One of those scenes you'll see and love at Max's here at AvenueSquare

I do not intend to be sentimental this morning but this particular scene that I am witnessing right now here at Max's Restaurant makes me, well, a lil' mushy. Just across my place is the long table (well, this particular "long table" is actually composed of smaller tables linked together) which is usually reserved for big groups of diners. I have seen so many groups of people ate there in the past: cliques of young professionals or students; officemates; business-minded circles; and of course, families. Today, the long table is host to another family who decided to eat lunch here at Max's. But what caught my attention was aside from being a "big" family (they're 15), this one is quite "old" already. If not for two special words that I overheard, I have already mistaken them for a "long-standing" barkadahan (circle of friends) that has withstood the tests of time or high school buddies from way back the swinging sixties or the disco-crazed seventies. With the way they joked around and teased each other, anyone would have committed the same lapse of judgment (Hello Garci?).

Anyway, the two words that made me realized that I was wrong were: Tatay and Nanay. Upon hearing those, it dawned on me that this is some sort of a family reunion. How many family reunions have I witnessed here at Avenue Square, particularly here at Max's? So many already. But what sets this apart from the rest was that particular "Kodak moment" or "pang-commercial na scene" where the oldest, smallest, and apparently weakest woman of the group who is seated at the head of the table suddenly began to cry.

"Si Nanay o naghihibi na..."

"Dae na maghibi Nay..."

"Ngonyan na tiripon lugod kita saka man naghihibi si Nanay..."

"Helinga si Tatay ta ayos lang..."

"Garo naghihibi man si Tatay kaya lang dae risa ta naka-Ray-Ban"

"Nay?"

"Tay?"


"..."


"Maogma lang kaya kami ta rayaon kamo gabos..."


Haay, mga nanay nga naman. No wonder "mother" is being considered by many as the most beautiful word and I couldn't agree more...