Grace, Rainbow 2

The 8-Shaded Rainbow -PaRt  tWo

    While the fun seem to know no end, while the customary digital cameras flashing here and there, while I, personally am so giddy and high, mesmerized and in constant awe, Janelle, casually narrated her story to me.

    Janelle couldn't speak any English then. In fact, she is terrified of the language. Adam is almost 20 years her senior, and he only speaks the language she is terrified of. But as how it usually happens, that long and winding, complicated road eventually led them the way to each other. Of course it wasn't easy. In fact, as of this time, the silent battle is still very much on. Then again, one of the sweet surprises of life is that, they are together for almost a decade now, with Tara, their eight year old lovely daughter, binding them ever more closely each day.

    Hurrah!!! At last, we are in Banff! I instantly feel that sudden jolt of excitement as soon as we entered downtown. For a moment, I was actually feeling that “celebrity-like- intimidating-presence”, as if on a bad ass escapade, away from the lenses of the paparazzi. Aboard that equally-bad ass, monstrous truck rummaging the streets with the goofiest family I've ever known. Ah...this is life in all its glory! Janelle's family absolutely knows how to make fun of anyone and anything - of each other, the random passers-by and road trippers (who, of course, never had a hint that the joke is on them.) What fun! After all, we are travelling with two kids – Yes, Tara and Tyron. Tyron is Janelle's step son. Yes again, your guess is as good as mine. In fact, there are two more stepchildren - one about Janelle's age and the other one, older.

    Nevertheless, I love the company. I love these people. I most love our ice cream moment (because it was free!) I love the Greek lunch. I love the shopping spree. I love the fabulous walk on the cobblestone walkway. I am hooked to this fraternity.

   We missed the majority of the group since we travelled in two different vehicles. Yet it seem rather funny that no matter how far apart we have become on the highways of this climb, the stories of these girls seem to chase the chance to be told.

    Grace is from an almost-all-girls brood back in the Central Visayas region in the Philippines. A real conservative and religious family, with all her unmarried sisters and herself, swearing they all are still certified virgins at ages over 30. Well, not that there's anything wrong with that, in fact, that is very admirable and rather interesting. She is 32. She is my age. And the lucky guy she is dating is Canadian - Derek is the youngest son of her employers (she is a caregiver like me.) He is 46. They obviously hit it off although in the beginning, as rumor has it, she calls him a retard, abnormal, ugly creature. As of this writing however, her world tumbles down whenever the circumstance has to lead her away from him for a day or two. He, on the other hand, is all but ready to fall in love again, after a countless whirl of heartaches. These days, I myself came to witness how she daydreams of him, how she fantasizes and long for him. She is definitely under the "CRAZY" love spell.

    Our trip was a beautiful opportunity to reflect, to believe and rediscover ourselves. The cognizant, the uniqueness of each one and how it makes a big difference to be bonded with that special thing called “friendship”, almost a sisterhood. It was the coming together of fun, pain, joy, desperation, desolation, perspectives, opinions - reality. To me, it is the animated and up-close view of these people's lives. It is as if watching a major hit film. The bonus features being able to see myself partly in, trying to be as discreet as I can possibly be though keenly in observance.