Mayet

 I have known Mayet since she was a year old. She came to Truk Island from the Philippines with her mom and her brother. (Her dad had already been living there for a year or so. And her little sister was born a couple of years later.) What I remember about her was her energy. She was this scrawny little twig who, I swear, had to have been Spiderman in her previous life. She climbed everything. Ladders, furniture, shelves, trees, walls. Yes, walls. And she had some set of lungs on her, as displayed by her tearful screams when things didn't go her way.


One day my cousin dropped off Mayet and her siblings at my house for me to watch. After playing dress up, hide n' seek, and drawing they got hungry. "What kind of cereal should I get, Corn Pops or Frosted Flakes?"


Paul and Raneez chose Corn Pops. And I swear Mayet chose the other just to be different. I should add that I was a prankster teenager. I bought both kinds of cereal, but presented only the Corn Pops, explaining that Mayet was out-voted.


Oh boy, big mistake! It was like Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde in a split second. Her little nose crinkled up, and the ear piercing screams and gnashing of teeth ensued immediately. It took a while to calm her down, even after I showed her the box of Frosted Flakes.

Paul and Mayet eating cereal.

Raneez, Mayet, Paul, Papa B. 

Fast forward eighteen years. Jimminy Christmas, have eighteen years really gone by already?! I hung out with Mayet again. 

Could you believe this gorgeous young lady was that little girl in Truk?

Mayet always has perfect hair. (Ahem, all you crazy relatives who comment about my hairstyle... I follow Mayet's fad.)

Mayet is a mommy now. 

Her little man's name is Shea.

And that's her Irishman, Sheazie Bear's daddy.

Mayet.

No, she doesn't scream and cry crocodile tears anymore, and she isn't a scrawny twig by any means. She's all grown up now.