There is no place like home. Kaya nga every last day ng working week natin we’re excited to go home to see our loved ones. Yeah loved ones. Unspecified. Our loved ones are our family (given), puede rin boy/girl-friends, friends, barkada or relatives. Ung iba masuwerte because they live near their workplace. Isang sakay lang nasa bahay na. So anytime puede sila umuwi, magpahinga, pumetiks at matulog at bumalik na lang ng office pag malapit na mag-end ang shift para magtime out. Joke! J.
Meron naman jan na kahit malayo ang work place nag-uuwian pa din. Hindi makatulog kapag hindi ung unan niya ang gamit or kapag hindi kayakap ang kanilang nanay. Sweet Jesus! O kaya takot magboarding house kasi umiihi pa sa banig. J But for others like us (ACeS pipz), we have to sacrifice. Naks. Sounds cliché but true. Hindi kami basta basta makakauwi. There are a lot of considerations bago makauwi ng biglaan. Sino magdadrive pababa? Anyone available? Kapag single shift ka, hindi puede. Unless makikiusap at may willing na papalit sa shift mo. And it takes 3.5 to 4 hours to be home.
The best way to connect to our families is via phone. Buti na lang may direct sa mobile dito. Pag bored, grab ng phone makipagkuentuhan kahit kanino. Tawag sa pamilya upang kumustahin. O kaya tawag sa sinusuyo para kulitin. Hehehe. Is Mon guilty of that? J
Iba pa rin kapag umuuwi araw araw sa bahay. Iba pa din kapag nakikita mo ang pamilya mo, mga kapatid na kahit may tampuhan minsan. Unless may iba jan na ayaw umuwi kasi nahohold-up lang. Gets? J We work primarily for our family. Masuerte ung iba because they are not obliged to pitch in. Pero iba pa din ung feeling kapag nagbibigay ka ng “grace” to your family. Makikita mo ang nanay mo or tatay mo nakangiti ng napakalaki abot hanggang anit J kapag inabot mo ang grasya sa kanila. Sasabihin ng tatay mo, “Yes! May pambili na ako ng alak!” hahahaha. Joke lang po. O kaya naman ang nanay mo, “Salamat anak at may pang mahjong na ko!” Joke ulit! Nakakawala ng pagod, di ba? Hay, I miss my family. I wanna go home.
The return of the come back
And speaking of home Macel just got back here in ACeS (where she called home) from her long trip. She had a 9-day grand vacation (5 restdays, 3 mandatory leaves plus 1 sick leave). Sarap naman nun! Coming from a long pleasure trip, Macel is obliged to bring us pasalubong. Sarap ng puto seko and pili tart. Actually kahit walang pasalubong okay lang sa amin. Hindi lang naman namin siya kikibuin ng one week. J The fact na nakauwi siya ng maayos, walang galos, hindi kulang ang body parts, ok sa alright sa amin yun. Mas ok pa yun sa pili tart at puto seko. Plastic! Hehehe
Macel and yours truly at Gerry's Grill, Subic Alam nyo ba pagkagaling niya sa vacation naggym kaagad. Oo! Now you know. Hehehe. She gained pounds daw. Ayos! Nagpapayat siya para sa vacation. Then tumaba siya after. J Malamang you’re wondering kung san siya naglagalag. Just ask her. Secret daw eh. hehe. Sa Naga siya nagpunta.
FO sa Naga
Gio, Jet, me and Nat at Bigg's
Naalala ko tuloy nung nag-FO kami sa Naga. Ang saya saya! Having Gio and Jet around. Kasama pa si Nat the Gentle Giant. He was my room mate. Ang suwerte ko kasi mapagbigay si Nat. nakakatuwa kahit nanonood siya ng TV sa hotel kapag nakita ako binibigay niya yung remote. Samantala sina Gio at Jet nag-uunahan pa sa remote. Hahahaha. Can’t forget also Nat’s longing for his family. Namimiss na daw niya pamilya niya at mga kaibigan. He was telling me that every single day.
He lived independently for more than a year. Sa umpisa nahirapan daw siya. Raised from a well-to-do family in Bacolod, Nat had hard time to cope up living singly. With God’s enabling grace he was able to survive.
Then Nat had a lymp node in his neck. In times of illness, no one will comfort you best than your loved ones. That is why he decided to go back to Bacolod. Kita ko ang saya sa mga mata niya nung papalapit na ang kanyang pag-uwi. Siyempre nakakalungkot. I remember I had a “walk out” scene sa 5th floor while we were having merienda. I didn’t want them to see me cry. That time kasi sinabi ni Nat na uuwi na daw siya sa Bacolod. Seemed funny or OA. Pero nakakalungkot na mawawalay ang isang kaibigan.
Now, Nat is with his family. Matagal na niyang tiniis ang bawat gabi na kayakap lamang ang isang unan. Iniimagine niya na ang kanyang mahal na ina ang unan na iyon. Gabi-gabi na lang ang kanyang pagtangis. Joke. Kidding aside, I am happy that he’s finally home. J
Long lost home
During our cross post in Naga BSC, we did had time to relax and roam around. (parang yun lang talaga ginawa naming dun for 1 week) J. Naki-fiesta, nagwake boarding. It so happened that my aunt (a nun-misionary) is based in Labo, Camarines Norte. I told her na pupunta ako sa Naga. Sabi siya she’d bring me to our relatives in Legaspi. I was so excited kasi that was my first time to see them. I was the only one in the family who had not been in Legaspi, Albay. Ni minsan hindi ko pa nakita ang mga kamag-anak ko sa Bicol.
Wakeboarding at Camarines Sur Water Sports Complex
It was Sunday. We (Jet, Gio, Nat and I) headed to Legaspi. My tita was there waiting for us. Habang nasa biyahe nagkukuwentuhan kami. Napakadaming puno ng buko. Sabi pa nga ni Nat “ka-ka-nat tree”. Slang si Nat. Hindi niya alam ang buko. Ang alam niya “ka-ka-nat tree”. Ang lawak ng palayan. Nature tripping.
Bumaba kami sa kanto ng hindi ko na matandaan ang name. I was instructed by my tita to take a tricycle ride. Mauna na daw kami sa bahay ng kamag-anak namin kasi nasa church pa siya. Ipagtanong lang daw ang name nila. Then, alam na. Sa province kasi lahat halos ng tao magkakakilala.
Behlat! at Cagsawa Ruins, Legaspi, Albay
Natunton namin ang bahay. Lumagpas pa nga kami. Bumungad samen ang isang babae. Walang ulo! Joke. Siya pala ay tita ko. Pinsan ng nanay ko. My other titas and cousins came in and welcomed us. They embraced me. I felt the warmth. Sabi pa ng tita ko, “ang guwapo naman ng pamangkin ko!” (Gio, Jet wag kokontra! Kayo ang saksi! Hehehe). They prepared breakfast for us. Kamain kami then kumustahan. Inabutan pa ako ng embutido ng tita ko. Baon daw namin sa paggagala. Nagtkataon favorite ko ang embutido.
Pinakita sa akin ang pictures ng family namin. Buong clan. I was touched. Nakita ko ung pix ng kapatid ng lola ko. Kamukhang kamukha niya. Napaiyak na lang ako. I remembered my lola who couldn’t pronounce my name right. Instead of Jonah, Chona daw. Lagi namin siyang kinocorrect, “Lola, hindi Chola, Jonah po!” “ah sige Chola!”. Makukulit din minsan ang mga lola noh. I was teary-eyed. Siyempre nakita nila Gio. Mga nangantiyaw. Hehehe.
Then, nagpicture taking kami. My only remembrance of their house. Because of Bagyong Reming, their house was wrecked. L
I was so happy that cross posting in Naga was so timely that I was able to see my relatives there. I was able to meet them. I was able to know them a bit kahit sandali lang. That I have a home in Naga pala. J
Home daddies
For sure, Mic would always want to go home early because of two reasons. One, for her loving wife Sheryl. Two, for his new born child. He’s now a full-pledged father. Mic, pakatino ka na! J Congratulations!
Another Sikat is very eager to be home. Sino siya? Siya yung 8 hours makipag-usap sa phone. Araw-araw halos. Kagabi hindi local ang ginamit niya. He used his SU para makausap ang kanyang may sakit na iniirog. Definitely, he has to go home to NURSE her.
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Nararamdaman ko din ang pangungulila ng iba na malayo ang kanilang tirahan who are working in Metro Manila. They are homed in Visayas or Minadanao. They sacrifice a lot. Minsan lang sila makauwi dahil mahal ang pamasahe. Instead of allocating the money for airfare or sea fare, they send it to their families in the province instead. Kudos to them!
Oy teka lang. Next time ulit. May nagtext. Kapatid ko. Kelan daw ako uuwi. J
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