When I need to go.

WAT-WAT an Igorot dialect for a piece of sliced boiled meat. Others has larger chunks that it seems to fill your plate.

I was a butcher in Canada when I met Cassie. She's a cousin of one of my Pinoy friends. She lived in a "sosyal" way that's why I don't know why she likes me. Although she's a pure Filipina she can't understand our National language since she grew in Canada. To make the long story short, I took her when I went back to my home country for a vacation.

Then sh*t hits the fan...so hard.

We arrived in Baguio and we stayed there for 2 days.

"Oh babe! , the houses are like on top of each otheeerrrrr like we're in Braziiill! but it's a li'l coldserr, like there's a big eywwwcon blowing, right babe!" she voiced out her observation about Baguio.

"Yes", my short reply. I told her to tone it down because our locals aren't used to her kind of speaking which is so loud.

"Okay baby!" She replied while hugging me in public, (My goodness!)I knew everybody's watching.

We travelled bound to our province and I already told her the way of our life there.
"Yayyyy babe, eyllaviiiiitttt! it's like living in the emezen rainferest right baby love"? I just slowly shook my head.In my thought I just asked myself what on earth have I brought home? 😅

We arrived at our place. Father butchered a pig as a welcome gesture. Cassie doesn't talk much because I warned her so she's like a child having tantrums.

We all sat down for dinner. Of course, it's in a typical cordilleran style of serving. (large chunks of boiled pork meat in the table)

"Dssalin', wazdiz square shapes chunky thingy with black spikes here in my plate? "She asked innocently that made my dad laugh so hard.

" Iha, that is what we call wat-wat. Pork meat boiled tenderly and garnished with the spirits of an-anitos (unseen spirits)". My dad answered her jokingly.

"What's Wat what baaabbbyyy?" In her astonishment, she wants to make sure what is this thing that she's going to eat. "Others called it anger".(a-nger)mom added smiling.

"Yayyy baby, anger should not to be eaten, it should be done on yoga to release it, is the poor piggy angry when they caught and cook it"?shockingly she asked.

I just smiled and told her to eat it. She obeyed picking with her pinky finger raised as she used her hands in scooping her food. She's even good at sipping her soup that has 3-inches pork fat in it.🤣

Sometimes I am annoyed at how artsy she is but most of the time I laughed at her actions.

"Baby? Will she carry you when you sleep? What's the formula of your milk?" Dad once joked at me again.I laughed at his joke.

The first day was fun. We went to my favorite minibar.

"Baby, I wanna drink mojitowww or tsekillaaa" Cassie requested.
"There's no such thing as that in here, drink what's available, and the only available is gin". I told her while giving her the glass with a clear liquid content.

"Yow baaby! Wazdiiiz? watseeer for?" She asked.
"That is magical water to quench Satan's piss. " my only response.

She took the glass and drank it purely. You can't understand the expression on her face. She even shivered after swallowing the white content on her throat.

"Eww! This tastes like gas!" she blurted out. Other drinkers nearby laughed and one of them teased me why I allowed my girlfriend to drink gas but I just kept still.

We drank until we became tipsy. Someone nearby asked if they can table with my GF but I just told them to ask her.

"Hey seksi lede, come come our table we drink happy happy!" one customer said.

"Babe, they are asking you if you wanna join them at their table. " I teased my gf.
"I don't drink with morons!" she shouted at them.

One of them stood and tried to grab my GF's hand but I smacked him. His companions stood to avenge their buddy and all of them fought against me. We were fighting when someone stopped us. It was the barangay tanod. (local guards) I quickly turned to check on my GF to see if she's ok. I'm glad she's ok but I was surprised to find her holding one of her high heels and there's blood in it. I am still dizzy from the punches I received. I observed the men whom I just fought with, had blood on their heads. I realized my GF knows how to fight. She hammered their heads with her heels.😅

We fixed the problem by paying the "multa"(fines) since the guys are the most disadvantaged because their head seems to have a nail hammered to it.😁

Days passed and we are enjoying every bit of our vacation. Mom and Pops were ok with Cassie. They are fond of her despite her being artsy.

I took my GF on a hike on dayuhan . There was this mountain that is good for camping. We spent 3 days camping there. I asked her what can she say about our lives in our province.

"It is weird, unusual, but interesting". She commented. On the last day of camping, we waited for the sunset. We are even hugging each other, later, I took something from my pocket, I bent a knee, and proposed...

*****

" Son, do understand why she declined your proposal. Maybe she was just surprised and wasn't ready. You do know that liberated women think differently". Mom advised me that time while comforting me by rubbing my back.

Our last 3 days in the Philippines I spent drinking. Cassie became silent and cold then.

Going back to Canada, she was still cold. The climate was cold, so was she that it's so tempting to pour her a pot of boiling coffee🙄.

She stayed at her place. She asked me to give her some time and space. What the heck! Why do women when in terms of making men suffer they seem to be like crazy! I gave her a chance though I am hurting inside. I just don't understand why we needed to cool off.

I started having depression. Days become months that my depression worsen. My work was even affected. I became so desperate. I tried to see her but she avoided me.

Until such time that we met, this time, to say goodbye to her. I am going back home. I can't carry my depression anymore. My father advised me to come home too. I followed his advice because I know it's for my own good.

We both shed tears. She asked for my forgiveness but even with how much she hurt me, I chose to forgive her.

We departed. 😔

-The end-

This was published in mixed Ilocano and English from our favorite page in fb with @Z_graeden. It's just I was out of load and not active much with my mobile. Few days back i had no load for three days so I used my time in translating this story instead because I was enjoying the love and comedy of it and wanna share it with you guys.

Philippines...

I am just kidding. Here's the continuation... 🤣🤣🤣

I used my savings for a business. I started to run a business in agricultural supply and meat shop enough to keep me sane. Enough to put a portion of food on our table.

It's been almost 2 years that I stayed in our country. I already recovered. Move on? Nah. Not really.

T'was a sunny Sunday morning. I am on my bed having a wonderful sleep when I heard a constant knock on my door. What the heck! I am still having a hangover and I am only in my undies."Wait! I am still wearing my pants on! ". I shouted at whoever Pontius Pilate was on the door.

My heart jumped. "W-hat are you doing here?!?" I was shocked. It was my Cassie! My goodness! she's becoming prettier!

"I travelled halfway around the world for wat-wat!" she replied smiling. She's kinda ecstatic!

My heart skipped again. Then a long talk followed. She explained why she was different during "those" days. She was overwhelmed. She wasn't ready to be tied to marriage yet that time and wanted to enjoy being single. But she admitted she suffered much the way I do and she doesn't want me to disappear in her life.

She insisted that we go back to that mountain, and I granted her request. This time...I was the one who said YES to her proposal.😊

She decided to live with me in our province with all her "kaartehan".

Ccto

I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading. ❣️❣️❣️

07-10-21

>Xzeon<