Bakit parang wala kang kaibigan dito sa America?

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Yan ang tanong sa akin ng mga magulang ko pag napapansin nilang may lakad ang mga kapatid ko kasama ang kanilang mga kabarkada. Si Biboy may mga kaibigang mahilig mag-capoeira. Si Anna naman may mga nakabarkada na na kapwa Pilipinong bagong salta sa California at mga ibang lahi na naging katrabaho o kaklase. 

E ako: Ang taong bahay na laging ang anak ang bitbit sa pasyalan. Ang aking mga kaibigan dito sa USA nasa Southern California o sa East Coast karamihan. Walang nakatira sa Bay Area. Kaya naman nung pumunta kami sa San Diego, sinigurado kong kausapin ang aking mga kaibigan sa Southern California upang malaman kung pwede kaming magkita.

Dahil biglaan ang pagbyahe naming pamilya, dalawa sa tatlo kong kaibigan galing UPRHS ay nasa ibang lugar. Si Noah, nagkataon na walang lakad o pasok, kaya nakipagkita sa amin sa Chino. Nakakatuwa ang pagkikitang yun kasi ang tagal na naming di nagkita. Huli ata kaming nagkita ay 2019 pa; pareho kaming nasa Los Banos. Kaya ang kwentuhan namin ay tungkol sa buhay America at paano namin naiusod ang aming career kahit may COVID-19 pandemic. Bitin ang kwentuhan! Natutuwa sila Mommy at Daddy dahil sa wakas, nakakita rin sila ng kabarkada ko na dati ay kwento lang. Sa susunod na nasa Southern California kami, sana makasama din sila Juli at Ros pag nagkita kita. Masayang kwentuhan yan!


Maikli lang ang tigil namin sa Chino dahil mahaba pa ang byahe namin. Kulang-kulang na walong oras pa ang imamaneho ko pauwi dahil sa I-5 kami dadaan (hindi na sa Highway 101, sa sobrang haba ng ruta na yun, kinabukasan pa ang dating namin sa bahay). Naalala ko tuloy si Robert Frost, "and miles to go before I sleep."

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