June 14, 2019
When Edmund found out a few months ago that his sister Wilma and her family were traveling to San Francisco, he offered to be their tour guide. One month prior to their schedule, I reminded my husband to make a list of the places he would bring them to. A tour guide’s guide, you know. Top on his list was the Golden Gate Bridge, followed by Lombard and Union Square to ride the tram going to Fisherman’s Wharf. I suggested to bring them to Livermore for shopping and to a buffet.
From Manila, they spent a few days in Vancouver and stayed at the residence of Edward, their elder brother, whose son was getting married in Vancouver, the main reason why their siblings were visiting Vancouver.
While Edmund and I were at the cemetery, Wilma phoned us saying they were already at the Vancouver International Airport, that was around noon.
While Edmund was speaking to her on the phone, I told Edmund “tanungin mo kung nagtanghalian na ba sila”.
He didn’t ask them. He just told me “Tart naman syempre kumain na yun. Kakain na yun sa airport”.
A—-“You cannot always assume. Tanungin mo na rin”.
E—-“Hindi na, kumain na yun”.
Edmund drove to San Francisco International Airport to pick up his sister Wilma, her husband, and their two adult kids. I couldn’t go with them because they were four plus Edmund and the vehicle could only accommodate 5.
My husband was so focused on bringing them to Golden Gate Bridge and around the streets of San Francisco especially to Lombard Street, that he forgot to ask his guests if they were hungry. No, they weren’t. They were starving. The tour guide starved them.
They were already at the Vancouver airport by 11 am although their flight was at 2:30 pm. They arrived in San Francisco at almost 5 pm and my dear husband never asked them “kumain na ba kayo?” He drove straight to Golden Gate Bridge, his number one priority. It was too cold and foggy at the Golden Gate Bridge that they were not able to get off and take pictures. He was too excited to drive around San Francisco unmindful that his guests were mapuputi na ang mga mata sa gutom!
Gutum na gutom sila. In panic, my husband drove to McDo in Oakland but they got so scared of the many istambays in the area na nag we-weed pa.
He called me to say they were hungry and that he would swing by Panda Express to take home food. I told him why not just eat there? Kasi gutom na nga. Hindi rin nakinig. They arrived at 8:40 pm with supot supot na pagkain. I was so embarrassed my husband didn’t feed them.
A—-“My God Tart, you never asked if they were hungry? I am so disappointed with you. You’re a very bad host and tour guide. You will get bad reviews”.
