Dinner At War

By Taga Ibaan Ako

Everyday, I am at war -war against myself. I have to force myself to wake up early morning to meet my 7:00am work and beat the day until 8:30pm. By 9:00pm, I have to go on board my radio program at BAY Radio 104.7 fm, deal with listeners' song requests whose genres go way out of my program format, answer and give advices on their queries about love and relationship problems and others. This will run until 12 midnight!

Returning home, I'll then carry my shoulders' weight until 2:00am or 3:00am going over my paper works, plus Taga Ibaan Ako facebook account. Good thing our company frees us every Friday. But not for me. I usually comb around Ibaan for stories or be buried again with other activities. And with all of those back-breaking drudgery, I always go hungry. But Friday night, my screaming tummy brought me at war's door. I had a wonderful dinner at GUERRA Family's residence at Brgy. Coliat 1, Ibaan, Batangas.

Their house's porch welcomed me with Sir Roger breaking the temporary silence with some light conversation. His son Donn Francis then bragged in with lengthy stories of his day's escapades. Mariedol on the other hand took a peek on us with blanket wrapped around her due to some flu that has been hunting her for the last couple of days. And yes, Rose threw me some smile glancing at us.

Little did I know, Ma'am Dolor was already preparing the table for me. Minutes passed and Donn led me inside the house then made a cordial introduction between me and their round table garnished with Ibaeno's favorites. I almost jumped on them with my throat screaming high and dry to have a taste of them.

I started with smoking pearl-white-rice pouring them fast on my plate. This was followed by shoveling my all time favorite sunny side-up fried eggs. But before anything else, I rinsed my throat with cold-sweating Coca-Cola Coke. Whew! I just got the right condition to go crazy with what they had for me!

Oh my God! Sinaing na tambakol! I don't think anyone will have the strength to resist its aroma. There were just two slices of them on platillo, but they're more then enough to treat me with a great tasting breeze of of real sea foods. No need for patis, it's all in there. A chunk of tambakol meat is just perfect to knock me off my feet.

I didn't let any minute pass without gorging on their breaking my jaw with another dish on the side. My tongue ran around my mouth lavishing bopis (though I'm not sure if it's really bopis, hehe). Whatever it may be, it made go "burp" once in a while.

I can't get enough of the dinner Ma'am Dolor prepared for me. The round table is quite small. But the tree entrees made it looks like a round table for King Arthur's Knights! The spoon and fork appeared like sharp-edge swords piercing through flesh to afford me the gift of life for my hungry rotting tummy. I was fully alive.

I don't know what magic spell they cast on they cast on me as I swallow spoon full of these gastronomic menus. The name Guerra never fail to ring a bell whenever they are mentioned around time. They have become a household name since immemorial being one of firsts to create a "name" in Ibaan in different fields -from politics to ordinary things.

But Sir Roger Guerra's family, together with his wife Ma'am Dolor, son Donn Francis, and daughters Rose and Mariedol, lives a simple life away from spot light. And the simplicity they have can be seen on the food they filled me with that night. There's not even any sign of grandness with their house. But there exists a bond among them that keeps them close to each other. Mutual respect among members of the family is evident. And the kindness in their hearts is more than enough to paint a portrait of a beautiful family close to being perfect.

No. This is not because they satisfied my glutenous appetite that night being dead hungry after a long day of trashing around Ibaan. I've seen and experienced their hospitality for number of times I've been into their place. I can basically vouched for their character. I am certain they've been reared the right way. The soft tone of their voices whenever I talk with them can definitely speak of what they're made of. Kudos to the family. And of course, to their great tasting sinaing na tambakol.

Finishing another glass of Coke, although it's not enough, "Thank You" is all I can say to Guerra family. I won another war over dinner.