A Cart Full Of Noodles

Ate Connie with Kuya Ed's personalized photo.

In 2014, the nuns in Courtice were asking me to organize Simbang Gabi in this part of Durham Region.  The idea was supported by the pastors of St. Therese Parish which were adjacent to their convent. The Daughters of St. Mary of Leuca run a Day Care Centre of which I am their Videographer during their children's Christmas Presentation for the past two years as part of my community volunteering.

Simbang Gabi invites Filipino priests to Officiate and Celebrate the mass to have a feel of what Simbang Gabi is as a treasured Christmas Filipino tradition. The nightly Simbang Gabi Sponsors  will do all the activities during the mass; as Offerers, Readers, taking charged of the mass collections and others. We want the Sponsors to feel important and understand the responsiblities that goes with the celebration. The Offertory is the best part to see and experience as family members and friends on that group walked the aisle to offer gifts. It is a sight to behold as they bring gifts to the altar. I mean for me, it is the best part aside from the Eucharist.

At the end of the mass, similar to the tradition back home where families gathered on the table to partake a prepared home-made delicacies. A precious moment of bonding with loved ones. In this Simbang Gabi where the landscape is different, we go to the church hall provided to us, and share the foods brought by the respective nightly Sponsors.  Simbang Gabi attendees will then gather and eat, tell stories and make friends. It helps build camaraderie and friendship.

On our second year in 2015, my roommate and I went shopping in an Ajax Chinese Market and saw noodles on sale. It may have been so cheap that she filled the cart with fifteen packages of noodles for the popular Filipino Pancit that caught the eyes and attention of a Filipino couple and asked what the noodles were for? My roommate explained that she will cook noodles for Simbang Gabi as backed up in case the nightly Sponsors can't cope up.

They started talking about Simbang Gabi and my roommate tried to invite them. That year it was held at St. Gertrude's Parish in Oshawa. The couple, Ate Connie and Kuya Ed did not promised to come, however, they will try their best because both of them have specific schedules for dialysis.

I can't remember anymore what night was it when they showed up at the church. We were up in the loft for the choir, we didn't know they were there until we bumped on them after the mass while refreshments were served at the church hall.  In my joy of seeing them, especially Ate Connie (because I am very closed to my mom), I asked for a selfie. Kuya Ed was quick to say no...."I wanted the other one!" Well I guess the feeling was mutual because I am not closed to my father and therefore history repeat itself.  But he did agreed politely. After which, I have to call my roommate because he wanted to see her.

I am sensitive to rejection considering who I am....so that gesture of him slightly pulling back, makes me think of him as I retired that night. I have a habit of thinking about people that has considerable moment of impact in my life. I wasn't upset...I just realized he was some kind of a man with a very strong conviction. One more thing,  he does not hide his feelings. Most of us when grabbed for selfie, whether we like it or not, we smile for the click. He does the contrary. I smiled at that upfront response with an agenda to know him more.

With Family of Ate Connie, Kidney Walk 2017, Oshawa

Kuya Ed must have found my roommate very easy and comfortable to talk with and discuss even on sensitive and personal issues and stories. It was this evening, I guess that they come forward with their very personal ordeal about their Kidney problems and afflictions and that they were awaiting Kidney donors so both of them can have a transplant.

On the following nights, we included both of them on our nightly mass intentions and encouraged all mass attendees to pray for them. They became the focal points of our prayer intentions that they found their donors. At the culmination of Simbang Gabi before the mass began, I made special mention of the two of them and how we storm heavens for their hearts' desire. Ate Connie came up to me after the mass and grasped my hands in gratitude.

Every year, like many Simbang Gabi,  all of us go on with our lives with the changing seasons. We never heard again about Kuya Ed and Ate Connie until our third Simbang Gabi at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Oshawa in 2016, when they showed up announcing both of them have undergone Kidney Transplants successfully. I am stupidly strong but I was really left speechless with what I heard. What? Both of them had transplants? Ate Connie looked great as well as Kuya Ed despite a sling on his arm.

We again acknowledged them at the mass and this time, we were already thanking God for the answered prayers that these two wonderful couple received. We let them joined the Offertory that evening when they came. However, early this spring, Kuya Ed departed, not due to his kidney problems but for something else. Ate Connie informed us of his passing and together with Fay Graves and Jhel Kopp of Simbang Gabi, we joined Ate Connie and her family during this difficult moments.

It was also this time of grief that I stumbled on Kuya Ed's life's treasures and who he was in his lifetime. His life was displayed on leaves artistically created by one of his children. He was indeed a man of principles. Those glossy plaques and pictures of him reflecting his authority on his profession and his own life and you bet, he can tell me on my face, "I want a picture with the other one."  My admiration of him grew as I peek on every display mounted inside the funeral room where he lay peacefully. What a man!

We never lost touch again with Ate Connie. Every now and then we chat, say hello and listen to each other's heartbeat like a true mother that she is. Ate Connie attended two of my events already. A couple of weeks ago, she sent me an invitation of her participating on a Kidney Walk at Lakeview Park, September 24, 2017.

Kidney Walk Oshawa, Sep 24, 2017 for Ate Connie's Advocacy

So today I showed up in support of Ate Connie, a teacher from a prestigious school in the Philippines, actually a professor back then who came to Canada with the whole family in 1988 with an Accountant husband, and Examiner and many more of Kuya Ed's luminous life before coming to Canada, making sure she don't walk alone aside from her children who walked with her today. She raised less a thousand today...Next year maybe more...This is her Advocacy. Both her and Kuya Ed had been supporting this Fundraiser for the Kidney Foundation of Canada.

I think Ate Connie deserves a stronger voice and a throng of community friends to walk with her at next year's Kidney Walk at Lakeview Park in Oshawa. Blue tee? I have one today.

Ate Connie along the trails of Lakeview Park for the Kidney Walk, Sep 24, 2017.