THE GOOD doctor had said, as a final word, no more oily foods for you. And with that, 2025 and the rest of the world’s year-end celebrations had finally (and formally) come to a close, for me that is. Only two weeks before I left for home after our last gig, I bade the band my see-you-soon, and proclaimed that, perhaps, on this same day next week, I might even get Lechon. Who knows? I might even add all the other cravings I have had to avoid for so many months. With my procedure over at last, I thought, I am going to be back with a vengeance, as in, I’m back, Arnold style.
I thought wrong. With my bile maker gone, I was now exposed to all that was going to wreak havoc on my system. The doc had cautioned, it would now be like my engine is running with all its filters removed, open to all the impurities carried by my intake. Nice analogy, dear dokie. I thought, thanks for the belated Halloween reminder.
In a few days, I would be reuniting with the boys again. The first impulse had me thinking, our first December gig, and I can’t wait to… do what again? Definitely, lechon and the other oily stuff will be out of the question now, and with that hope and expectations gone, a wee bit of depression knocks briefly; I wish they were only out of stock. Now, it sure feels like the old meme, I thought I forgot, is now the one that has come back with a vengeance. All dressed and out the door, with nowhere to go. Yes, now what?
There’s a promise of new things to come, however. I remember I told my partner weeks ago, once my operation is over with, I’m going to shape up and finally run the fam again, while all the while detecting a hint of a sneer over yonder. That’s one possibility right there. Then, some of the guys in the clan had suggested, perhaps, we could rent a pickle-ball court nearby and have our Christmas Day lunch there. That’s another. Then someone informed me, a tennis can with four balls now sells cheap, just below four hundred bucks. Alright. So many possibilities, my mind is racing. But that’s enough mind exercise for today. Meanwhile, the image and smell of lechon slowly drift back…
