Ressa slept with tears down her face as she gently wiped them off with her flimsy fingers. She cried all night because she noticed the night sky through her bedroom window. She could see the full moon that night.
Unfolding back to her childhood years, it was the summer before she would be in 3rd grade upcoming fall. It was the first time she had been to the Philippines ever since she was an infant. Yet, she didn't believe the trip taken as an infant counted, since 'it's not a trip unless you remember it'. It was a dark, warm night as she was lying underneath a gallant guava tree that when you were looking up, you would feel so small compared to the branches sticking out from it's stump. There was one particular branch that was steeping towards her with the embellished fruits, and felt pleased to be pointing at her. She carefully pulled a guava from it's stem and rubbed it against her shirt, preparing to eat it for dinner. She quickly felt a tug from her back and had her mouth covered as she was about to scream.
She wasn't alone. It was her cousins who all wore the same attire: sleeveless shirts and short shorts in assorted colors. They were 5 lanky girls standing in the order from tallest to shortest. It was crazy for her to believe that she was related to them, as they were all beautifully striking and had an inner beauty that reflected back its charm, if not, more. Yet, they were all unique and had a gentle kindness in them that made you feel welcomed, even by them staring with a sweet smile.
"Shhh, it's just us. No need to wake up the whole village," they chimed.
Ressa instantly smiled from their presence. When she first met them, they instantly became close and have already gave each other cute nicknames and were eager to teach the Filipino-American how to speak phrases in tagalog in order to impress her friends when returning back home. It was Ressa's last day before she returned to leave for the shuttle bus to Manila, which will bring her back to the airport to depart back in Texas. They didn't acknowledge verbally to each other how Ressa would leave the next day, or else they would have been sobing, thinking of how much they grew to have known her, yet how much they would ache to see her walking out of their lives again. It was harder for Ressa to leave, though. She had never felt so much love in her life. Still, they acted as though it was just another night they were normally spending together, and in a way, it was the best way for Ressa to enjoy her last day in the Philippines.
They all huddled in a circle and continued to chat in hushed tones about whatever the nightfall had brought them to say.
"So what's it like in America, Ressa?" said one of the younger cousins as the conversation shifted towards her.
She gave a low hum to herself before she answered the question.
She wanted to say that it was nothing extraordinary like the Philippines, nothing as beautiful compared to the Mayon Volcano in the background from the dinky vehicles passing by her house everyday. America had buildings to keep people inside, as this particular pacific island had exotic weather that brings people outdoors 24/7. If anything, Ressa preferred her life in this homeland from her other home. She then looked up at her cousins awaiting her response, all with excited faces and jaws dropped, freezing their positions as Ressa opened her mouth to speak.
"It's different", she dully replied.
She could tell from their faces that they weren't pleased at all from her answer given, but they knew her well enough to not ask for more. All of their faces looked out, focusing at the moon. The moon luminated its light, as if it was giving off it's glow towards them. It was a full moon that night, and it had never looked as enormous to Ressa from how it looked like tonight.
"How could this moon possibly be the same moon I look at back home?'' Ressa mentioned in awe.
Ressa's cousins looked around to face her.
"Not as big as what you would see from America, huh?" said the older one.
Ressa quickly nodded, and they all drifted their faces at the glow again.
Silence filled the atmosophere as the birds, crickets, and frogs made up their mute from their sounds beneath the forest.
"You know, no matter where you are, the moon will always there. Whether you're staring through your home in America or sitting next to us underneath a tree," the youngest girl out of the circle said.
We all laughed in reply, because she was right. Suddenly we heard our parents calling our names, and we sneaked back into the back door of the house so they wouldn't know that we were outside the whole time.
It's now April 9, 2010; yesterday. Past all of Ressa's worries about preparing for college, past her upsets from her mistakes, past her aching heart from pleasing everyone with whatever they ask of her, there was a full moon that night to take those troubles away from her. And she thought of that night when she was in the Philippines, how long ago it was, and how much she cherished it. She wondered if her cousins told God for this night to have a full moon, as though the moon's shine was an eyepiece to a view of the familiar foriegn island, seeing her relatives wave at her as she lied down in her bed continually gazing at the glow from her bedroom window. She waved at the moon just in case this idea was true. Then, she started crying.
It's been 9 years, and Ressa couldn't have been more jealous at the moon as she was on April the 9th. The moon has watched her and her cousins living on without each other all this time. Yet, she couldn't do anything about it, but look at the moon, hoping her cousins were looking out from their window, too.
Unfolding back to her childhood years, it was the summer before she would be in 3rd grade upcoming fall. It was the first time she had been to the Philippines ever since she was an infant. Yet, she didn't believe the trip taken as an infant counted, since 'it's not a trip unless you remember it'. It was a dark, warm night as she was lying underneath a gallant guava tree that when you were looking up, you would feel so small compared to the branches sticking out from it's stump. There was one particular branch that was steeping towards her with the embellished fruits, and felt pleased to be pointing at her. She carefully pulled a guava from it's stem and rubbed it against her shirt, preparing to eat it for dinner. She quickly felt a tug from her back and had her mouth covered as she was about to scream.
She wasn't alone. It was her cousins who all wore the same attire: sleeveless shirts and short shorts in assorted colors. They were 5 lanky girls standing in the order from tallest to shortest. It was crazy for her to believe that she was related to them, as they were all beautifully striking and had an inner beauty that reflected back its charm, if not, more. Yet, they were all unique and had a gentle kindness in them that made you feel welcomed, even by them staring with a sweet smile.
"Shhh, it's just us. No need to wake up the whole village," they chimed.
Ressa instantly smiled from their presence. When she first met them, they instantly became close and have already gave each other cute nicknames and were eager to teach the Filipino-American how to speak phrases in tagalog in order to impress her friends when returning back home. It was Ressa's last day before she returned to leave for the shuttle bus to Manila, which will bring her back to the airport to depart back in Texas. They didn't acknowledge verbally to each other how Ressa would leave the next day, or else they would have been sobing, thinking of how much they grew to have known her, yet how much they would ache to see her walking out of their lives again. It was harder for Ressa to leave, though. She had never felt so much love in her life. Still, they acted as though it was just another night they were normally spending together, and in a way, it was the best way for Ressa to enjoy her last day in the Philippines.
They all huddled in a circle and continued to chat in hushed tones about whatever the nightfall had brought them to say.
"So what's it like in America, Ressa?" said one of the younger cousins as the conversation shifted towards her.
She gave a low hum to herself before she answered the question.
She wanted to say that it was nothing extraordinary like the Philippines, nothing as beautiful compared to the Mayon Volcano in the background from the dinky vehicles passing by her house everyday. America had buildings to keep people inside, as this particular pacific island had exotic weather that brings people outdoors 24/7. If anything, Ressa preferred her life in this homeland from her other home. She then looked up at her cousins awaiting her response, all with excited faces and jaws dropped, freezing their positions as Ressa opened her mouth to speak.
"It's different", she dully replied.
She could tell from their faces that they weren't pleased at all from her answer given, but they knew her well enough to not ask for more. All of their faces looked out, focusing at the moon. The moon luminated its light, as if it was giving off it's glow towards them. It was a full moon that night, and it had never looked as enormous to Ressa from how it looked like tonight.
"How could this moon possibly be the same moon I look at back home?'' Ressa mentioned in awe.
Ressa's cousins looked around to face her.
"Not as big as what you would see from America, huh?" said the older one.
Ressa quickly nodded, and they all drifted their faces at the glow again.
Silence filled the atmosophere as the birds, crickets, and frogs made up their mute from their sounds beneath the forest.
"You know, no matter where you are, the moon will always there. Whether you're staring through your home in America or sitting next to us underneath a tree," the youngest girl out of the circle said.
We all laughed in reply, because she was right. Suddenly we heard our parents calling our names, and we sneaked back into the back door of the house so they wouldn't know that we were outside the whole time.
It's now April 9, 2010; yesterday. Past all of Ressa's worries about preparing for college, past her upsets from her mistakes, past her aching heart from pleasing everyone with whatever they ask of her, there was a full moon that night to take those troubles away from her. And she thought of that night when she was in the Philippines, how long ago it was, and how much she cherished it. She wondered if her cousins told God for this night to have a full moon, as though the moon's shine was an eyepiece to a view of the familiar foriegn island, seeing her relatives wave at her as she lied down in her bed continually gazing at the glow from her bedroom window. She waved at the moon just in case this idea was true. Then, she started crying.
It's been 9 years, and Ressa couldn't have been more jealous at the moon as she was on April the 9th. The moon has watched her and her cousins living on without each other all this time. Yet, she couldn't do anything about it, but look at the moon, hoping her cousins were looking out from their window, too.
Dedication to all my girlies in the Philippines, because visiting you every 2-4 years isn't good enough anymore in my life; I wanna be with you guys. :( I miss you with all my heart.
