2010-19031

FIGUEROA, Jovianne G.

This was her first Christmas without her family. She sat on the backseat beside her friend as she promised she would go Christmas shopping with her. Her friends parents were taking them to MarQuee, this Ayala Mall in Pampanga. She had her eyes glued to the window when Tito Vlad on the driver seat asked if it was alright to pass by Nazareth before they drop them off to MarQuee. She thought it was a Church and they were about to drop off the boxes of Hamonado that lined the cars trunka small offering just in time for Christmas. The cars grew thinner and the car weaved its way down an almost deserted dirt road. She never thought shed be such a stranger to her own hometown. Mabacalat was a couple of kilometres away from San Fernando and Angeles, the two more developed and urban parts of Pampanga. Even a Kapampangan like her rarely visits this part of the province. The car started to approach a blue gate and a faint music could be heard. It was not a church. This is Munting Tahanan ng Nazareth. It seems theyre having a Christmas party, what perfect timing! Come out, help us with the Hamonados. She carried with her two boxes and approached the crowd gathered in front of the lobby. Sitting on a semi-circle of small mono block chairs, they smiled as an older woman took their photos. They were mostly young kids but a couple of older ones sat in wheelchairs on the side. The seasons gaiety could be seen on their faces even though they are unable to walk, unable to move freely, unable to think along the lines of most. Realization dawned on her that everyone in that crowd was a tad bit special than most people.

She placed the boxes beside a huge Christmas tree at the back of the gathering. The faint music from before became clearer as she found its sourcea young man heartily singing Christmas carols and OPM songs. She stared at him for a while, trying to decipher the song he was currently singing to. A small oh escaped her lips when she found out it was Pusong Bato. She chuckled a bit at the extra effort he was exerting just so he could sing before a middle-aged woman approached them to thank them for their pasalubong. This is not everyone, actually. Three more are inside their rooms, refusing to go out. The other one is in the hospital right now with two of our staff. She was confined last night because she was having multiple seizures. I guess well be spending Christmas eve with her there. A familiar ache crept on her heart. They too were longing for their families and spending special holidays away from their loved ones. But on top of those years of melancholy, physical and psychological tremors force them to stay here in a place that could take care of them. Yet, they are able to put a smile on their faces and enjoy what life has bestowed on them whilst she is whining about not having enough money to buy a pair of Converse this Christmas. These people understand her longing and sadness. But its impossible for her to even come close to understanding their pain. A few more minutes and she heard Tito Vlad bid his goodbye and ushered them back to the car. We go here every year to give back to the less fortunate. We should never take anything that we have or we are for granted. The car engine started and she kept her gaze outside the window. As the car passed, a thin boy glanced at her and his toothless smile lingered. This was her first Christmas without her family; this was just another Christmas for them without theirs.