Kyle the Brave

These are my nephews, Jeimax, Kyle, and MJ, and Nikka. Nikka is my favorite little girl who lives just down the road.

One of the most fun things to do on Pangangan is to explore the tide flats.

Sea urchins, "hammer" crabs, as Jeimax called them, sea cucumbers, starfishes, sponges, anemone, sea snales, jellyfish are the mercy of curious kids, poking, prodding, collecting, and gawking.

"Hermit crabs," I corrected, but Jeimax just ignored me.

"They're called hermit crabs," I insisted vainly, "because they live in a shell alone..."

"Um, Jeimax did you hear me?" I followed the kids, desperately trying to explain. But alas all Jeimax said in response was "So?"

Okay, so the boys didn't care about hermits. Boys. Boys. One boy, two boys... Where's Kyle?

"Auntie Netty, carry me!" Kyle called. "Pleeeease, caaaaarrie meeeeee!"

Unlike Jeimax, MJ, and Nikka, Kyle scared himself into uncontrollable shivers on the tied flats. "Eek! What's that?! Ack! Something touched my toe!" So he sought refuge on any flat rock along the way.

"Auntie Netty, pleeeeeease caaaaaaarrie me! Pleeeeeease!"

"Just step where I step..." I advised, which was a big mistake because we started doing this dance of sorts, wading in ankle deep water, like a little girl standing on her father's feet to keep in step as he dances the waltz with her.  He was so afraid to be left behind that he kept stepping on my feet before I lifted them off the bottom. So we took breaks on sand patches amidst the seaweeds.

Despite his racing heart and trembling limbs, Kyle, my brave, brave boy, manages a gangsta' pose for the camera.

 "Auntie Netty," Kyle said. "Look, I'm like a hermit crab!"

Yes! HERMIT crab.

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