Saturday, November 12, 2011

Conversation with Bea (Part 2)


The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop. – Mark Twain


Observant and sometimes a critique, she’ll ask me things that may seems odd to her. Last Ramadan, during Eid, we were sitting on a bench inside a mall while waiting for her mother who was busy looking for “sales”. A South Asian family passed by dressed in all their “fineries” and Bea whispered to me, pointing with her lips at a girl about her age.


Bea: Daddy, why is she dressed like that?
Me : Maybe she’s a princess and she’s going to a dance.
Bea: No. She’s a fairy without wings. Hinde pa Halloween, di ba, Daddy?

Without trying, she can embarrass you in public. An Arab lady passed by and Bea exclaimed:

Bea: Look Daddy oh, she draw “pencils” on her hand.
Me : That’s a henna hand decoration, anak.
Bea: She better wash hand. It’s DIRTY!

You should read between the lines when talking to Bea. A couple of weeks ago I caught her picking her nose while we’re watching TV.

Me : What are you doing?
Bea: Nothing.
Me : Are you eating “kulangot”?
Bea: (Indignantly) NO… I’m making a ball!

Once we’re looking for our friend’s flat and all I got was a sketched map for direction. We’re going in circle and we were again on a fork road we passed by earlier when Bea happened to read a street sign:

Bea: Daddy look! Maather Street! Turn left!
Me : Ay, oo nga. Sorry, anak, I didn’t see the sign kasi.
Bea: Buti na lang I’m here, kung hindi, we’re lost again.

I can’t figure out if it’s a jest or sympathy because with her lopped-sided smile she added: “Don’t worry Daddy. When I’m big, I’ll buy you glasses.”

Her mother always makes it a point Bea prays before she goes to sleep. Mommy taught her how to pray but she doesn’t like it. It’s lengthy because it includes “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” which she hates to memorize. So she makes her own “version” which varies from time to time. It goes something like this:

In the name of the Father and the Mother and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Papa God,
Please help my Daddy to be strong all the time.
Please help my Daddy in his driving so he won’t always say “gago”.
Please help me in my studies and in my test in the morning and in the afternoon so Mommy is always happy.
Please help Mommy clean the kitchen and wash our clothes and also help Mommy in her cooking.
Thank you.
Goodnight Papa God, goodnight Mama Mary and to my Dear Guardian Angel.

Amen.

14 comments:

  1. What a cute child your daughter is. Very witty! I commend you for raising such an intelligent daughter. And Bea, friends tayo ha!

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  2. hahahaha! again, hahahahaha!

    at least ibibili ka ng salamin. di mo lang mabasa.

    susmaryosep, kung ako ang nagmamaneho, ano ang bibilhin ni bea para sa akin? a new brain?

    hahahahaha!

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  3. sheng, bea knows you and all the regular commenter here. she reads my blog too.

    atticus, pag "big" na si bea, baka bibilhan ka nya ng gps. : )

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  4. how cute! bunso ba sya? kids say the 'darnest' things he he

    natawa ako how she makes a 'ball'! ha ha

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  5. bing, da wan and only yan. : )

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  6. don't you just love daughters? document those words of wisdom. pwedeng pagkakitaan.

    :)

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  7. beatburn, Alam mo, my parents wanted a "boy" because our family name is dying. But if I'll be blessed with another child and it happens to be a girl again, I'll be happy. I don't know about other families, but my daughter is very "malambing" and thoughtful to her Daddy.

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  8. RJ, in a way, prayers should be like that. Hindi yung repetitive prayer taught by the church. Hindi naman siguro bingi o ulyanin si Papa God.

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  9. i have two girls. and our name is currently at risk. but okay lang.

    to paraphrase romeo: what's in a name anyway?

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  10. beatburn, you're right. A rose called by any other name will be just as sweet. : )

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  11. hahahah nananakuwa,i noticed that Bea got ur genes bro, ang cute cute nya saka ang laki laki na nya, soon my dalaga kana pala...sana ako rin nagkaron ng daughter hahaha.
    ~lee

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  12. lee, kung minsan ang kulit nyan. Panakot namin sa kanya ay "ipa-adopt ka namin sa arabo, sige ka"!

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  13. hahahahaha sabi nga e mas makulit daw ang batang babae kesa lalaki.
    ~lee

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