Laura

For almost a month now, we have Norman Sanchez working for us as our helper. He was initially hired to take care of Paige - or actually to follow Paige around. He is so freaking industrious, however, he puts every one of our helpers past and present to shame. He's a busy, busy ant all the time.

There are two things, however, that makes him distinctive:
1. He is gay.  He wants us to call him Laura - and so we do.
2. He has speech defect.

Earlier this morning, we were having breakfast and Mommy asked Laura for his family name. (Notice the irony here, the use of the word "his" after the Proper noun "Laura").

He answered, "Tantes."

We didn't understand at first and so we kept asking him to repeat the word.


"Tantes"

And so I said it just like that, "Tantes???"

He nodded vaguely.  Since, I was speaking softly, he didn't hear me.

Oh, yeah, that's the third distinctive fact about Laura, he is a little deaf, no scratch that, he is about 90% deaf. You really have to literally shout so he could hear you. So, don't think badly of my mother if you see her instructing Laura at the top of her voice, "Magbakal kang sarong kilong asukar sa tindahan!"

Anyway, I digress.

As I was saying, Laura nodded when I asked him if his family name was indeed, "Tantes".

I was wrong.

My cousin, who was having her breakfast too, asked, "Sanchez?"

Laura once again nodded vigorously, "Iyo! Iyo!"

Dabeng, my cousin, said, "Sanchez man ako"

Laura answered, "Ay 'ayop ta dai ta tatabi, pintan ta ka payan!"

Mommy and I were taken aback by the use of "ayop" but we started laughing. Yes, we're like that.

Laura continued, "pintan to itong atista ta tv."

I asked, "Si Sylvia Sanchez?"

He nodded, "o-ho"

I continued, "Si Korina Sanchez?"

He nodded again, "iyo! iyo!

Again, he turned to Dabeng and said, "dai ta tatabi! pintan ta ta!" He then promptly stood up and disappeared.

After several minutes, he returned with an ID of his mother. He turned to Dabeng and said, "hitingun mo, tantes."

Oh, yeah, the word Sanchez was clearly printed. What surprised me, however, was his mother's picture. His mother looked like a man. Apparently, his mother is as gay as Laura.  :)

Well, here's our Laura.