Day 3 – My 3 new nephews

Im so damn tired. But happy I spent a whole day with 3 great kids. Lester, 10 years old with a colostomy, Marjun who is 8 with a colostomy, and Gerald with a facial deformity and who tried pizza for the first time today.

After the lengthy but very informational doctor’s appointment Tita Len asked me to stay with the kids and their parents while she went out to take care of some final errands for them. She went out to find a place for them to stay for the month while they proceeded with all their pre-surgery examinations.

I discovered that, although strangers to each other at first, they already had formed a brotherly alliance with each other on the boat ride here when I handed Gerald some tokens in the mall’s arcade area. “Na hatag pud ka tokens para ni Marjun ug si Lester???” (Did you give tokens to Marjun and Lester too?).

I’ve been splitting up tokens among children all my life. I am the token token-splitter both in the Philippines and the United States. But his question was definitely a first for me so my eyes welled up. “Go ahead young man,” as I cried tears of happiness, “go on and play like you’ve never played before!” And then he skipped off into the valley of fun and games as I sat down and cried.

That last part was made-up, but Gerald definitely displayed valor and I soon grew even more fond of the little guys and their families.

After some ice cream and checkin’ out the ladies at the mall, the boys and I went outside when all of a sudden the ground shook. We looked up and noticed that one of the buildings in the area became disembodied by what it seemed to be a HUGE flying dragon waving a tail with a huge menacing sea urchin at the end!

Ok that last part was also made-up. That’s what happens when you hang out with people who still have imagination (people without imagination just got served!)

Anyway, now that phase 1 has turned out better (and waaay faster) than expected, i’ll be going to Bohol to visit my mom even sooner. Day 3 is done and 3 kids are about to experience the time of their lives. Off to bed.