By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
When birds nest on a bonsai pot
I was in the hospital for several days. For one who is “young” at heart, it is not difficult to accept the fact that I have lungs and heart issues. At my age, hospital stay is already necessary together with my admission of the fact, too, that hospital costs are escalating.
All these are factors that we have to prepare as we approach the sunset of our years. I do not anymore want to bother myself with the senior citizen discount including the Philhealth discount which does not anymore matter much. I do not even want to dig deeper into the Philhealth issues besetting our country today. I am sure that my “group” doesn’t anymore care where officials are bringing the Philhealth funds to. Moreover, I am not anymore interested in the decision the court might lay down regarding this matter. Huh!
Being a claustrophobic, I could not be holed in a closed hospital room. So, I asked my hospital companion to draw the curtains to the side of the area so I could see the view through the hospital glass window. And lo and behold, I saw birds nesting on a bonsai plant filled with tiny white flowers. Yes, there were birds perching on the bonsai plant where the pot was placed on the balcony just below the air-conditioning unit. I believe they chose that safe place so they could catch the drops of water from the air-conditioning unit.
The birds came by pairs. Feeling very stable in that little corner of the fathers’ quarters, the birds perched on that bonsai plant which to me was an extraordinary occurence.
With such scene which I cherished very often right from my room, my short stint in that hospital became a springboard to my musings of what has been going on around.
One of my thoughts was about the passing away of Pope Francis and Nora Aunor.
First, about Pope Francis. I truly felt he will be gone after he made a personal presence and blessing on Easter morning. Two months of hospitalization is a no mean feat. But there he was trying to be jovial even if people notice the sadness in his countenance.
And, Nora Aunor. I’ve not been a fan of Nora Aunor. I have always been a Vilmanian just like my having been a Susanian (for Susan Roces) instead of giving my votes for Amalia Fuentes. But we cannot deny her golden voice. Indeed, Nora was Lino Brocka’s favorite actress. The younger generation may not have known of Lino Brocka. He was one director who made Nora Aunor and Hilda Koronel, two big names in the industry. He said that the two have very impressive eyes. It is not only in singing that Nora superlatively excelled. She was a born artist. What with her HIMALA?
Thanks to the birds nesting on that bonsai plant on the balcony which was visible from my room. They ushered me into beautiful memories.
