Sunday, January 26, 2014 – 9:00 a.m.
This date and time has been so marked in the family’s calendar. What with the scouts in the house set to meet a king; and with scouts in the house I mean my husband, Marlon, and our two kids, MJ and Mahal. Simply put that means, I will be the only one left out during this momentous occasion. And the king these excited trio will meet is King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
Fast forward to the day and five hours before His Majesty’s plane lands in Tacloban City Airport…
The house was astir so early and everyone was in high spirits and though I felt left out, I was the most excited one of all – what with my kids meeting a king in person – a big story they can tell their children and grandchildren in the future. They’ll serve as honorary guards in the reception line of H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. And the scouts were all up to the task ahead, uniforms crisp and clean, fresh from the plastic wrapping that saved them from Yolanda’s wrath, faces freshly scrubbed, hair well-combed… they were a sight to see – three scouts in parade dress… minus the shoes! Why? Shoes had to be cleaned again and again and again.
I found myself tasked with the tall order of making moldy and storm-surge-hardened black shoes shine to the max, that is if it was possible to make them shine. These have been washed twice and wiped clean as well but when we took them out of the shoe rack they were moldy again. So I applied all the strength, patience and skill in shining three pairs of shoes that must gleam before the eyes of a king.
In God’s grace and mercy after an hour of toiling with brushes and shoe shine polish, there were three pairs of shoes gleaming and ready for inspection of a king.
And though I was left alone to attend to the one and million chores at home, I felt accomplished and happy as if I already met a king.
