Our kumpareng Benjie invited Edmund to his 70th birthday celebration at East Ocean Palace Restaurant. At first, I thought it was only for his golf buddies. It didn’t stick in my brain that it would be a big celebration and kasama mga misis.
I also didn’t calendar the date because I thought I was not going. It was too late when my husband told me we were attending the dinner party and needed a driver. I didn’t worry because our newly hired driver was supposed to stay in, and his first day off was the end of the month.
Saturday, biglang nagpaalam yung driver, uuwi daw ihahatid yung wife sa probinsya. I told him to go on leave the next Monday, hindi daw pwede because his wife was in a hurry.
So Sunday came, we were not able to arrange for another driver to report. My husband’s friends sent him text messages reminding him that mahirap ang parking sa East Ocean Palace.
Before we left the house, my husband said a few times, “pag hindi tayo nakakuha ng parking, uwi na lang tayo.”
In my mind, “naku, sayang naman ang bihis ko. I bought this dress long time ago but have never worn it. And I have a new bag, pagte-ternohin ko silang dalawa, tapos uuwi lang kami?” My son-in-law warned us too that parking is scarce in that area. And there’s a vacant lot but we have to cross another open parking area before reaching the building. Nay ko ayokong maglakad dun, madilim baka mahold-up pa kami.
Siguro, kutob, or just being prepared, I asked Oyen to take my picture. Baka nga mag-round trip lang kami sa kotse, magpa-picture na ako.
Here’s my picture before leaving the house, photography by Julienne Yee.
When I reached the garage, my husband repeated “pagwalang parking uwi na lang tayo.”
Ay, sayang naman bihis ko so I called Jocelyn, to take my picture in the garage, in between the cars.
Jocelyn— “Mam, maganda ang ilaw dito.”
Here are my photos, posing in the garage. At least kung mag-da drive lang kami to Macapagal Avenue tapos U-turn, uwi na, may souvenir photo na ako.
Proof that we went to the restaurant, pero hanggang labas lang.
Hayan na nga, we got there at 6:47 pm and the party was at 7:30 pm, I thought we had a good chance of getting a parking slot, WALA, Wah, WALA! Drove around several times pero wala. We looked at other buildings although I was hesitant to park far away from East Ocean, pero wala rin sila available parking. My husband tried to park on the sidewalk, pero someone approached us, bawal daw. Bawa ma-tow.
Meron din area, malayo na parang vacant lot but no one was parking there, my husband said baka ma-tow etong kotse namin. I told him, di bale ng ma-tow itong kotse natin, huwag lang mawala ang bag ko.
Baka mahold-up pa kami dun.
After more trying and ikot, ay uwi na lang daw kami. However, we were hungry,
E—–“Saan tayo kakain?”
We ended up at Okada Manila Casino.
We had Chinese food. I was imagining how delicious the food at Benjie’s party was. East Ocean Palace is owned by Albert See, their friend too. And they know the special dishes to order. The best talaga pag sila ang nag-isip ng menu.
Kami eto. Siopao, crispy fried tofu. Okay lang din, food is food.
The casino’s doorman saw us leaving “Sir, ang bilis nyo naman”. He remembered us entering the building some 30 – 40 minutes ago. Kumain lang kami.
I felt nauseated from the cigarette smell, and there was something in the air, sumama pakiramdam ko.
We didn’t know that while we were inside Okada having dinner, there was heavy downpour in Makati, and in other areas. It took us two hours to reach home. Traffic along EDSA was bumper to bumper.
Ay naku, grabe, we were so tired. What’s with this night? Hindi na nga kami naka attend ng party, nakakahiya kay Benjie, tapos na traffic pa kami.
E—-“Siguro yung mga umattend ng party mga naka-uwi na. Tayo nadito pa.”
In my mind, hay salamat, nakapagpa-picture na ako.
Benjie said he will host another birthday dinner for Edmund (hahaha) baligtad, it should be the other way around. Edmund should treat Benjie to dinner because he failed to be at Benjie’s big milestone.
Benjie used to own and operate another Ford dealership. That was how Edmund first met him. Despite the fact that we were technically competitors, it was evident that he was a good person and a friendly competitor. When his son was born, he wanted Edmund to be one of the godfathers pero in Chinese, their birth signs must be aligned, hindi daw terno, so I became the ninang of their son instead. That’s how we became magkumpare. He and his wife Evelyn are one of the nicest persons around.
