THE GOODBYE KID!!

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

We call him Bobot, my endearment name for him is Bootchie.A nice young kid in his early twenties that came to our family from back home. Just graduated from nursing and wanted to see the life of a nurse in the states, which he did, with no complaints or any problems. He studied the trade, learn it and put it all in his mind and heart.

Last night he bid us all goodbye and then down at my basement, spent some time with his cousins drinking and doing some pranksters to some of his cousin and most of all to some girls his age who are also from back home in the Philippines. They stayed until the wee hours of the morning. I left them down at the basement, and can hear their laughter from upstairs inside my bedroom. I was still awake when he came home at the crack of dawn, but did not stand up anymore because I don't want to embarrass him.

He played with his young nieces and nephews and had a hard time explaining to them where and why he is leaving. Cora asked me when I returned back from the airport:

"Tito Mel, is it true that Tito Bobot is no longer coming back?". "He took all his things, I counted the bags from my fingers and it was like this" (Cora showing three fingers from her right hand) "Why is he not coming back Tito Mel?"

I just smiled, because I don't know how to explain to a 3 years old these questions she was asking from me about his Tito Bobot.

Then came the twins...with another inquisitive questions: "Tito Mel, is Tito Bobot still coming to our birthday party?" "He will love Chuckie Cheese and my mom said plenty of pizza". I just smiled and told the twoins the truth that Tito Bobot will not attend the birthday.

How do you explain things that will hurt the kids...silence is the only way out.

Then came the questions of Drichmond, Bobot's cousin who is his age and very close friend and comrade in arms during his stay. He asked: "Tito Mel...how's my cousin when he left?" I just said to Drichmond that Bobot was okey. I don't want him to feel bad about the loneliness in leaving the family and him of his cousin. Then he said to me something that moved me: "Tito Mel...can I keep the mini keg that Bobot bought last night as a remembrance of him". I did not stop him. This is the only way he could live up the nice memory that evening with cousin.

And so Auntie Patti Koh, the kid left....like my eldest son said to me: "He is like a mists Daddy that came to our lives and will disappear and will leave the things like as if nothing happened."

It did not dawn on me what he was saying, until I took this nephew of mine at the airport this noontime.

We will miss him so,

Sincerely yours,

INFRATERNAM MEAM