Chapter 13 - HTG- Home Training Ground

Once again they would be in their privacy in their sacred bedroom for their intimate moment as husband and wife.

Two years had rolled fleetingly like a lightning that flashed from the furious atmosphere from above the sky. The Kenneth Allen and Leonor's household was busy preparing for a big event.

The theater room was transformed to a party room where the tables were circularly arranged near the wall that gave a spacious dancing area at the center.

A small stage was placed at the west facing the door at the east. It was decorated with the eighteen figure formed by using rose flowers.

Every table in the venue were occupied by ten party goers. The party was started with a program. It's high light was the first dance of Lizbeth Mae.

When a country folk music started, it was her mother's turn to hold her hands and danced to the beat of it gracefully. Her mother gave her to her father who danced him to the tune of a waltz. Her brothers, Kelly and Alken tapped their father's shoulder to give their 'ate' (an address to an older sister) to them to dance 'cha cha'.

Lizbeth was facing Kelly with her right hand on his shoulder, the left hand was holding his left hand while his right hands holding her waist. When the song ( "Señorita" by: CamilaCabello, Shawn Mendes

I love it when you call me señorita

I wish I could pretend I didn't need ya

But every touch is ooh la la la

It's true, la la la

Ooh, I should be running

Ooh, you keep me coming for you)

emitted it's tune in that venue, they started dancing with their steps back and forth then turned and was handed to Alken with the same position and steps. After the turning of Lizbeth with Alken, Lizbeth was facing east, Kelly to south and Kelly to north. They danced individually back and forth, back and forth, turned and met circularly with her at the middle of the outstretched arms of her two younger siblings. It was at this formation when it was time to officially let her dance with a male dancer out of her family circle.

The music was again changed to waltz (music) as the first male friend

asked to dance her. The first young teenager was followed by another seventeen more male dancers. Before dancing her, they would give her a rose.

Lizbeth received eighteen roses from the eighteen youth who danced her. The dance was followed with the speech of Kenneth.

"'Nak (means My child) I want you to know that the most grievous fault I did against you and your Mommy was to let you lived in a very tiny rooming house. It was because I impulsively impregnate your mother when I was not yet stable in my career. I am telling you this for you to avoid such destitution. You have to observe precautionary measure on a suitor that your heart would be throbbing for. I was just very lucky that

my heart had chosen your mother. Good luck, 'anak' and I love you, being our first

born."

His speech was followed with the

message from her mother.

"My first born infant is now an eighteen year old in her late teenage hood years. Soon you would be a young adult in your twentieth birthday. Indeed, what your Daddy advised is worth heeding and obeying. It was not easy to be pregnant with a husband who was busy achieving his dream to be successful in the profession he had chosen. Think a million times first before making a firm decision on matters that would involve not only you

but your whole family as well. We wish you the best of luck so it's up to you to

make it. I love you, too, 'anak.' "

As expected, the birthday girl had also delivered her speech.

"Dad and Mom, I knew that the Lord blessed me with parents like you.

Please be assured that with your guidance, my life would be an open book to both of you. The suitors who would like to wooe me should be required to come to our house for you to help me evaluate his personality. If that happens,

I am then, in advance, asking for your background check of those who would like to win my heart. Thank you so much for your care, love, and understanding. Likewise, I would also thank my kid brothers Kelly and Alken for stepping on my foot while dancing. I love you all!"

Others laughed boisterously, some giggle hilariously. Her parents smiled

sweetly while her brothers whistled.

One of her visitors retorted;" We

did not notice that they both stepped on your feet."

At this age, she was a freshman college student who was just like her parents. Like them, she was devoting more of her time to study harder.

As preparation for her future, she was allowed by her parents to be a working student. The only difference was..... she worked part time job at the registrar office of the school that her parents owned and it was managed by his father's youngest brother together with the sister next to her mother as his assistant.

Kenneth would always praise her daughter's 'pork adobo' with 'sinigang fish' (a fish cooked with a soup, an onion

a pepper, a sweet potato young tops/leaves, and squeezed kalamansi (small citrus fruits)

Although cooking was not Kelly' s

favorite chores, still he had to cook for the family. He loved cooking picadillo. He usually had it with 'tilapya' (a fish raised in a pond with fresh water) be on top of a minced ginger, onion, garlic and

sliced eggplants. On top of tilapya, the green peppers would be placed. He sprinkled it with black Pepper, a salt to taste and a vinegar would be poured.

He cooked it only in low fire until the vinegar has dried. His final process was to pour a very thick coconut milk. When the coconut milk is cooked, it was time for him to cook his 'linagang baboy' (boiled pork)

The pork would be poured with water, add onion sliced into quarter, a green pepper, a black pepper, and a salt to taste. When the meat was already tender, a sliced cabbage into halves were added.

Everybody would lovingly appreciate his favorite dish to cook.

Alken, on the other hand, would not be cooking for their family's viand.

He would rather be rebuked than to cook. However, when asked to cook

One dish meal for their brunch, that was the time that he would willingly cook either spaghetti, carbonara, or pansit bijon mixed with canton (bijon is a Chinese noodle which is finely made while a canton is another Chinese noodle made bigger than bijon).

He would sautee' a chopped garlic and minced onion until golden brown. The pork and chicken chopped to biting

pieces and some peeled shrimp were added, he sprinkled a pinch of salt and simmer to at least five minutes after mixing. Water is poured to cook the meat. When cooked, another water would be poured for it to boil. The moment it is boiling again, a dark soy sauce would be added and the bijon and canton would be placed into the mixture. While mixing, sprouted mongo beans would be added. He would continue mixing them and cover it till there was no more water. That was the time that he would add the sliced carrots and a chopped cabbage into it. After five more minutes... PRESTO! A palatable one dish meal would be eaten for their brunch as they woke up late in the morning after their 'hide & Seek' family bonding moments.

At the age of twelve he became a master chef cooking them earnestly for their brunch.

This was another means of guiding their children. For Kenneth and Leonor, their kitchen was another training ground for them to be independent, day after day.

Another training ground they chose was the laundry room. It's either Kenneth or Leonor who would be with them to wash the dirty clothes.

But training them in the garden was another story. Leonor refused Kenneth to be their only trainer. It was her and him to guide them for they did not just plant some ornamental plants but also vegetables and herbs.

These were only some of the chores they trained their children for survival even if they were not by their side. Kenneth knew that there would come a time that they would be separated from them.

Not forcing them to cook what they didn't feel doing was his own belief that in the future, they could easily learn whatever dish they would like to try cooking as long as they knew how to follow instructions from a cook book.

Kenneth would also deprive them of their whims, say... asking him to buy them another pair of shoes when they still have some.

"If you really wanted those shoes, you have to save from your daily pocket money for your snacks in school so you can buy it for yourself."

He would like to share to his children the way he was raised by his strict but loving and understanding grandparents.