WiSHum GRANTum

It was 6:58 a.m. and the sun hadn’t risen yet. The dark eastern horizon had been gradually turning into a streak of cherry-red band, while the wide, lush, green wheat field was still obscured by the remaining darkness of the dawn. He felt the cold winter breeze biting his cheeks and this nearly freezing temperature never spared to penetrate even his glove-encased palms!

He quickly entered the first of the six control rooms which had been individually annexed beside the six chicken sheds. He was there to check the digitally-recorded data and to adjust the computer settings to make it suitable for the current growth requirement of the flock.

He almost leapt, as his heart was pounding, to see an odd object partly covered with a white cotton cloth standing right in front of him! He was surprised because for the past fifteen months of working there, he hadn’t found this kind of thing in the middle of this narrow and dusty room, or anywhere inside the farm’s confinement.

Curious, he hastily pulled the cloth off; and a magnificent life-size mirror with an antique, wooden frame was instantly unveiled!

He moved slowly towards the classic furniture, stood in front and looked at it but he couldn’t see his own reflection! He was startled.

He took a deep breath, and his anatomical heart beat more heavily. He felt the wintery draught creeping from the horizontal gap between the door and the floor to his feet up to his legs... He was about to open the doorway so he could immediately leave the haunted room but suddenly, a diffused vibrant ray started to dazzle out from the mirror!

The light had faded slowly, and the mirror started to display some moving images... He saw himself in an oath-taking ceremony together with other men and women of different nationalities, with a ‘Blue Ensign defaced with a constellation and a Commonwealth star’ emblem as a backdrop! The representative of the immigration department handed him his new passport- with a black cover and an outline of a kangaroo and an emu on the front. There was a ‘fast forward’... he then saw himself standing in front of his students in a university classroom Down Under as he held a bony pelvis of a White Leghorn on his left hand, and a bony pelvis of a Beagle on his right. Finally, the mirror reflected him inside a teaching veterinary surgery room sharing the tricks of ovariohysterectomy to five eager-to-learn surgical teams.

He was extremely captivated by the enchanting scenes that he completely forgot about his task for the day! He was very excited to tell his mates about the magical mirror so he went out of the control room and rushed to the lunch room to see Farshid and Roger.

AT 7:59 A.M. THE BALL OF fire hadn’t shown itself; instead, it kept on hiding behind the low, dark and visibly moving clouds just above the township of Port Wakefield that day. Strangely, a myriad of seagulls was hovering and perching all over the place!

Meanwhile... out of nowhere, a very old man wearing long robes and purple cloak suddenly appeared inside the control room! He was tall and thin; and his long grey hair, moustache and beard were all tucked into his leather belt—which was obviously made of a rooster skin. He waved his wand and said, “wishum grantum!”

The old man and the enchanted mirror vanished right away.

Inspired by J.K. Rowling’s ‘Mirror of Erised’- a chapter in her book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The Mirror of Erised is a magic mirror, which, according to Albus Dumbledore, shows the "deepest and most desperate DESIRE of our hearts".

"Men have spent so much time looking in the mirror; they became mad, that they have forgotten to live."

-Albus Dumbledore explaining the danger of the mirror to Harry Potter

Mona Lisa's Smile (updated)

I had risen early today and found multiple little swamps in the yard, contrary to what I wished and prayed for last night—to see a pile of fluffy crystalline water ice on the ground this morning. I am sure that God gave me a continuous drizzle overnight instead of a gush of flurries which, all these years in my life, I’ve been dreaming to see!

Actually, this is not the first time He did it to me; when I'm asking for something, He was providing me another thing. ...lately, my requests seemed to be always put on hold. I don’t know why.

In my day to day quest for just a sign or an answer I’ve met men and women in my neighbourhood who, somehow, have opened my eyes and reminded me that the troubles of others are always greater than my own. These friends had and have been facing various and even more complex challenges than what I have but they could still manage to face the world with a smile!

I am inspired by their bravery to deal with all the difficulties they have in life. Frankly, I am overpowered by shyness to ask them about their source of exemplary courage and strength but one thing is certain: they have helped me believe that, really, there’s always a reason to smile.

10 July 2009

(Midwinter Down Under)

From LEFT to RIGHT: Siony, Nati, RJ, Gem, and Juliet

Siony is apparently a glittering gold at 50; an Australian citizen; 8 years in Australia; the 5^th wife of an 82-year old Dutch-Australian named Charles who’s currently confined in (and has been in and out of) the hospital because of diabetes and heart problem.

Nati has just turned 59 last month; an Australian citizen; 23 years in Australia; was married to Abdul (a grandson of one of those Afghans who brought the first camels in Australia) but has been a widow for 5 years now; currently working as a caregiver in the nearby town-Balaklava, and is living alone in her house.

RJ will be exactly on his 3 decades of existence in August; 2.5 years in Australia; a working visa-holder, a poultry farmer and a blogger. (You can browse through the pages of The Chook-minder’s Quill to know more about him.)

Gem is, obviously, still small (but terrible) at 41, young at heart and in mind; a poultry farm manager working for more than 2 years in Australia; has been granted of his residency visa for 2 months now; married and blessed with 2 sons but he is still living alone in the farm house while continuing to convince his wife to come back here in Australia (after she decided to go back to the Philippines with their children when she felt she couldn’t meet the demands and face the challenges of the outback Australian life).

Juliet was, incidentally, once married to a Filipino (now deceased) named Romeo! ...has just turned 61; an Australian permanent resident; more than 2 years in Australia and is currently married to a 74-year old British-turned-Australian divorcé named Norm who's currently having chemotherapy because of colon cancer. Juliet is financially supporting her 2 sons back in the Philippines who were unfortunately denied of an Australian 'dependent visa' earlier this year.

Glenelg, South Australia

A Choice

“What day is today?” my workmate asked me while we were having our smoko this morning. (His name is Roger. He will be turning 63 this August. Incidentally, we have the same birth date, and he’s exactly 4 months older than my mom!)

“It’s Monday,” I answered.

“Uh... o rite...” he nonchalantly murmured, peeped under his eyeglasses and immediately wrote down the mortality count on our daily record.

He asked me the same question last Friday when I reminded him that the next day (Saturday) was his day off. He was actually surprised to know that another week was over because he said he doesn’t really care to keep track of the date, day or time.

“Uhmn... after work, I go home, feed my animals, visit my garden, have my tea in the evening, sleep, wake-up, have a toast and a cup of coffee... and come to work, that’s it!” he simply said.

While Roger is living in oblivion, I am obliged to live the exact opposite... I have to order the feed two days before I need it; so if I want a feed delivery on a Wednesday I must place my order on a Monday. I have to be aware of the current date to keep myself updated of the age of our flock so I can give them the correct ration, the ideal drinking-water pressure, the required temperature, ventilation and length of light. I have to know the time of chicken harvest so I can turn the feed lines off at least four and a half hours before the actual bird catching, otherwise the dressing plant will complain about their full crop.

Honestly, I don’t know if Roger is happy yet in some ways, I envy him.

May Kulang...

Nasa harapan ko na ang lahat... Pwede ko nang angkinin at tikman ang lahat ng gusto ko. Pero hindi ako natuwa.

Naalala ko kapag nagkakatay ang tatay ng manok noong araw, hindi na kami nag-aagawan ng mga bahagi nito kapag nailuto nang tinola. Kabisado na namin ang hatian; alam na ng bawat isa ang nauukol para sa kanya... Kay tatay napupunta ang balunbalunan, kay nanay naman ang nasa bandang puwetan, hati kami ng kapatid kong sumunod sa akin sa dalawang hita't binti, at kay bunso naman ang atay. Masaya naming pinagsasaluhan ang simpleng hapunang ito lalo na't sinasabayan pa ng kwentuhan tungkol sa mga nangyari sa bawat isa sa amin sa maghapon.



Sa totoo lang, hindi ko talaga alam noon kung ano ang lasa ng balunbalunan! Naisip ko, kapag maging tatay na ako, matitikman ko na rin yan.

Minsan, sinabi ko sa nanay na kung maaari'y hati kami sa puwet. Pero ang wika niya, "Hindi ito pwede sa mga wala pang asawang tulad mo. Sige ka, gusto mo bang hindi ka makapag-asawa? Aatrasan ka ng mga babae niyan kapag kakain ka nitong nasa bandang hulihan ng manok..." Palibhasa'y takot din akong hindi makapag-asawa kaya hindi ko na inulit pa ang kahilingang 'yon.

[Alam kong masama, pero] ...naiinggit din ako kay bunso. Nu'ng hindi pa kasi siya ipinapanganak o kumakain, sa akin napupunta ang atay. Pero dahil mabait akong kuya, ayos lang.

Buti nalang, dalawa ang hita at binti ng manok. Hindi kami nag-aagawan ni utol.

Kadalasa'y naiiwan talaga ang buong pitso at ang magkapares na mga pakpak. Itinatabi ito ng tatay para babaunin namin papuntang eskwelahan kinabukasan.


KAHIT PAGOD SAPAGKAT tatlong magkakasunod na araw nang maraming gawain sa loob ng manukan , pinilit ko pa ring magkatay ng isang manok kanina. At dahil hindi naman nababagay sa uri ng manok na 'tong gawing tinola, iniluto ko itong adobo para sa aking hapunan. Wala pang isang oras, isang napakasarap na hapunan na ang nasa aking harapan!

Kumpleto ang mga bahagi ng manok na nasa palayok kanina. May atay, may balunbalunan, may puwet... nadu'n ang paborito kong hita't binti, kasama pati pitso, mga pakpak, at dalawang 'adidas'. Naalala ko tuloy ang aming mag-anak...

Nasa harapan ko na ang lahat kanina. Pwede ko nang angkinin at tikman ang lahat ng gusto ko. Pero hindi ako natuwa. Kumpleto... ngunit may kulang!





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Sa lahat ng mga kaibigang sumuporta sa aking akdang The Keynote- na kalahok sa 2009 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards, maraming, maraming salamat po.


.

A Reply...

"Thanks RJ..."

"WE ARE ALL FATHERS in our own rights and realms. I know you are emulated in more ways than you ever thought by people whose lives got touched by your character."

"Happy Father's Day to all of us- we are all children, we are all fathers in our own worlds- what matters is we listen in awe to those who father our thoughts as we also make those little children that heed our stories drool in dreams of being, someday, like us!"

"The struggle always lie within- to make ourselves always worth emulating. It is not an easy path, nor we could always be perfect in our walk, but nevertheless, we should always carry ourselves in the path of always being true and valiant before the eyes of those who watch our pilgrimage."

"You will soon be a great father RJ, perhaps better than what I could, because I know you are already a great man today," my previous boss, Dr. Ed A. Lijauco replied.



Happy Father's Day to all!

Captive

The poultry farm in Spring 2008, South Australia...

He has never expected that his dreams could put him straight behind bars... that achieving his goal is coupled with countless limitations that could steal his youth away from him!

Australia has a total land area of 7.68 million square kilometres but he has been strictly confined in a 90-hectare poultry farm for the past fourteen months. The country has 21 million people, but he’s been dealing with only 1 person for two weeks now. He has been handling 500,000 birds inside the sheds but he’s been living alone inside his house for four hundred and forty-two days now.

This is his real world—his Australian workplace. The gateway is widely open but he couldn’t dare to pack his things up and leave his ‘cage’ behind—the cage of dreams that promises an exquisite and the most envied life that is yet to come...

This is his current Australian life, if he can call it ‘life’. A life away from his loved ones but closer to his dreams... a life where material wealth is undeniably abundant yet supreme happiness is evidently scarce!

Inbox

Pasensya ka na kung hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko pa rin nasasabi sa 'yong mahal na mahal kita... Natatakot kasi ako. Takot akong sabihin mo lang na wala kang nararamdaman para sa akin... na kaibigan lang ang turing mo sa akin. Takot rin akong baka hindi totoo itong nararamdaman ko para sa iyo... na baka kaya ko lamang nasasabi ngayong mahal na mahal kita dahil sa matinding kalungkutan at pangungulila rito sa ibang bansa.

Bakit mo pa kasi ako niyakap ng napakahigpit nu'ng huli tayong nagkita bago ako umalis papunta rito sa Australia? Napakatagal na nu'n, 29 buwan at anim na araw pero pakiramdam ko'y kahapon lamang ito nangyari. Tatlong oras bago lumipad ang aking sinakyang eroplano mula sa NAIA, nag-text ka pa sa aking, "See you... hope to see you in other parts of the world." Alam mo bang hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko pa rin ito binubura sa aking inbox? Ipinangako ko kasi sa aking sariling mananatili ang mensaheng 'yon sa aking telepono hanggang sa dumating ang araw na magkikita tayo rito sa Australia, at tuluyan na ring magsasama habambuhay.

May mga pangarap at pangako ako... pero ang pangarap na 'yon ay sariling pangarap ko lamang, at ang pangakong 'yon ay pangako ko lamang sa aking sarili. Wala naman kasi tayong pormal na usapan. Hindi naman tayo commited sa isa't-isa.

Ito rin siguro ang dahilan kung bakit sa dinami-dami ng mga babae rito sa Australia, nananatili pa rin akong nag-iisa hanggang ngayon. Naka-isang taon na ako sa Queensland, mahigit isang taon na rin ako rito sa South Australia, nakarating na ako sa mga lalawigan ng New South Wales at Victoria ngunit wala talaga akong nakitang katulad mo! Hindi naman nakapiring ang aking mga mata, hindi naman ako bulag, at hindi pa naman malabo ang aking paningin ngunit wala pa rin akong makita. Hindi lang pala 'bulag' ang pag-ibig; binubulag din pala nito ng mga taong umiibig! Talo pa nito ang katarata at glaucoma!

Madalas naman akong nagti-text sa 'yo pero napakadalang naman ng reply mo. Pero ayos lang, siguro'y abalang-abala ka palagi ngayon dahil balita ko'y umangat na raw ang posisyon mo sa trabaho. ...sa bagay, ang roaming sim ko, hindi ko naman tinatanggal 'yan sa cellphone ko. Text ka lang kapag kailangan mo ng makausap at tatawagan kita kaagad. Nandito lang ako, naghihintay ng mga mensahe mo.

Sana'y mapagbigyan mo ako. Sana'y hayaan mong patunayan ko sa iyo at sa aking sariling tunay ang nararamdam kong ito. Baka kasi akala mo'y sa Veterinary Epidemiology lang ako mahusay, nais kong malaman mong ang isang magmamanok na tulad ko'y marunong ring magmahal ng isang babaeng katulad mo.