Continuation of Loily's Novella

(This is already Part III. So if you haven't read the first two parts, please go back to previous posts.)

Chapter 4

By eleven in the evening, we finally get to Carmel's house. It's a sprawling bungalow with a well manicured lawn. As soon as we park the cars, she comes out and greets us. I didn't even realize that she was already chronicling and shooting the event as we started to disembark from the cars. Now, this is the part that I'm still not used to. Having to haul your own luggage from the car. Cause, in good ole Philippines, we had helpers to do that. And if we could afford our own yayas then, they did the unpacking for us, putting our soiled clothes in the laundry, hanging the clean clothes in the closet and putting the luggage away. Sigh.

Carmel informs us that Monsie (Chuidian) is in the house and has been there since seven in the evening. That was so sweet of her to wait. Once inside the house, we all do the beso-beso -screaming-giggling-teasing ritual with Monsie. As usual, she still looks hot and trim and with her cropped spike do, she reminds me of Sharon Stone. Thennnnnnnn.....Carmel invites us for a merienda. After living with frugal Jews for more than a year, I thought merienda would be something like unsalted crackers and hummus. Lo and behold!!! She's got this whole spread laid out on her dining table.
Ham glazed with orange juice and honey, Fried Rice aka Saffron Rice with Shrimp, Fresh soy beans still in their pods, very chocolatey and fudgy brownies dusted with confectionary sugar, crackers and garlic hummus from Costco (highly recommended for flavor and protein content), lots of chocolate candy, soda, chilled red wine (Shiraz, I think) but what's amazing about all that good food is that Carmel actually prepared the ham, cooked the rice dish and baked the brownies. For someone who keeps on saying that she doesn't know how to cook simple meals or what she calls everyday food, why bother to learn them. Just cook something special everyday.

Now, I can't recall anymore the chronological order of arrivals, but the tightly knit group of Suki, Wilma, Louie and Marilyn finally came, then Ella followed soon.

Try to imagine the noise in decibels. Twelve menopausal women shrieking, laughing and talking at the same time. After the cursory hugs and kisses. everyone rushed in for the kill. We trampled over each other to get a seat at the dining table. Fine, I lost a tooth but got a good seat. Fifiteen minutes into our gobbling, Bonbon, Monsie's better gorgeous, handsome...tall...ohhhhhhhh.....and attractive half arrives.
I told you I got a good seat at the table cause Bonbon sat across Monsie and she was just seated to my right. Now that was an excellent up close view of one more classmates husband. What is this thing about me and my classmates husbands???? I'm just so envious of couples who are happily married. Either that or I'm Mary Magdalene working the streets of Sodom and Gomorrah.

So we all feasted on the 'merienda' that Carmel prepared for us. While eating, you can't help notice how beautiful, neat and clean her house is. It's bright, roomy and spacious. The den, the living room, the dining area and kitchen all open up to each other giving the place a semblance of continuity and harmony. Tastefully furnished, nothing ostentatious or pretentious about her decor...no Ming jars on the floor to knock over or chunky crystal monoliths to tiptoe around with caution. You could really hang out in her place...sit comfortably on any sofa, couch or settee without having to worry about fluffing the throw pillows or cushions that you just left permanently indented with your head or wide bottom.

Not to go unnoticed is her patio which she converted into a grand playroom for her precocious and very sociable daughter Lauren who, at five or six years old(??) is starting to sound and behave more like her mother.
She could be another attorney in the making but probably not in the field of her Mom or Dad...more like a lawyer for the entertainment industry and if she needs a coffeemaker, she can call on me....Starbucklou.

So we yakked for sometime and thank God Betchay, Ella and Carmel got Bonbon entertained so he didn't have to leave right away. We wanted Monsie to stay longer cause all of us haven't seen her in years. The last time I saw her was at Rory Laico's place in 1999. It was really nice of her to wait for us since 7:00pm and still be able to stay for a few more hours. It must have been almost one in the morning when she left. Too bad that she didn't leave Bonbon behind.

Now that you all know how Carmel's house looks like, let me give you a detailed description and some tidbits about each of the CA ladies who came (no pun intended) together.

Let's start with Monsie. You know the rules. We always talk about the ones who leave first. He he.
Monsie - gorgeous, attractive, sexy. funny and bubbly as ever. Worked for the House of Valentino on Rodeo Drive for years, then moved on to a classy furniture store.

Suki - she'll be in Manila on the 28th of Dec. Still looks like the Suki of thirty years ago. Religious and virginal. Married to a wonderful man...Joey Lagman.

Marilyn - still the leader when it comes to cleaning up after a party. She'll kill for a mop and vacuum cleaner. Also the auditor and CPA of the LA group. When we go out, it's not at all like Manila. Diyan kasi, someone like Ampy, Lelette, Betchay, Juris or Kathy would foot the bill for dinner or lunch. Dito sa LA, talagang the bill (that includes meals, gas and a possible traffic violation fine) is divided equally among all participants up to the last cent. Talagang dibay-dibayd. And Marilyn is queen when it comes to computations. If Ampy is the Last Empress.....then Marilyn is the Dragon Lady....to poor Albert..the ambassador to Shanghai.

Wilma - did I say Wilma??? Just look at the pictures. But try visualizing her in a shopping mall on the day after Christmas.

Louie - just like Suki....sexy and youthful pa rin. Works on a treadmill every night but when she reconciled with her husband, she has less time now for exercise. It's back to bedroom basics.
Now about that photo of hers with Tet. To be fair, she just looks haggard cause she doesn't have any make-up on and those eyebags were due to cramming for her Masters.

Tet - the classmate with the smallest lips but with the loudest laugh. Talagang hindi virgin ang dating ng tawa niya. I don't keep a diary of my men. Tet keeps tab of them for me. What makes Tet unique? She slices or cuts up all her food into teeny weeny pieces cause her mouth is too small. Kaya she also cuts Ed's ahem. If you think that my make-up kit is huge, hers has a lighted mirror in it and a folding stool. Dala- dala rin niya lagi ang kaniyang hair dryer, roller brush, mousse, rollers, hairspray and make-up artist.

Sylvia - the kindest, most generous and caring (to a fault) woman on earth. Will give you the shirt on her back (too bad it's too big for me). The only coralbelle in existence who can sleep on any couch even if it's in a store. It actually happened at Costco.

Ella - what she needs on her breasts went to her hips. The woman is obviously a picture of happiness and contentment. At the age of 53, she finally learned what the big O is all about. For more explicit details, you can call her at 1- 000-666-AHHH and classmates will be charged $1.50/min only. The regular rate is $3.75/min.

Betchay - has been losing weight cause of stress due to her present job. Seems that the xerox machine at work keeps on breaking down so she has to make copies with her cellphone camera. Has been domesticated...can actually cook for all three sons and so far no one has gotten ill. Youthful looking and crazy funny as ever.

Kathy - like me, still wants the baaaaaaaad boys. She looks more americana now than espanola. But once she starts talking, parang may Ilonggo siya na accent. Abaw guid, que tal? She can't see too well at night so there's no long distance driving for her in the dark. Just groping.

Carmel - still madaldal and a livewire. It's so comfortable to be around this woman. You don't actually feel that she's a lawyer until you get a subpeona. She cooks and is a very devoted wife to Bruce and a loving..oh so loving mother to Lauren. Still has the same hairdo, built and loud laugh.

So ladies, those were the Southern and Northern California belles in attendance at the annual gathering of the Coralbelles, Stateside.