On the absence of a mother

Nagano- It was quite timely for me to scribble a little about my kapuso, my called bitter if not my better-half during her absence. She petitioned me to be the chaperon for my youngest daughter for two days starting today until tomorrow on bringing to and fetching the kid from the hoykuen. I asked her why.

My wife reasoned and explained to me that she has to undergo a 2-day training as she applied for a better part-time job that would allow her to help sustain the monthly needs of our big and growing family of seven. She needed ample time as well to do the mothering of the little ones particularly in fetching the youngest at earlier and proper time to avoid over-time pay in the hoykuen or day care center. She said that she has the difficulty to catch up her time in her old job that from her work, she goes to vegetable market daily and fetch the kid before the closing time. She cant buy more stocks at once too for the week as our fridge is just small and not enough for a brigade of seven. Hence she needs to do marketing daily even for just the next day's consumption.

I have no reason to disapprove her petition. I have to let her go and attend her 2-day training. Hence I will be the father and mother for two days all at once.

On the absence of a mother, I have to wake earlier in the morning, prepare the breakfast, prepare the obento or lunch boxes for the kids and myself; make sure of the hanging of the laundry which I wash in the evening; wake up the boys and push them to stand for their school preparations, cloth the youngest, while I give the other clothes for my still freshman-grade-one girl, make sure the boys do their toothbrushing (which they escape if not seen by their mother), and send-off everyone to school while I bring my youngest to the day-care center. I just need to make sure that I can make all these things and reach my work-office at 8:00 a.m. Wheeewwww!!!! It seems like a cyclone as series of events.

On my off-time at 5:30 p.m., I have to make sure that I could reach back the day-care center on or before 6:00 p.m. to fetch my daughter or else she or I will be charged of additional or over-time pay by the hoykuen. Her teacher could not leave and go home too unless all the children are fetched by their parents themselves. This is good enough for those parents who have their car. For me, I have to hire superman to help me fly on this nice time-tournament.

And when I will arrive back home, I am back to slavery again. Check and do the roll call if everyone is back from their school and or judokan. Do the cooking to prepare the dinner, gather the dirty clothes and shoot it to the washing machine; fold the dried clothes from the cloth line hanged in the morning; water my beloved ornamental plants at the veranda and front; and monitor the boys while they do their shukudai and be sure the tv is off while I do the works. My eldest son is so good to cheat his mother when she is doing the cooking. What else?

I have my bowing conditions before dinner! And my sit-ups to push back my growing tummy.

Oh lords...... why thou you have forsaken my shape? This is one product of being in office-works for several tens of months since. Even on my bi-cycling yesterday, I still feel the ouch on my buttocks and legs due to long pedalling with that small triangular chair of a re-cycled mountain bike I got from my favorite nook (garbagge house). What more?

And a sleepless night without a wife! Nevermind! It is only a long night of fasting and abstinence without a human blanket to heaven.

And the 2nd day will be a repetition of today's passion.

Shall I shout for mercy on this two terrible days? Hear me Lord.....!!!!

On the absence of a mother, to hell those works and chores and love more your wife who used to do those back-aching works.