Closure

“There are certain things that you become fond of, and you welcome them and resent the new things.” – Ernest Hemingway, The Gambler The Nun The Radio

            For hundreds of people from Milaor  who commute everyday, going home is always a trip like no other.Understandably, after a hard day’s work, home is the place where one wants to be.

            Since the abrupt closure of the old terminal in Tabuco, Naga City for jeepneys plying Naga-Milaor and its transfer to the Central Business District (CBD) and LCC, catching a ride has become as elusive as gold in the Olympics. Yet there were jeepneys that managed to squeeze through the closed down area of the old terminal, ignoring the sign and wood obstruction that interlocked the passageway. So if the Abu Sayyaf was able to escape the cordon of the military, that would not be news because people are used with getting through no matter what. Well the change of terminal is expected somehow because new things and innovations will eventually come.

(Unlike the terminal, we do not have to wait, for change. We can  proactively go ahead with faith and confidence in our hearts.)

            However, at this point in time, the change of terminal site has confused the people of Milaor. They are torn between two terminals; one in the CBD or LCC and the other in the old terminal in Tabuco. The choice could be plain and simple. But how I wished that come this election, our choice would be that plain and simple as in choosing between good and evil. The fact is we are always forced to choose among evils so we pick the lesser evil wishing that someday he/she would become good. Anyway, I have yet to find a genie in a battle for my wish to come true.

            Because there are jeepneys willing to load commuters, they precisely continue to flock the old terminal. Not discounting, though, that the people might have developed the routine and too much attachment to the place that is why they keep on coming back. Or it might be convenience that continues to draw them to the old terminal. If not, the people might be resisting change and stick to whatever they are used to.

And this could be a case of a disconnection which is a not as effortless to let go as the goodbye kiss. Something, however, is left worthy to cherish and to keep yet the act of moving forward is inevitable.

            A friend of mine taught me the essence of how to end any relationship that might have unpleasant hang-ups caused by fateful departure by one or the other. One may associate the end of relationship with healing but the two are of distinct characteristics since the latter presupposes a hurt feeling. In this case, there is no hurt feeling engendered instead a sense of attachment. End of relationship or cycle is said to be sine qua non to make progress with one’s life without unmasking the bitterness and harsh lies of the relationship. It is about the painful truths of realities – the doomed farewell, letting go of something part of oneself, unexpressed love or hate – to be able to accept those and carry on.

            After more than a week now whenever I happen to pass by that closed terminal in the morning, I sense a bit of my peoples’ history. I could still hear the whispers of the town’s secret, the grumbles of life’s complaint, the surprise of meeting old friends, the amusement of various stories, the relief of finding an acquaintance, all being drowned by the resounding shout of the name of a hometown.

            No matter what the reasons are why the people continue to insist in coming to the old terminal, I think what is paramount to their consideration is the significance of going home. Wherever the terminal is, the people of Milaor are not going anywhere but home.