Family Day

It was almost 6:00 pm, and the rain was pouring hard. I was hoping it would hold up just long enough to give me time to get to the mall dry to some degree, but it didn’t seem likely. I was nearest to the agreed meeting place, and as such, should have been least likely to be late. So I whipped out my long wind-proof umbrella and decided to brave the rain.

It was Saturday. Payday weekend. Family day.

RubyPurple was going to be late because of traffic. JohnStanley was going to be late because he was coming from further away. I got there late, just as I expected, bogged down further by the huge crowd. I spotted TurismoBoi and his friend as I approached, and greeted them. With so many people lined up waiting to get inside, TurismoBoi decided we go to from Gilligan’s to Max’s instead.

We were seated after a few minutes, ordered for ourselves and started catching up while waiting for the others. RubyPurple soon arrived, followed shortly by JohnStanley.

With the common complaint about the huge number of people at the mall and seeing families all around, I reckon we were the only group not buying school supplies for any kids of our own. But you know what? We weren’t any less of a family amongst ourselves.

RubyPurple and I had been chatting a lot about this get-together this week. Initially, TurismoBoi just had dinner planned, but RubyPurple and I came up with this plan for us to go videoke after. I can’t sing, and RubyPurple denies that she can, so we must’ve been really crazy and really shameless to even fathom this plan.

After our sarap-to-the-bones dinner just before 9:00 pm, TurismoBoi accompanied his friend who had to go, agreeing to meet us at RedBox in a bit. RedBox was packed, so we needed to just wait and hope for a vacancy. With TurismoBoi catching up to us, TristanTales dropping by, an hour, and my tummy full of very gay, very strawberry ColdRock Ice Cream later, and still no room available, we decided to find somewhere else to go.

With RubyPurple and I in a convoy with JohnStanley, TurismoBoi and TristanTales, we scoured the QC area to find other videoke places. Finally, we settled for the only place we knew and could find on Timog Avenue. Although it was already fully-booked at the time, we didn’t have to wait long before a room became available. As we headed up, TristanTales had to leave us to go to a prior engagement in another part of the Metro. And then there were four.

It was already midnight, and after ordering some pulutan and a drink each, and my ARVs safely down my gullet, the show began. Granted, it was TurismoBoi who emerged the real singer among us, everybody was singing. Even me. I know. Gasp. I was actually choosing songs and keying them into the videoke thingy. Gasp again.

And with everything from sad songs to love songs, solos to duets, and pop tunes to novelty songs in our repertoire, the evening was nothing short of fun. In the middle of tonight’s program, without Stop in any of the song lists, sadly, the Spice Girls may have had to disband. But, alas, Smokey Mountain was formed. We now have our signature song, again complete with choreography. Hehehe.

Even a bit of a Stresstabs-iuwi-mo-na-yan moment didn’t dampen things. Fine, TurismoBoi was the runaway winner of the Energizer award, but surprisingly, I kept up. I even found it odd that I didn’t feel drowsy or dizzy because of being up past my bedtime and taking my ARVs.

I think it was past 3:00 am when we finished our queue of songs. It was time to go. Heading our separate ways, with TurismoBoi hitching with RubyPurple and me with JohnStanley, we called it a night... or an early morning. It’s been a while since I was last on a gimmick like this, and certainly a longer while since I had this much fun on a gimmick like this.

No inhibitions, no shame, it was just fun and comfortable. Even if my kumare couldn’t make it, with daddy JohnStanley, mommy RubyPurple, and baby TurismoBoi there... okay fine, I’ll settle for being the lolo, the yaya or the family pet... we certainly had our own version of a family day.

Thanks guys and gal!