Sabrina had also banged into me, but her tense, taut 11-year-old's energy was something else entirely.Sabrina had also banged into me, but her tense, taut 11-year-old's energy was something else entirely. All three of us stripped our shoes and socks -- soaking wet -- in the vestibule and Sabrina scampered off to change while Livinia started boiling water and doing other mysterious Filipino things in the kitchen. Sabrina came back dressed in a fluffy pink bathrobe and Mouse Slippers. She had a towel wrapped around her wet hair and carried two more. She handed one to me and gave the other to her mother, who aid something rapid-fire in Tagalog, I guess, and excused herself. Sabrina took over kitchen chores. She told me about how absolutely great Menudo was, New Kids on the Block, the new Madonna album and the like. All the time, she was stirring, mixing and cutting, I didn't pay too much attention to the food. Watching her animated face was too much fun to be distracted. Livinia returned a few minutes later in a baggy tee-shirt and dry jeans. She had a towel around her neck. She sent Sabrina off to set the table. When Livinia leaned over the stove, I noticed the absence of a bra strap. I was ordered out of the kitchen and into the neat, if sparely furnished, living room. |