This story originally appeared in the philippine daily inquirer on september 28, 2006.
BOOGIE, OF COURSE, IS A TYPE OF DANCE. BUT IN OUR home, Boogie is a family member who will be turning 10 early next year. He is a loving, caring creature with the blackest eyes you’ll ever see.
My youngest brother Reyan and Boogie are bunkmates. In the morning, my brother would tell us about the stories Boogie tells him before they sleep. Ever since Boogie came to our family, they’ve been glued to each other.
Curiously, Reyan is the typical jock you see around campus. He shoots crumpled pieces of paper into the trash can behind the classroom’s door. He surrounds himself with girl classmates during breaks. When there’s nothing to do, he raises his arms as if to shoot a basketball and makes whooshing sounds as the imaginary ball goes in. Apparently he suffers from testosterone overload, and yet he is an academic scholar. In fact, he is ranked first in his batch, and second overall in the school. He is a hard candy coat outside, but a soft marshmallowy person inside.
Boogie is a stuffed toy bear made in Sri Lanka and given to me by a very persistent suitor when I was in high school. I didn’t like the guy very much. Not that he was bad looking—in fact, he was one of the cute guys in school and an officer in Citizen Army Training. But I avoided him during lunch hour and hid from him when the bell rang to signal the end of classes.
In a way, I hated Boogie then for he reminded me of that suitor. After I got him, I didn’t even bother to open the wrapper and asked my mom to put everything right away in our toy cabinet.
Reyan immediately claimed Boogie for his own. He told us that the teddy bear was unloved, and he needed someone to look after him. I gladly consented. It was Reyan who gave Boogie his name.
There are several stuffed toys in our house. Some were given by Lola Inang after her trips to the United States. Others were bought by our parents during our “Bilmoko!” (Bili mo ako!) moods. And still others were given by suitors.
My brother has names for all of them: Japorms is a teddy with a big bow and heart patches. Milo is a stuffed, spotted dog. Goody-Goody is a large teddy with glasses. Cha-cha is another bear. All these and a few more are Boogie’s friends.
Once, when Boogie was a few months old, my mom thought he smelled funny. (My brother places Boogie near his face when they sleep). So, she gave Boogie a bath by throwing him into the washing machine together with our clothes. The following day, my brother told us that he was sad because Boogie had complained to him that he got dizzy in the spinner. From that time on, Boogie takes luxurious baths in the kitchen sink.
In a way, I hated Boogie then for he reminded me of that suitor. After I got him, I didn’t even bother to open the wrapper and asked my mom to put everything right away in our toy cabinet.
There are rivalries among Boogie and his friends. When Christmas 2004 came, my mom put Japorms on a wreath as part of the decoration. Boogie told Reyan that he wanted to be on the wreath instead. Without any other word being said, Boogie got his wish.
Boogie is smart. He knows how to write his name and read (he studies with us during our periodical exams). He even says that their family is on TV. And I’m sure everyone has watched them: Three brown bears jumping and waving wildly at the sight of milk in a glass.
I have another brother, Sam, who is also an “Isko ng Bayan.” He is the naughtiest and most irritating among us siblings. We often refer to him as “langaw” because of this. On certain occasions, when he gets into his langaw mood, he wrings Boogie’s neck, punches it and wrestles it into every conceivable bodily contortion. The more we tell Sam to stop doing it, the more furiously he goes into it. Thus, Boogie gets “hurt” even more.
One time, when my mom saw what Sam was doing, she gave him a scolding. Sam never did it again in her presence.
M&M’s are Boogie’s favorite chocolate brand. It’s the only brand that can fit inside his tiny mouth. He loves the array of colors when we put them in a jar. He says that M&M’s were made for him because of the chocolate’s color inside the candy shell.
Right now, Boogie is in a paper bag, holding a green paper heart on a stick. He thinks he just arrived from America. Actually, we used the green paper hearts when we fetched my sister at the airport so she could spot us easily among the thousands of welcomers.
A new member has been added to our household recently. He is Gerry the giraffe. He is a print on terry cloth. He hangs from my brother’s window and used as a curtain. Every week, my mom tapes a couple of leaves under Gerry’s mouth for him to eat. These days his fare consists of guava and mango leaves.
Boogie has helped our family in a lot of ways, especially when there is need for laughter. He is there when someone is sad. He sometimes becomes the referee when my siblings fight. He is some kind of chain that holds us together in good times and bad.
I would like to thank the guy who gave me a toy bear about a decade ago. It is sad that it took me years to appreciate this person who did me no wrong and only meant well. I am hoping that he gets to read this, because I want to let him know that he has given me and my family a simple treasure which is worth a million thanks.
