Chapter 27 - Christmas Gifts

It was already lunch time when he reached Okuba. Public primary and secondary schools nationwide also started their Christmas break in the 18th so he knew that his mother and brothers are home. After he parked his truck in front of the house, he knocked on the front door, which was opened by the surprised Payew. "Sup?" Agew greeted from behind Tayaw which made Tayaw's heart skip a beat from surprise. Agew was playing with a neighbor's kid and when he saw Tayaw's black pickup truck pass by, he hurried home. "Well, sup to you too." Tayaw replied.

Entering the house, he saw his mother in the living room. She is sitting by the living room table, doing Excel in the laptop he gave her. This made Tayaw smile bitterly. Public teachers, even though they get paid during school breaks, they also often have to work during the first half of those school breaks. "Oh. You're back. How are you?" Kilat smiled when she saw Tayaw come in and closed her laptop. "I'm good mom. Done with all the projects and assignments so the professors let me go home early." Tayaw replied as he sat himself on the couch. After a few minutes of chatting, they were interrupted by Payew who just came through the front door.

"Bro! What did you bring home this time?" Payew asked while already carrying the pot of Aloe Vera plant he got from the back of Tayaw's pick-up truck. "Christmas presents! Mom, excuse me while I get them. Payew let's go." Tayaw said leaving a curious Kilat in the living room. Tayaw, with Payew and Agew following behind him, went to pick up his mom's speakers and mic, Payew's packets of seeds, and Agew's art materials. They were all still wrapped up so they have no idea what are inside.

After bringing the presents in the living room, they were finally ready to open the presents. Unlike Europeans and North Americans who wait until Christmas day to open their presents, Teungebians have a different style. "Agew, open yours first." Kilat said to Agew. After unwrapping the painting materials and the air dry clay, Agew did not exclaim or laugh, but the Kilat and Tayaw know he is happy with the smile on Agew's face and the gleam in his eyes. Payew, on the other hand, was disappointed by the tiny box he received. Seeing this, Tayaw just smiled. "Go ahead. Open it. You might like it." Tayaw signaled to Payew. After Payew opened the box, his face was getting brighter by the moment as he read the labels in the packets contained inside. "Are those seeds?" Kilat asked in confusion. "Yes mom! OH! They're expensive species of tomatoes and chilies too!" Payew answered excitedly.

"Yes. Remember that sack we left in my truck? That's black soil you can mix with the soil in the backyard so you can start planting them. That aloe Vera you picked up is also for your room." Tayaw explained. "Thank you! I'll start planting the lettuce first for practice. Then, I'll plant these tomatoes next, then the chilli." Payew already started planning what to do as he continued to play with the seeds he got. "Oh. That's good. I've always wanted to do some gardening but I just could not have the time to start doing it. Payew can do it now instead." Kilat said after understanding. "Yes. I noticed him looking up plants in the internet the last time I came home so I bought him these. Thankfully he liked them. Mom. Open yours, I hope you will like it too." Tayaw explained and also prompted Kilat.

After unpacking her present, Kilat was surprised at what she saw and looked at Tayaw in gratitude. She was already prepared to return it to Tayaw if she found it too expensive and make him ask for a refund. However, looking at the speaker and small microphone, she knew she really needed it. Tayaw also knew Kilat's attitude towards expensive presents so he removed all the price tags on the boxes of the presents. Tayaw just nodded as he took the speaker and microphone from Kilat's hands. "Let me show you how to set it up. This goes there. That goes here." After few minutes of instruction, Kilat finally tested it. "Hello. Hello. Oh it's clear!" Kilat was satisfied with her new contraption. "Mom! Loud!" Agew who was playing with his clay complained as he covered his ears. "Alright. Mom will turn it off now. Thank you Tayaw." Kilat smiled as she disconnected the speaker and microphones and returned them with care inside their respective boxes.

A few minutes later, a familiar sound of engine was heard from outside. "Oh. That's your dad. You know he prefers to come home for lunch when I'm home. You also bought him gifts, didn't you?" Kilat said. Tayaw stood up to open the door for Liboo. As soon as he opened the door though, Liboo was already in his face. "Hey, son. What did we talk about spending?" Liboo asked quietly and closely to Tayaw. "Oh honey, drop it. It's Christmas! You also know how responsible Tayaw is." Kilat despite not hearing what Liboo said figured it out looking at Liboo's body language. "Fine. Tayaw, what's that big thing on the back?" Liboo asked as he pointed at the boxed up massage chair. "Oh. It's a gift for both you and mom. Ah-ah. Don't refuse so quickly and take a look first." Tayaw said as he climbed up his truck, popped up the ramp and asked Liboo for help in unloading the thing. After rolling it in the living room with the moving dolly, they unpacked it.

Both Liboo and Kilat held their breaths after the slick massage chair was finally unveiled. "You two can't possibly refuse this." Tayaw said satisfied at his parents' reactions. Liboo and Kilat both nodded. Liboo especially needs it because of the muscle sores he has to endure every day. Kilat too because of standing for prolonged periods, endures sore calves, h.i.p.s and lower back. Where to put the massage chair is also not a problem because the living room is spacious enough. They just have to move the smaller couch and position it perpendicularly next to larger couch and the space left is enough to fit the massage chair. Only problem is that the massage chair is not facing the television, but that is inconsequential. "You can't use it for longer than twenty minutes though. And you can only use it three times a week." Tayaw started explaining how to use the massage chair.

After Tayaw's introduction, Liboo gave it a try first and sank himself on the chair with a satisfied smile. After watching this for a few minutes, Tayaw went back to his pickup truck to get the chess set for Liboo and also his old guitar. Kilat also took over the chair after Liboo's twenty minutes was done. Seeing the encased guitar and the wrapped thing that Tayaw brought in, Liboo was planning on reprimanding Tayaw again. Feeling this from the look Liboo is giving him, Tayaw decided to go on the defensive. "Alright dad! This is the last one, I promise." Tayaw appeased his Liboo. "Fine. What's with the guitar? We already have one at home." Liboo asked Tayaw. "Dad. That guitar was bought when I just started learning guitar. You and I are now skilled enough to graduate to a better guitar." Tayaw explained. "I see. But it's not like we're musicians." Liboo said as he scratched his eyebrow. "We're not but let me play for you later." Tayaw said. "Okay. What's with that wrapped thing?" Liboo dropped the matter with the guitar for now. "It's for you." Tayaw said nervously. "But you already gave us the chair! What's this?" Liboo exclaimed, getting more impatient by the moment. "Dad I promised this is the last one. Okay. Take a look first." Tayaw handed the gift to Liboo. He decided to let Liboo unwrap the present as he knows that unwrapping something will relax anyone.

"Wow…" Kilat said dazedly from the massage chair as she saw the beautifully crafted chess board that Liboo just unwrapped. "Yeah…" Liboo also affirmed, stunned by the details of the chess table. The curved smooth legs of the table made from well black lacquered wood gave out a simple but classy look. The small drawers where the chess pieces are kept is made of a dark brown wood and goes well with the color of the legs and the drawer knobs made of small polished Petoskey stones gave a feeling of the seaside. The frame of chess table is made of beautiful solid light brown wood, varnished well to display the wood's texture. The 15" X 15 "chess board itself is made of brown and white marble.

Liboo opened the drawer and took out a white queen piece and was mesmerized while observing it. The queen piece is made of white marble and looks like a miniature statue of a European royal. The details in the other chess pieces are not inferior to the queen, like for example the bishop piece that looks like a miniature statue of a Catholic Pope. "I – can't accept this son." Liboo suddenly said after examining it. This made Tayaw smile bitterly.

In Tayaw's previous life, Liboo was also a very practical man. Tayaw never saw him own something that is beautiful just because he liked it. Liboo just bought things he deemed necessary. Once when Tayaw was in his 30s he tried gifting Liboo a nice leather jacket and Liboo tried to return it to him. There a few more times similar things happened. "Take it dad. I know you like chess. Maybe you can even get Payew and Agew play with you." Tayaw said. At this, Liboo no longer hesitated and accepted the gift. "It's a beautiful table. We'll make it last for generations." Liboo told Tayaw in gratitude.

After everyone in the family has put away their presents, Tayaw and Kilat started cooking for lunch. Because of the earlier events, Liboo also decided to call it a day from driving. He called his fellow van drivers and informed them of his afternoon off. After having a sumptuous lunch, the family gathered in the living room to watch Teungeb's famous noon time TV show. As the show arrived at a boring segment, Kilat remembered something and muted the TV. "Son, you said the guitar you brought is nice, right? Can you play it?" Kilat asked Tayaw. "Sure. I'll play a song I wrote myself." Tayaw replied. The couple was surprised but didn't ask any questions. Tayaw opened the guitar case and took out the guitar, which the family finally saw for the first time. They can't tell exactly why it's a better guitar, but they feel that it is. "My Home" is a song Tayaw composed in his previous life. It will never be a hit song, but it is a good song, one of those songs that one keeps to themselves and enjoy very much because of the song's intimate sound.

After finally tuning the guitar, Tayaw started plucking the guitar for the intro. The notes from the guitar produced a warm and welcoming feeling that reverberated across the living room. It also made amplified the feeling of homeliness in the house. Kilat rested her head and snuggled to Liboo who was sitting next to her. With this, Tayaw started singing as well.

"In the town I was born and raised

birds sing, cold breeze brush my face

Time pass slowly while in a daze

in the house where I was raised.

Word leaves bitter taste in my mouth

In faraway lands from north to south

From east to west I always felt doubts

Oh, I miss my town, I miss the house

Where I was born and raised."