Miming

We would often associate “miming,” with a cat. I, for one, have named all the cats that we’ve had and lost either Muning or Miming.

Fellow bloggers like Joms & JC love cats. So does Jerro which manifests in his Feline Attraction posts. I remember Nyl, posting something about a kitten who suffered a rather morbid death.

Amongst the bloggers, it was Jon who stood out. In fact, Miming is of his nicknames.

However due to this recent story I’ve heard from an officemate, I guess I would never look at "miming" the same way as before.

*** 

It was a friday night, during an afternoon coffee break. An officemate suddenly broke the silence. "Alam mo ang mga bata may sariling language eh noh?" said this girl officemate of mine. Apparently, those dining on the same table we were on agreed. One said her 4 y/o cousin uses a different term for certain things, made-up term, that is.

"How do you say so? Kasi parang hindi naman.. Baka nag-stutter lang yung bata or whatever.." said I.

"Hindi, kasi ganito yun.." and the girl officemate went on with her story..

***

She lended her cellphone to her 3 y/o little girl. Kids are techie nowadays. The little girl, then, re-enacted how she saw her mom or her dad uses the cellphone..

"Hello? Hello??" said the little girl. And she went on around the room, as if looking for a signal..

"Hello?" uttered the little one as she steps out of her room, mimicking the way her mom looks for a signal around the house. The little girl was having fun playing with the cellphone, she didn't notice that she was already near the stairs..

"Hello?"

Then suddenly...

"Mamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

The little girl rushed to my officemate, and hugged her tight by the leg. "Oh, what happened, anak?" she asked.

"Mama, mi – ming..." answered the little girl. She was pale, she looks frightened, she's quivering.

"Mi – ming..."

"Anong miming? Cat? Cat ba yan?"

The child shook her said, and with the same frightened look and shaking voice tone she said "mi – ming..."

"Pa!!!" my officemate shouted, "Pa, halika nga rito!!"

The husband, hurried his way and ran from the Master bedroom towards the little girl's room. Inside the bedroom,

"Ma, ano yun? What's wrong?"

"Pa, yung anak mo..." she said with her voice shaking, "may nakita ata dun sa may hagdanan. Tignan mo nga?" The husband scratched his head, looking puzzled as to why his wife and his daughter are trembling.

"Ano daw ba yung nakita nya?"

"Ewan ko dito... Mi – ming daw..."

"Mi – ming? Cat? May pusang nakapasok?"

"Hindi ata eh... I asked her if it's a cat... All she said was: Mi – ming..."

The husband, sat on the bed and hugged his baby girl. "Shh... shh... it's okay, my angel..." he whispered, as his hand strokes the little girl's hair. "Now, tell me, what did you see?"

The little girl answered, "Mi – ming" having the same expression and the same voice tone. "Is it a cat? A cat?"

"Mi – ming..." answered the little girl, then hugged his father real tight. "Ok, that's it!"

"Dito ka muna kay mama, ha? May titignan ako, ha?" the father hushed to the child's ear and passed her to his wife.. He, then, grabbed the first thing he could lay his to, an umbrella with a crane.

My officemate was comforting her little girl, by hugging her and stroking her hair. "Oh ayan anak, paaalisin na ni papa si Miming..."

After a short while...

"Ma, wala naman..." said the husband as he enters the little girl's room. He laid the umbrella on the side, and sat on the bed.

"Anak, wala na si Miming... Pinaalis ko na... Pwede ka na matulog, ok?" Then he planted a kiss on her forehead. "Ma, I'll be in our room, ok?" He got up and went back to the Master's bedroom.

"Oh ayan, baby ha? Wala na si miming.." said my officemate, assuring the little girl that there's nothing to be afraid of.

"Ba-bye Mi – ming..." waved the little girl. Then, my officemate tucked her in and the little girl feel asleep immediately.

My officemate, then, turned her back, and said to herself: "Kanino kumakaway 'tong anak ko? Eh wala naman?" Just to make sure, she grabbed the umbrella on the side and went her way down the stairs..

Thug.

Thug.

Thug.

Thug.

Four steps down, no sign of anything. So she went down again.

Thug.

Thug.

Thug.

She saw nothing, so she made her way up.

Thug.

Thug.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Just when she thought she saw nothing, there it was by the stairs…

Mi – ming…