Fatherly duties

The last time I did some fatherly duties was 15 years ago with the birth of Mark Louie. We panicked at that time because his mother, Mercy, suddenly announced she was going to have the baby right there that time.

Fifteen years ago, transportation in Tagbilaran was so slow and sometimes nonexistent so that expecting mothers chose to give birth in their homes with the presence of a trained local hilot (midwife). When Mercy announced she was giving birth to a baby, transportation and midwives were not contacted so we took the roles. Blood and all.

This week I was again rendering a substitute husband to Gilda because Lemuel, her real husband, is working abroad trying to make both ends meet. Only this time, Gilda was admitted to a hospital in Cebu full of sophistication and all. All I did was wait and do some few errands for them.

Baby Gillian Summer came on Monday, October 18th at 2:22 in the morning with us lounging in the waiting area and nodding our sleep off.

A healthy baby for Gilda and Lemuel! Congratulations to you both.

Portrait of a prodigal father and son

My brother. An alcoholic. A father. A prodigal son. Irresponsible. Doesn't care if the world ends now or never. This portrait was taken by his son during the New Year 2009 using my Sony Ericsson W810i.

Tay, ikaw pala yan?

Pizza clerk surprised to find robber is her dad

DENTON, Texas - Police said they will not file charges against a clerk whose parents and husband were charged with robbing the pizza restaurant where she worked, officials said. Police said the clerk didn't know they planned to rob the Pizza Patron Friday night.

While the robbery was in progress, the clerk discovered her father was the robber when another clerk struck him, knocking him out and knocking off his wig and sunglasses. He was later apprehended after witnesses followed the getaway pickup.

"Her husband told us she didn't know. He knew they were going to rob someplace but he thought it was going to be a convenience store," police Sgt. James Brett said in a story in Monday's online editions of the Denton Record-Chronicle.

A surveillance video corroborated the clerk's story. A police report shows the trio was in custody within 14 minutes of the robbery.

All three suspects were charged with aggravated robbery.