Day Trip to Cebu

Just before sunrise, Gemma and her father first set foot on land after a long overnight ride on the passenger boat. Few people moved about under the dull gray sky except those arriving on passenger boats.
"Are you ready?" Gemma’s father asked.
"More than ever!"
Brightly painted Jeepneys lined up at the pier, waiting to whisk passengers away. Mr. Cruz grabbed Gemma by the hand and led her to a Jeepney that said "Colon-Chariot" on the side.
"This is our Jeepney. It goes to Colon."
The Jeepneys were old Army Jeeps that had been modified to hold many passengers. Many Jeepneys traveled through cities like Cebu. Gemma stepped into the open hatch in the back and found a place to sit.
The Jeepney sped along city streets, turning this way and that. Gemma got to sit in the front seat, right next to the driver. Each time the Jeepney turned, Gemma held on tightly to keep from slipping around in her seat. Still, she loved watching trees speed by as the Jeep zoomed along the roadway. It was hot and crowded inside the Jeepney. The frequent stops to let people on and off only made it worse.
"Where are we going?" asked Gemma.
"Luzon Lumber," replied her father.
When Mr. Cruz tapped on the driver’s shoulder, the Jeepney stopped next to a large metal building surrounded by. piles of lumber. As Gemma and her father walked around inside, workers loaded forklifts, and moved the lumber from place to place. Soon, a young man in a uniform approached.
"Do you need any help?"
"We need four pieces of lumber cut about this long and four pieces twice that length." Said Mr. Cruz as he held his arms outstretched.
"I’ll have it in a jiffy," said the man. He grabbed a 2x4 and twisted it in his hands as he checked for warps in the wood. After he picked the best lumber, Mr. Cruz made another request.
"We also need some chicken wire."
"Follow me," said the man, leading Mr. Cruz through the store.
"Will this work?"
"This will be just fine."
The man measured and cut a length of chicken wire, bundled it with string, and gave it to Gemma.
"Are you building a chicken coop?" the man asked.
"A rooster room," said Gemma.
"Oh...a rooster room. Then I guess you’ll need some nails to hold everything together."
Gemma nodded.
The man fetched a handful of nails from a bin and poured them into a small paper bag. He handed that to Gemma, too.
"Anything else?" said the man.
"I think that will do it," answered Mr. Cruz.
They walked over to a small wooden bench and the man placed the lumber across the tabletop. He grabbed a small hand saw and cut the lumber into two meter pieces, just as Gemma’s father had requested. Sawdust filled the air as Gemma stood there. She loved that fresh smell of sawdust. She hardly noticed her hands becoming numb from the vibrations of the saw on the lumber.
"One more piece," said the man
After the last piece was cut, the man bundled the wood and helped Mr. Cruz to the checkout counter. After they were finished, Mr. Cruz and Gemma returned to the Jeepney stop.
"Good morning, sir," said a boy as he helped Gemma and her father board the bus. Gemma picked out a seat and sat down next to the window. Her father sat beside her.
"Daddy, where are we going now?"
"Back to the pier," he replied.
"We’re going home already?"
"Not quite yet. There won’t be any passenger boats to Baybay until this afternoon. We will have to find something to do until then."
The road back to the pier wound through cough country roads, which jostled the Jeepney. The boy who had helped Gemma’s father load their supplies came up and held out his hand.
"Twelve pesos," said the boy.
Gemma’s father dug into his pocket and paid the fare. As the boy walked away, he grabbed the metal rail running along the roof and carefully made his way to his seat beside the driver.
"Daddy can I have a peso?" asked Gemma.
"Why do you need a peso?"
"So I can stop the bus," she answered.
Gemma’s father dug into his pocket and pulled out a ten-peso coin. She tapped the coin on the metal edges of the seat in front of them. It clanked loudly. The boy waved his hand and the bus quickly came to a stop.
As Gemma and her father got off the bus, the boy climbed onto the roof where many suitcases and packages were stowed. He handed the lumber down to Mr. Cruz before hopping off the bus. Gemma’s father gave him a few pesos.
"Miramang Salamat," said Mr. Cruz..
"Salamat," answered the boy, thanking him in return.
As Gemma followed her father down the dirt road leading to the pier, she watched every passing vehicle. Jeepneys, busses, and taxis sped along the roads, taking people to and from the pier. Through the trees, she saw boats riding across the sea.
"How many different places have you been?"
"I’ve been to many islands."
"I want to visit all of the islands with you.”
"You want to visit all of them? That’s a lot."
"Have you been to all of them?"
"The Philippines is comprised of over seven-thousand islands."
"Have you been to all of them?"
"No. I have only been to a few dozen."
"That’s not very many."
"Now that you mention it, I guess it isn’t.”
"Maybe we should go on more trips," said Gemma.
"I think that’s a splendid idea."
As Gemma and her father reached the pier, they found an empty table. As soon as she could, Gemma rested the chicken wire on the ground beside the table and sat down to rest her feet. Her father set the bundle of lumber next to the chicken wire and looked at his tired little girl.
"What would you like to eat?" he asked.
"Can I have some Chicken Adobo?"
"Your wish is my command."
As Gemma’s father looked for a street vendor that sold Chicken Adobo, Gemma rested her head against her hands on the table and watched the passers by and day dreamed of far off places.
Gemma’s father searched the pier until he saw the umbrella over a street vendor cart that said "Jose’s Adobo". He approached the cart and ordered two skewers of chicken Adobo, one for him and one for Gemma. He also ordered a bowl of white rice and a large glass of ice water to share. He returned to the table and placed the plate on the table beside Gemma.
"It looks so yummy."
Gemma’s father handed a skewer to Gemma. She plucked each piece off the skewer with her teeth. Gemma loved the tender pieces of chicken and their vinegar-soy deliciousness, just the way all Adobo dishes were cooked.
Gemma’s father quickly finished his skewer and his portion of the rice. He smiled at his daughter while she enjoyed her Chicken Adobo.
She ate some of the rice and took sips of water to wash it all down. Between each bite, she

would make happy sounds, like ‘Mmm’ and ‘yummy.’ Gemma’s father loved Gemma’s expressive nature. It reminded him of her mother, who also had very colorful emotions.
"You finished?" he asked.
Gemma nodded.
"I almost forgot," he said.
"Almost forgot what, Daddy?"
"Pasalubong."
"What’s Pasalubong?"
"Gift-giving. Whenever Filipinos go on a trip, they aren’t supposed to return without bringing a part of the trip home to share with friends and family. It’s a way of sharing the joys of the trip. Although they weren’t there physically, it says they were always in your thoughts."
"Who’s getting the gift?"
"Everyone in the family. Do you want to help me pick a Pasalubong?"
"I’d love to help!"
"What should we get for your mother?"
"She loves pistachios."
"Of course. How could I forget that? A long time ago, before you were born, your mother and I took a trip to Palawan. I rented a boat and we went fishing. She brought along a paper bag of pistachios to eat while I fished. She cracked the pistachios between her fingers and discarded the shells on the bottom of the boat. When we returned the boat, I had to clean all the pistachios out of the bottom before the old man at that Dive Shop would let me return it."
Gemma’s father grabbed a scoop and poured pistachios onto a scale. The vendor measured the pistachios and then poured them into a bag.
"What about Maria?" asked Mr. Cruz.
Gemma pointed to the tamarind, a soft prune coated in sugar. Often, Maria brought tamarinds home from the University to share with Gemma.
"We can’t forget Pidro."
"Does it have to be food?" asked Gemma.
"It can be anything that symbolizes the trip or the person receiving it."
"I think Pidro would like something other than food. He always wears necklaces."
Mr. Cruz paid for the food and followed Gemma to a booth where necklaces hung from a long wooden pole just above Gemma’s head. She searched through them until she found a necklace made of tiny bamboo shoots and metal beads
"What do you think of this one?"
"Pidro will like that very much."
Gemma and her father went to the cashier to buy the pasulubong. The old lady gladly assisted Gemma with her purchases as Mr. cruz gave several pesos to the cashier for the necklace and tamarind.
With the necklace paid for, Mr. Cruz and Gemma had finished their last errand just in time to board the passenger boat.
When they found their cots and sat down, Gemma thought about her day. She remembered Jeepney rides and exploring the lumber yard, too. She couldn’t forget the yummy Chicken Adobo or shopping for Pasalubong. Before the boat had even left the dock, Gemma put her head on her pillow and fell asleep. She did not wake until they arrived safely at Mercado Pier.
They returned home just in time for dinner. What a coincidence! Gemma’s mother, Pidro, and Maria were enjoying Chicken Adobo for dinner. Gemma and her father enjoyed Chicken Adobo for dinner and shared their Pasalubong gifts and stories about their trip.
It had been some adventure for Gemma. She went to bed early that night, dreaming of her next adventure with her father.
.