My husband considered our Valentine’s Date last February 14 as the most relaxing and stress free we’ve ever had. He said after 35 years we’ve found the secret. No fancy restaurants, no need for reservations, afternoon dinner ahead of the crowd-lovers and before heavy traffic builds up. No need to wear nice clothes too. So for our most recent Valendate, we drove to Shanghai-la shopping mall. At 5 pm parking slots were still available. After a half-hour of watch window-shopping, we got a table at CIBO . No line. No waiting.
We had fun observing the couples’ around us. We’ve seen several women stradling around the mall like beauty queens, holding a bouquet of flowers, with an escort by her side. We saw a young woman standing and frowning while the boyfriend was the one holding the flowers. My husband and I were chuchuwa “binigyan na nga ng bulaklak nakasimangot pa”. Older women presumably wives, did not have flowers in their hands. Baka naman nilagay na sa flower vase sa bahay nila. Two tables away, directly in my line of sight, a couple was kissing intermittently while eating. The girl also had flowers. Isang subo ng food, isang tsup.
Earlier that day I was at the Farmers Market in Cubao buying fruits. I noticed the throngs of men and some women too, buying flowers. Parang nagpa-panic buying. My husband was in the office that morning and he said kawawa daw yung walang nagbibigay ng flowers. So for next year daw he will give a stem of rose each to all the single ladies in the office. I told him dapat all women regardless if married. Wag na daw yung may mga asawa kasi bahala na daw yung mga asawa nila na bigyan sila ng bulaklak. Ngayon palang mag-iipon na sya kasi sobrang mahal ang roses pag araw ng mga puso. I wonder how many husbands of long years made love to their wives on this day. Or I will rephrase my sentence. I wonder how many wives of long years were expecting their night to be hot and romantic. Fulfilled or disappointed?
