OLA: Loving Three Men

Enzo, 7 years, and Kai, one month, playing

My Kai
photo courtesy of 3Klix Photography

The first is not quite obvious for he is just a three-week old infant. But he is the very reason I came here to Calgary for a 5-week visit. Kai was born on June 30, 2013 a day short of Canada Day. His birth gave such scary complications for his mom, my daughter Claudine, that the attention was not quite focused on him at the start. I witnessed (as I did Kenji in Seattle) his coming out in what the nurses called a precipitous birth. But now I try to get him from Claudine after a feeding with the pretext of burping him. Then I hold on to him till the next feeding! I so love him.

Kai already ready for action

This week he had the doctor’s session that turned him into a man. The circumcision went very well. The doctor deftly put topical anesthesia before injecting the intravenous one. He didn’t cry at all. When he came home he shrieked when that wore off but the Tylenol every four hours seemed to put him to sleep on and on. The following day, there was hardly a memory of the pain and he slept more than usual, too, even without the Tylenol. The wonders of technology had made this boy-to-man ritual as painless as possible without the hassle when it is done at puberty.

Enzo at the Stampede
photo courtesy of 3Klix Photography

The second belongs to the same strain. My first ever grandson Enzo and 7-year old brother of Kai was born on May 31, 2006. With four sisters, three daughters, and two granddaughters, there was no way in the world that anyone could prevent me from flying to Calgary in time to take care of him back then. As a matter of fact, I quit smoking before I arrived because I did not want such a young one to become a victim of second-hand smoke. He gave me a new leash on life.

Enzo, brave at the dentist's

Now Enzo is such a picky eater that I brought glutinous rice and cocoa powder to make him his favorite champorado (chocolate rice porridge) which always runs out of stock in Asian stores. For a whole week he kept on asking for more. Then I made him cinnamon rolls which he also finished in three days. He also asked for s’mores and guess what the doting grandma did? I am now preparing to make him cheese pizza, buko pandan, and purple yam haleya among others…if and when he asks for them.

Bill with Cristine in Alaska

Mitch and Cristine in Alaska

But the only grown man that I love will be coming back from Alaska tonight. He took the opportunity of my extended stay with the baby to visit his youngest child and daughter Cristine. He kept sending me pictures of beautiful scenes that I wished I had joined him. It turned out that Cristine’s son from her first husband, Kyle, Bill’s very first grandchild was also there to be with him. And Mitch, Cristine’s husband, and his brother Chris and his wife Sheryl were all there for the fishing, the hikes, and the dinners.  But my other two loves had a greater pull in the meantime, in a manner of speaking, so I stayed.

from left: Kyle, Cristine, Mitch, Bill, Sheryl, and Chris, in Alaska

But I missed Bill especially our night cap movie when we get together from separate activities in the day. So I had a harder time sleeping and took half a dose more of my pill. But the positive side is, like in Seattle when I was able to finish my first draft of my book manuscript when he was gone helping Jim for a month, I progressed with the minor overhauls after the first editing runs he and I made. I have finished three chapters with six more to go. My editor wants it in installment so the three chapters will be submitted to her as soon as Bill returns for his final proofreading.

Kyle with Alaska mountains basking in the afternoon sun

These are the three men I love in Calgary!