Final Chapters of LA Hullaballoo and Goodbye to the Bergers

CHAPTER 8

Yangtze River Golden Moon Lucky Peach Red Apple Restaurant and Tea House, here we come!!!

It's quite a ride to Chinatown cause it's in LA downtown. I didn't see the logic in this part of the plan for the day's activites till I realized that the place was closer to home or in the middle for all of us. It's halfway point for both the LA lovelies and the Burbank beauties. Not only that, Carmel wanted to go cause for her....Chinatown isn't great if Marilyn wasn't around so ladies......take advantage of the Dragon Lady's plum blossom presence.

All vehicles headed for the place except for one. I didn't even notice her absence, NOT during lunch, NOT during shopping NOR even while walking cause we divided into several groups. Just look at the Chinatown pictures and you'll figure out who it was.....missing. That was really sneaky......must be the greatest vanishing act ever accomplished by her!! She outdid the great David Copperfield himself!! So we had lunch at the ABC restaurant. Sampu na lang kami.



When it comes to ordering food in a Chinese restaurant, we live that task to Marilyn.
I've been to all sorts of Chinese restaurants with these LA girls and the standard order should always have fried spicy porkchop for Louie and Suki and lo mein/pancit for Sylvia and Carmel. Carmel was frustrated twice that day over her pancit cause she never got the Pancit Bihon she asked us for the party, and the lo mein in the restaurant tasted like 'laway' according to her. She was wrong there cause it didn't taste like laway. It tasted like sipon. Snort! Naubos din!
We had calamari, duck, a vegetable dish, fish, steamed rice, fried rice and the two previously mentioned dishes. Wiped out lahat cause I wasn't on a diet that day.

After that hearty meal, we went shopping. The girls went crazy buying all these 'money trees'. They're real plants that are supposed to bring good luck to the receipient of the plant so they bought plants for each other. Then, we stopped by a liquor store cause they started to feel lucky and we got a lotto ticket for all twelve of us. Too bad, it didn't win (jackpot that time was $230M) cause I was the one who bought it and unfortunately, no one gave me a 'money' tree. Oh, I forgot to inform the ladies that we didn't win. We only got one number (30). BTW, I'm writing this nobela from Nice. I just acquired several homes in the Mediterranean, the Pacific and the Americas. My new email address is la2vegas230@yoohoo.com.

You know how all Chinatowns are. They seem to sell the same wares. Lahat galing China. Mura and knock-offs galore. I had no plans of buying anything (I swear), but the ladies just spent so much time so I indulged in a few items. A pair of chandelier earrings with red stones, two wooden carved bead bracelets, one tiger's eye bracelet and a checkered scarf/muffler all for the unbelievable sum of $6.50!!!! All of us got good deals.

Then, the inevitable happened. The gathering had finally come to a close. We said our goodbyes and I really felt so bitin not only for me but particularly for Tet. She flew all the way from Sacramento thinking that the event would be for two nights and three days AS PLANNED SIX MONTHS AGO. BUT like all long range plans .....as the days go....closer to D day....interests vary and priorities change. While some are willing to leave husband and family for a few days of camaraderie, others are just resolutely bound to undying filial duty.

When it was clear, that the party for all seasons would last less than twenty four hours, it was too late for Tet and I to change our plans. Tet had nowhere to go and I couldn't go back to the Bergers cause I was still on leave and they had another reliever working in my place.
Who else could save the day for us? No other than....SYLVIA...the gracious MOTHER OF ALL HOMELESS PARTYGOERS.

For her, everything has a solution.

From Chinatown, she brought us to Pechanga, our favorite Indian reservation ca...s..i...n...o. We won in the beginning, making $500.00 in 15 minutes. But we gave it all back to them Pechangores in 5 minutes flat. It was that way for the next two hours, winning, losing, winning....dinner in between....then...we proceeded to Harrah's cause that was the only place were she could get a room for us.

The girls went to sleep immediately while I went down to scout the place (kuno).

The casino floor was almost empty and I tried some machines. What boring one armed bandits!! They just kept on giving me back my money....I was never ahead or behind till I got sleepy and decided to go back to our luxuriously furnished (ahem) room at six in the morning. At nine we were awake and had breakfast at the hotel (courtesy of Mother Sylvia again).

At 11:00, which was check-out time, after I stuffed all those comp toiletries in my make-up kit, Sylvia, brought us to Allergan (makers of Botox) in Irvine. Nope!!! We were not there to get our bi-annual shots. Sylvie works there as VP (take note)..VP for Quality Control. The place was having their Holiday Winterland Extravaganza for all the employees and their families. Salamat na lang na nanay namin si Ibyang.

Iba talaga mag-celebrate ang isang multi-billion dolyar (take note again) DOLYAR!!!
corporation in ',merica. They had artificial snow blowing from the building's roof the whole day, real ice on the ground, sleds, snowmen, a real Santa Claus for picture taking, a lifesize Christmas village, a petting zoo, a ferris wheel, giant slides and tables and tables of food and beverages, free carnival games (is that the proper term?) with prices, a magic show....etc.etc.etcetera.

We stayed on till one in the afternoon. Then it was time to bring Tet to the Burbank airport. I've never enjoyed trips to the airport specially when I or someone has to leave. It was good-bye again to a classmate who's so much fun, my ubiquitous phonepal. From the airport, we had to go get my luggage from Betchay's house and..since the sun was still up....Sylvie and I decided to go back to Pechanga.

BUT no, the Indians refused to give us back our money. In fact they asked for more.
By nine in the evening we were finally on the way back to reality. From Friday evening
till Sunday, Sylvia must have driven already about 500 miles. She was sooooo exhausted and by the time she dropped me at the Berger's house, she looked like she was ready to fall asleep. Thank God, she got home safe at past 12 midnight. Thank you Sylvia for a wonderful winterland weekender.

CHAPTER 9

Home sweet home. I was finally back with the Bergers. How comforting it is to be on familiar ground. Ahhhhhh.... such is life!. So sweet and secure. Work so light and.....Ross in sight. Oh heaven! The gods have been kind to me. No worries...no cares......until......... Damocles made the Bergers drop the sword on my head.

CHAPTER 10

Two days after I came back, I got the pink slip at the breakfast table from Mrs. Berger.
The plan was actually mentioned to me three months before and when I started to dispose of some of my stuff, she got upset and asked me if I was itching to leave. She said, it was just an idea she was toying with and when Jackie, their daughter, heard about it, she thought that letting me go wasn't a smart move.

Maybe, my leaving the couple for two weeks with just their son and daughter to assist them gave them a sense of confidence, independence and most of all, they enjoyed seven days of exclusivity and bonding.

I guess, everyone is hankering for some space and privacy, especially Mr. Berger.
After all, I've been around him like a close-in bodyguard for the past 18 months. The man feels that he's lost all dignity ever since he had me. Humiliating!! That's the word he used. I can understand him but really...maybe he belongs to a rare breed of men, the kind who don't want to be touched by other women except their wife.

I'm saying this cause when we go out and their male friends see that I'm his caregiver
they give me this 'funny' kind of look....that stare or leer that spells out the word..malice. Not only his male friends but also my female relatives. When some of my aunts found out that I was taking care of a man they would say incredulously,

"Ano!!??? Pinapaliguan mo rin siya?"

"Opo."

"Nakahubad?"

"Hindi po. Naka rubber suit."

"Ano yon?"

"Condom po."

"Ano...tumatayo pa rin yung kuwan niya?"

"Siempre."

"Dios ko, Loily, hindi ka ba natatakot o nahiiya man lamang?

"Hindi po. Kinakapa ko na lang dahil nakapikit naman ako. Kasi, mortal sin po kung nakita ko. Ngayon, kung matigas pa rin tinatawag ko na lang si Mrs."

"Bakit?"

"Para lumambot."

"Eh, hindi ba nagseselos yung Mrs. niya?"

"Hindi naman po, kasi, laging pantay ang turing ko sa kanila."

"Kapag hinagkan ni Mrs. si Mr., ganun din ako. Kapag hubo't hubad si Mrs. habang naliligo, ganun din ako kapag pinapaliguan ko si Mister."

Of course, everyone starts laughing hysterically..but I'm sure, they still have dirty thoughts.

I know that I only have two days left with the Bergers. I try not to be emotional about it. Mr. Berger asked me not to move too far away just in case they'll be needing me. And also to visit them once in awhile. Their friends and relatives all know that I'm leaving and some would like to throw a party for me. Their neighbors are even dropping by before I go. I wonder if Steve knows that I'm leaving. His fruitcake is still in the fridge. I'll really miss the kind of life I had with the Bergers. I'm not saying that it was smooth sailing or fun all the time but staying with these people and meeting their friends was really a very enriching experience for me. Just eating in all those popular and fancy restaurants exposed me to a lot of culinary delights and techniques but in all humilty, it made me feel more confident about my own culinary skills that I feel that I can be as good as any of their chefs or even better.

We've been to so many theaters, plays, movies and performances..I've just lost count. Oh, and all our arguments and tampuhans. Most of them just made me grow up. Yesterday, I told Mrs. Berger that I learned a lot from her and she said that she also learned a lot from me. Today, she just blurted out that she'll really miss me.

If there's one thing I admire about this woman, when she knows that she's offended or upset me, she'll waste no time in apologizing and the same goes for Mr. Berger.

Ahhhhh. The life of a caregiver.

Sometimes, during one of my rare reflective moments, I ask myself if I was better of NOT being a caregiver. What if I was employed as a waitress in a topless bar or a receptionist at a spa for senior citizens? Could life be more interesting?

Maybe.

But then, being a caregiver is more challenging because the job demands a little of every profession in this world.

To date, I've been a doctor, nurse, psychiatrist, electrician, hair stylist, wardrobe consultant/mistress, cook, cleaning lady, computer technician, seamstress, editor,
gardener/holticulturist, entertainer, caterer, banquet manager, weatherman, physical/occupational therapist, PR man, zoo keeper, laundrymat, baker, sanitation engineer, etc. etc. and all I need is just a license for all the above.

I'm moving on to my new job this Saturday. I've already tried working for this woman, a former VP of a big movie production outfit, for two days and we both like each other.

She says that I know a lot and I come on very strong. I only cooked for her once and it was just soup that I made from scratch and she got so excited.

My only problem with her is that she still lives like an executive. She needs knee surgery to get better but she doesn't believe in doctors. She's so much into old movies that she lives in her living room and the TV is on for 24 hours. An insomniac who goes to bed at 2:30 in the morning and wants her painkiller at 7am. Because she's that way, I have to figure out my sleeping and walking hours. My time with her won't be as flexible as with the Bergers. That means, I can't go on a date at night and stay out the whole night. Maybe I'll just sneak in my boyfriend cause my room has french doors that open to a patio with a back entrance. There's no drugstore in sight so I've already stock up on cosmetics, lotions and moisturizers. Since she eats a lot, I also have to watch my diet. This is my biggest worry. I don't know when I can start taking my daily 3 mile walk. And of course, the worst nightmare of all, she doesn't have dsl. Going to places with wi-fi is out of the question. Leaving her alone might be impossible cause she can't go to the bathroom by herself and she's wheelchair bound.

Well....my worries are really trivial. I'm sure I can figure out a solution once she warms up to me.

I feel excited about working with her cause she has a lot of stories to tell me about her past life. Not only that, her daughter, her only child, is also a VP for BMI records. Because of their careers, her bedroom walls are covered with autographed pictures of performers and personalities like the Beatles, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, Muhammad Ali, etc. etc.

But what I really like about my new patient is that she used to review and read scripts that could be made into movies and she had to watch 12 or more movies a day to choose what could sell. Annnnnd, before she got into the movie industry, she was a dance instructor for the Arthur Murray Dance Company. She must have felt how interested I was in her life cause she asked me to take out old photos of her from a cabinet so that she could show them to me. Kaya ayan, nahuli ko na rin ang loob niya. I hope that she will really like me.

Okay, that's all for now.

I'm glad that I finally finished this nobela. Now I can start packing my clothes.

Loily