Turbulence At The Home Front

I.

Kuya O, the personal assistant of my mother left the house one day. He didn't answer the phone when we called him that night; his whereabouts were unknown. Early accounts from the maid revealed that he was in a bad mood that morning. It was after my mom instructed him to get some rest as his health condition had worsened after weeks of coughing. It might have been in the manner of delivery. A thought I still cannot digest after my mom said to me what she told the assistant before his disappearance. The issue stayed unresolved for a day, until Kuya O sent a text message that he will return home once he gets well.

The next evening, he showed up at the front door like nothing happened. It was agreed that we won't speak about the little tampuhan, ask where he had been, or press my mom to confront him about the cause of his gripes. What matters is he's back, and my mom can resume her teaching duties without interruption.

However, Kuya O's health condition, despite the antibiotics has yet to improve. I left the house this afternoon with the maid brewing an herbal concoction that includes Oregano leaves and drops of Calamansi juice for him. 

II.

My nephews' nanny suddenly packed her bags before Christmas. She told my sister that she was asked to go home to spend the holidays with her family. Powerless to convince her to stay, the nanny was allowed to leave as long as she would be back before New Year. Meanwhile, the young couple spent the long break being parents to their kids. It would mean the suspension of some comforts and privileges once enjoyed when the nanny did their duties. In exchange, lessons were learned. Some were even posted on Facebook by my sister after her eldest threw tantrums in full glare of the family last Christmas. 

Embarrassment. Comparison to other kids. Love, despite the humiliation. These are the thoughts I've read after the lengthy post on my utol's wall. 

My brother-in-law on the other hand, did a great deal of sacrifice by looking after his two boys. He often brings the eldest to work as there's no one to look after him at home. He also used to sleep until late in the morning, as he was nocturnal like the rest of us. But since his younger son wakes up before eight, he is forced to get up as well to attend to his needs.

It would have been a quiet front, especially after the nanny announced her return tomorrow - after having difficulties getting a ferry ticket during the after-holiday rush. However, with my younger nephew, Diego, losing appetite lately and disgorging most of the food that he eats, meals are becoming a source of worry especially when we recall how he was confined to the hospital because of Measles last year.

III.

As the keeper and tabulator of numbers, I am beginning to see a bad performance at work. There are few calls coming in, no one reaches their job quota, and agents are taking advantage of the lull to enjoy an extended break. I tried forcing my brand of discipline a few days after New Year. But with incomes being down, and news as glum as the wintry skies of January, the spirits may need more lifting more than the production output of my team.

There is a new project at works. One, that is very different from what the center does since the beginning. I would like to see it as the break we are searching; the business opportunity we are waiting. The director has yet to read the service agreement, the lengthy discourse I spent my time poring through the whole day. It would be life-changing. One, whose demands outweigh all the complacency we enjoy with our other business ventures. But with little room to maneuver, and resources dwindling - and still getting wasted, getting this one-time opportunity might mean survival and extinction.    

So I recommended to the boss to sign the service agreement and gather our collective knowledge for this campaign. At the twilight of our careers, we have nothing left to lose as we are already spending our last breaths hoping for a turnaround.