World's Worst Leaving Party
24th April 2007
Leaving Party. Hospitalized child. Associated guilt.
I wish I did not have to spin those three phrases together to tell this
story, but spin them I must.
When I first stayed with
Reza at
Dumangas Country Village, it was as a boarder. Some of my volunteer fees
were given to Reza from accommodation and board. My second stay was as
friend. So Reza – bless her heart – did not ask for a single peso from me.
I felt a little guilty about this, but such in the Filipino way. As a way
of saying thank you, I put some money towards a mountain of food that
would feed the folks attending my low-key leaving party.
I was playing a game of Get-The-Basketball-Off-Tito-Malcolm with the
ever adorable Nicole and Ken-Ken (who is surely
destined to become a professional wrestler) just before we were about to
eat.
I'm not sure how it happened, but all of a sudden, Nicole fell
backwards from the melee and hit her head on the concrete to the sound of
a sickening thud. She looked a little shocked, but did not cry. I picked
her up and gave her a cuddle. She stayed quiet for a couple of seconds and
then started thrashing around in hysterics.
Mama Reza swooped in and took her off and calmed her down in a way that
only a Mama can. Nicole calmed down but remained eerily quiet. She was
whisked away to Reza's room where she was attended to by Rino, Reza's
brother and a trained nurse.
I was left outside and felt like a complete idiot. Nicole was in my
care, and I had somehow failed. This only added to the isolation I felt
that I mentione over here.
Rino popped in and out of Reza's room and quizzed Ken Ken (4 years old)
and I as to what exactly happened.
Nicole was still not crying. Little children are supposed to cry
when they are hurt. Nicole threw up a couple of times and people were
getting even more distraught.
The decision was made to whish Nicole off to the hospital. The mood of
the party had taken a nose dive and the rest of the guests left.
I was basically left alone in the house to stew with my guilt. Not
knowing what was wrong only added to my anxiety. Rino – being the wise
nurse that he is – popped in to see how I was doing.
I didn't get much sleep that night. Thoughts of swollen brains dogged
my thoughts.
Reza texted me in the morning to apologize (!) for not attending the
party. Nicole had an I.V. placed in her arm at the hospital and slept
peacefully through the night while concerned family and friends paced
nervously around her bed.
I saw Nicole again in the afternoon. She seemed her normal chirpy self
and gave me a big " Tito Malcolm" hug as soon as she saw me. What a great
kid!
I suspect she suffered a mild concussion from the fall. Thankfully, not
permanent damage was done.
The farewell party that
Pulao gave me
is an all time highlight of my life. This party is not.
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2005, 2006 and 2007 Malcolm Trevena.
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