Having reached Gumaca, we turned right and headed inland. We had another half hour on paved road, before making another right turn onto a boulder studded dirt road. Tito, now wanting to preserve his new vehicle, had slowed to a crawl. Lyn started getting impatient. She kept seeing some landmark she thought she remembered and would say "only 10 minutes more". After 10 10 minutes more, we finally arrived in Tubas at about 4:30 in the afternoon. There had been a light rain for much of the trip, but it was now dry and the reception committee of more than a dozen people was out. Even Bella (pronounced be-lee-a), my normally shy sister-in-law, gave me a big friendly hug. Some people tried to light some skyrockets from a roof top to honor our arrival. Like last time, there was a "welcome home" banner.

Lyn's grandfather and her sister Bella, and two little ones.

The rain soon caught up to us and it hounded us a significant portion of the next two days. There are no sidewalks here, so walking outside became quite a messy proposition. It was sad to see the town basketball court. The rains had caused a green slimy mess to ooze from the adjacent hillside across the court. It looked like I was out of luck with my favorite activity in Tubas. We were again given a bedroom to ourselves. Several people slept in the other bedroom, several more in the living room on the floor and even a few on the dining room floor. Filipinos can sleep wherever and whenever they want. The roosters start their wake up call at 4 in the morning and while some automatically get up at the time, including Lyn's 86 year old Lolo, or grandfather, others have no problem sleeping right through it.

Me and Lyn's sister Ging-ging

Early in the year, Lyn's sister Ging-ging had some problems. Recently married, she and her husband Aldwin had moved to another Barangay in search of work. Aldwin was working long hours, which left Ging-ging who was pregnant with her first child alone for long periods of time in a strange place. Pregnancy, loneliness, and asthma may have all contributed to a nervous breakdown. Poor Ging-ging became irrational. Though she was brought back to Tubas, it didn't help. Neither did quack doctors that the family tried. The family didn't understand. They thought she was possessed. Her outrageous behavior continued and eventually she was brought to a state-supported mental hospital. The conditions were terrible. The beds were bare metal. The medication was provided by the workers, but they didn't make sure it was taken by the patient. When Kuya Alex, Lyn's brother, saw another patient steal Ging-gings blanket, he had enough and took her out. She had a brief stay in another state hospital before we were able to get word to Lyn's father to take her to Makati Medical Center, the best hospital in the Philippines. Martial and Lynn were a great help to us in this matter. They helped get Ging-ging registered. Lyn's father later told us that they would not have been able to complete the registration without Martial and Lynn's help. We agreed to cover the expenses and Martial and Lynn communicated to us what was being done and how Ging-ging was progressing.

Sisters: Lyn, Perla, Bella, Ging-ging, & Mylene.

One-and-a-half months later, Ging-ging was released. She had a few minor relapses after that, but has been doing well from May through our Christmas time arrival. She, Aldwin, and the baby live in a small, but pretty nipa hut just a few steps away from her parents house. Her baby had been born two months premature, but is doing fine and gets much attention. Her first birthday party was held in-front of Ging-ging's house. Unbelievably, about 25 tiny children and several parents showed up and had lots of fun. There were games, food, a pinata, and, of course, a large cake. It's such a relief to see Ging-ging and her family doing much better now.

There were some changes to Lyn's parents' house. A cement coating had been added to the original cinderblock walls. This was used to smooth out the walls. Plywood ceilings were installed as well. The ceilings cut down on the air circulation, but made it quieter and cut down on the bug population. In our bedroom there was a rotating fan mounted on the ceiling, which made the room much more pleasant. The wall between the dining room and kitchen had been knocked down and the doorway between the living room and dining room had been moved over a foot or so. A heavy duty door had been installed in front. There were now screens on several windows. Security window bars were installed as well; it's surprising to see this in a rural area like Tubas, but it's getting more common here and is quite common throughout the Philippines.

Perla, Lyn's sister, and her husband, Caesar, opened up a store just across the road. The storefront is about five feet wide and they just purchased a refrigerator for cold drinks. I would frequently go over there before meals to grab a cold drink. I tried to pay her for each purchase, but she didn't want to accept any money since we had sent her money to help her start the store and get the refrigerator.

Almost every day while we were in Tubas, friends and relatives showed up. Some of which Lyn hadn't seen for 8 years. One very fortuitous arrival was Lyn's cousin, Rosie. Ate (a term of respect for a female elder) Rosie arrived with her mother and two sons, Gil and Jun-jun. She had been a cook in Kuwait and, fortunately for Lyn and I, she cooked numerous delicious dishes.

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