Next Weekend

Good morning? Wrong I brace myself five minutes too late One doorbell Two doorbells Three doorbells “They’re here!” my mother shouts In come my uncles in come my aunties in come my cousins “Have you eaten? You look like a stick!” “Sorry we’re late” “You look like you just woke up!” “Anong ulam mo?” (what food do you have?) I take their hands and raise it to my forehead “Bless po” to show my respect Every weekend, my cousins come over or we go to them I trip on the large barricade of shoes on my way to the kitchen The smell of fresh rice fills the air Sixteen plates placed on the table The sounds of spoons and forks clanking together adds to the loud commotion We settle around the table to pray Then, we eat! Sinigang, Adobo, Lumpia, Pancit, you name it! It's all there The cousins stay in the basement The uncles drink and the aunties sing karaoke The speakers shake the room for hours The clock strikes 2am They’ve been saying goodbye for an hour now “Just one more song!” My aunt says with the microphone in her hand Clock strikes 3am Out go my uncles out go my auntie and out go my cousins I lay on my bed exhausted My eyelids give up I begin to drift away in my sleep But then The phone rings “Hello?” ”Your cousin left her phone and car keys there.” “Can we go back?”