Saudi Pasko
(A Comment For Mahal na Reyna’s
Mary, this Christmas, I want you to know this…)
merry christmas, reynz. its 1:59 PM in Pinas, 8:59AM here in jeddah, saudi arabia.
was finally able to talk to my sister at home a few minutes back. my mom and utol was asleep (probably because they bored themselves to death waiting for my call which wasn’t able to get through on Christmas eve).
but at 7pm (12mn in Pinas) on Christmas eve, I was on my way to the hospital, for the last appointment with the doctor who removed my gallbaldder a few days back on 17th December. siempre, I was alone just as I was when I admitted myself for the operation. was even mostly alone for two days while recuperating until the flatmates visited after work and my SFC brothers brought me home. but then this is life here in KSA.
my flatmates prepared pancit bihon and samoli (bread na pahaba) last night but they went somewhere else to spend Noche Buena. so I was determined to eat the meager fare alone if not for Christian and two other Bicolano friends (who I met for the first time) who came over to eat with me.
its even lonely today in the office (only one out the four executive rooms around me is open yet). do they know its Christmas? siempre hindi.
well at least, on your side of the world, one can stare at the frosty window, hopefully with snow falling outside and flames clicking on the fireplace. and a tear drops while somebody on the radio croons:
"chestnut roasting on an open pyre…
kids dressed like Eskinol…
Yuletide carolers being strung on a wire…
you’ll find it hard to sleep tonight…"
(nyeh! naging Halloween…)
dito kasi walang snow! besides, we overseas Filipinos can’t afford na mag-sentimiento.
merry christmas, everybody. we sometimes have to endure being alone to know ourselves more.
kaya tuloy lang ang trabaho. saka na ang Pasko-Pasko… pag nakauwi na ulit sa Pinas. cheers!
