Mosquitoes have gotten in the moong. My feet and legs are covered in bites. I get up to watch the sunrise.
Eat 2 grilled hard eggs and a guava and reading Second Chances. Story is set mostly in London and they mention Nando’s, Wagamama, and Automat, all restaurants I went to on my last trip. Fun!
The air is still cool this early in the morning. I have the fan blowing on me and the early sun is warm on my shoulders. It feels awesome.
I looked at the date and realize it’s The Ex, B’s, birthday. We used to call each other every year, even after the breakup, to wish each other happy birthday. We don’t do that anymore.
8 AM The sun is getting hotter.
9:30 AM I am lethargic from the heat. I wanted to walk down to the dam where we used to swim and plays as kids, each time risking the chance of being sucked by leeches. We had a little row boat with a hole in it that we used to keep there. Two of us would row, the other two would bail out water with our shoes or an old water jug. It’s too hot. I don’t go.
10 AM Mom kills the 5 mosquitoes that have been freeloading off my legs the past 2 nights in the moong. She shows me the blood on her hands.
11:30 AM Took the most refreshing cold shower out of the well.
12 PM Mom tells me my dress is cute. Sound the alarms. This may be the first compliment I’ve ever gotten from her.
12:30 PM I’m amazed by how everything I look at here triggers a memory. Looking at the step ladder made of bamboo reminds me of how my cousin used to make stilts out of bamboo and carve us toy guns and slingshots out of wood. He would also catch us beetles that we would tie a string around and watch it fly around in circles on the “leash.” We were always surprised when it would die a few hours later.
1 PM Mom is doing an especially great job at working my nerves today. She’s raving about how smart and successful her friend’s daughter is and how she’s getting married soon. I sometimes think she wishes she had a different daughter. Her voice is getting under my skin today.
1:30 PM We have Suki Yaki at MK (mom’s favorite) in the country mall.
3:30 PM Visit my uncle (who’s a monk) at the temple. He doesn’t seem interested in seeing me. I am the only one with a camera so mom instructs me to take pictures of things. She drives me nuts when she does this. I offered to buy her a camera last month and she said she didn’t need one.
7 PM I’m so hot and tired I don’t want to eat or shower. I’m starting to count down the days till I can get a break from my mom. Even her breathing is driving me nuts.
Once the sun sets it’s pitch black outside. No street lights. We used to sleep out on the deck with the cool evening breeze and watch the stars. We would look out at the horizon, across the dam, and see lights and smoke at the top of the mountain. My siblings and I used to think they were “hostiles” living in the mountains. Now you can see the outline of a water tower which probably means it’s just another village just like ours across the way.
I’m making serious use out of the Dempsey & Carroll notebook Wifey gave me. Thank you! Besos!
Went to bed without showering. So gross and sticky!
1 comment:
Your grandma is cute in her sunglasses.
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