, my phone lights up with another notification.
Seph has been to our unit a hundred times before. Having him here on Christmas Eve is nothing special. We’ve barely spoken to each other since he and his mom arrived, but every so often, I’d catch him flashing a little smile from across the room.
When Auntie Baby finally takes a break from her nonstop karaoke and makes her way to the buffet, it’s the first time Seph and I are almost at an arm’s length from each other. “Tsiah lo, tsiah lo.” Auntie Baby urges me to eat while her son keeps glancing at me, smiling like an idiot.
Auntie Baby stops when she reaches my dish. “People make scrambled eggs for noche buena?”
“Ma, that’s the best dish,” Seph immediately answers. I bite back a smile when he makes it a point to fill almost half his plate with eggs.
As soon as he accompanies his mom back to her karaoke station, my phone lights up with a message.
Even him messaging me through the night isn’t a big deal. Seph and I have been messaging so often lately that tonight barely registers on my radar.
Me wanting to check my phone is merely a side effect of my natural curiosity.
Great eggs!
I look up at Seph and he flashes me a thumbs-up.
Sipsip, I type back.
:) Merry Christmas Ilagan
I roll my eyes and type, it’s still two hours till midnight
“Is Moseph having a good time?”
I startle when Pa’s looking over my shoulder and quickly cover my phone.
“For your information, I’ve been researching strategies on your ghost situation.”
“Ah, ganun pala.” Pa nods, that smug look still not going away. “Research seems to make you happy.”
“Very,” I deadpan, and excuse myself to check on who rang the doorbell. When Pa has his back turned, I take another peek at my phone.
wanted to make sure i was the first one to greet you :)
I stuff my phone in my pocket, covering my mouth to hide the smile on my face.
Pa is reading too much into this. I’m a naturally smiley person who’s just in an extra good mood because of all the holiday spirit.
Although, my mood immediately switches once I open the door and see Dr. Derrick in his striped purple tie.