Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Emergency instructions

Last Sunday I was paying for medicines and what-not in Watson's. I had instructed the nanny to get a pack of tissue, and as she came back with the item she asked, "Where's Miguel?" My heart skipped a beat, but then I realized that there was no way for him to leave the store unnoticed since I was near the entrance. After a quick scan around the store, we saw a flash of red - his shirt - running between the aisles, and nanny went to fetch him.

As he came back to me I squatted at his level and asked him what he would do if he lost me or nanny in the store. He said he didn't know, so I laid down a few ground rules.


1. Don't leave the store.
2. Look for a saleslady or guard.
3. Tell them that you've lost your mom and give them your name.
(He's already memorized his name, address, and phone number.)
4. Give your mommy's name and describe her.

"Can you describe your mom?" I asked him. He gave a naughty smile: "Peeling face." NOOOOO! That won't do. (Maybe sometime I'll tell you all about that glycolic peel I went through last week.) I paused for a while, decided on a spiel then drilled him. After about 10 minutes he got it down pat.

Me: Describe your mom. How tall is she?
Miguel: Five foot two. Plus heels!
Me: How much does she weigh?
Miguel: 110 pounds. (Really, I'm only 107)
Me: How long is her hair?
Miguel: Shoulder length.
Me: What color?
Miguel: Dark, and straight.
(And the clincher...)
Me: Looks like?
Miguel: Rita Avila!

That ought to do the trick.

3 comments:

mama_aly said...

loved the "peeling face" part. where did he get the rita avila part? 80s na 80s ang dating. panahon ng shoulder pads and tsunami hair.

sandygirl said...

Ha ha! That's what some of my officemates say. Sometimes I even get man-on-the-street comments, like taxi cab drivers saying that I look like Rita Avila. The worst that I've done is say that she's my older sister, her real name is Leslie, and that Avila is our mother's maiden name.

To tell the truth, I never knew what she looked like til last year when I looked up a photo of her's on the net. All I can say is, if I'm Rita Avila, who is my Ton-ton Gutierrez? Bwahahahaha!

barbiegirl said...

puh-leez! i used to look like agot isidro. "used to" because i've surpassed her beauty. mwahahaha!