Saturday, August 25, 2007

The Girl Who Wanted to be a nun

My friend who patiently brought me to my doctor's appointments in San Francisco called from the Philippines. He has been there since last year waiting for me to implement our dream project.

We were once involved in a foundation which takes care of rehabilitated drug dependents, young mothers and their kids. The soup kitchen was for all. The school is for the children of singple mothers. The CEO who inspired me was an Asian American.

My friend and I thought that we should bring the concept in the Philippines. Start small and make it big later.

He waited for my call as to when I am coming home. I can't. I have to stay here for medical reasons. He stopped communicating thinking that I've changed my mind.

My other friend texted him. If ever he was surprised, ( he was there with me in SF in all my doctor's appointments, driving me and giving me emotional support) it was the change in my acceptance of fate. He knows that I am a fighter.

He asked me to rally my "angels".

I told him, for this kind of help, I need the help of Someone at the TOP. It's like in the corporate jungle where the signature of the Chairman of the Board is needed for an important decision.

If He wanted to move me to another department, so be it. (Huwag lang doon sa walang airconditioned at may malaking fireplace.acheche) I was waiting for him to crack the joke that my elder brother used to tease me when he discovered my " I want to be a nun" affirmation that I wrote in every page of my notebook. He would tell me that the nunnery would be in trouble if ever I would be accepted as a novice. Then he would laugh out loud.

Sa kaniya naman, yong baka hindi ka pa tanggapin doon. Magugulo si San PIDROW.


You know when you're enrolled in a Catholic school, the retreats, the First Fridays masses and communions make you wish to follow the steps of the saints and the Church martyrs. Yeah, Virginia, ganoon ako noon pag malapit na ang Holy Week. Pagkatapos niyan, regular programming na naman.Balik na naman sa Guidance counsellor pag may kasalanan.



Noong minsan sa parish priest na kami dinala. Kami ha, hindi lang ako. The other in the "kami"
were non-Catholics enrolled in that school so they were exempted from making confessions on First Thursday in preparation for First Friday. The classes were suspended for half day to give us a chance to go to confessions.

I did not join my other classmates who lined up in the confessional box assigned to our section.
I joined my non-Catholic friends. We enjoyed "making sungkit of the star apple from the tree" in my friend's yard.

We overate and we were late when the classes were resumed. The monitor assigned to check whether we really went to confession or not, ratted me. Ang TRAIDOR. Hindi ko siya binigyan ng star apple which I put in a paper bag and left to the security guard. mwehehe.

We were brought to the priest. My non-Catholic friends were excused but not me. That's the first time, I said unfair. But the priest would make me pray the Our Father a hundred times.

The last balikbayan I made, I met the nuns in the convent which was the recipient of the donations made out to my mother's memory when she died.

Aside from giving me a warm welcome and accommodation fitted for a very important guest, they also gave me a special pass for the Cathedral of the Penafrancia. That was the fiesta of the Patron Saint of Naga. I almost told them that there was a crazy moment in my life that I dreamed to be a nun.

Latest news from them was the Mother Superior also succumbed to cancer and died at the Makati Medical. Well spent life.

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