Feelings
A Queen’s Farewell
By Emmanuelle
Nowadays, town officials and fiesta organizers in Pangasinan and probably all other provinces, have discovered an almost bottomless financing source for their various projects or activities – the balikbayan community. They are eager, they are willing, and they can afford to help.
Probably, only a very anti-social expatriate or a hardened former streetperson from over there would slam the door on an honest solicitor’s face; and sometimes, even these two would shell out a dollar or two if the solicitor knocks at the right time of day. A dollar contribution can go a preciously long fifty-peso way.
Nevertheless, every now and then, the officials or organizers revert back to the old ways. They tap the local balikbayan community – the TAGAdia o TAGAdtoy. Those who never really left their town or the islands.
Last year, in an eastern Pangasinan town at the foot of the mountains, a TAGAdia girl won the crown of a queen by a humble margin. She won the hearts of the many though, by the widest margin. Including mine.
The following is a reproduction of this queen’s speech as she turned over her crown to a Fil-Am balikbayan. Unfortunately, that night, she was not here to do so; a few months before, she had just joined the list of our latest exports, the OFWs.
Do read on:
And so, full is the circle. Kumpleto na ang isang bahagi ng aking bilog na mundo. Magtatapos kung saan nagsimula ang isang kabanata ng aking buhay – sa pergolang ito.
A year ago, a town fiesta ago, I dreamed of being a princess. The dream did not come true. Alam na po ninyo ang nangyari.
I became Queen for a year! And now, someone shall live the dream.
It was fun. Sa totoo lang, it was more than fun! It was one of those delightful candy-sweet experiences that a girl, a daughter, a woman should include in her book of memories, before she becomes a mother, a grandmother, or just a mere whisper in the wind. Bago siya’y maging isang pangalan o alala na lamang na ibinubulong ng mapaglarong hangin.
It was a chance of a lifetime. So rare; kaya nga po, so precious.
By precious, I do not refer to the crown, the scepter, the lights, ang inyong mga palakpak, o ang mga paputok. Nor do I refer to the name or the fame, ang pangalan o ang karangalang dulot ng pagiging queen.
I refer to the precious opportunity, ang di-pangkaraniwang pagkakataon na to look back at a place where everything had began for me – my roots (or in my case, half roots – ang aking ama ay tagarito, ang aking ina ay isang Tausog-Maranaw). And not only to look back, but to take a second look, ikatlo, paulit-ulit.
To make a mark of one’s passing through. Ang makapag-iwan ng tanda ng pagdaan sa lugar na ito.
It does not matter that the mark is a mountain or a mole, isang bundok o isang hamak na umbok ng lupa lamang, as long as the mark was carved o inukit from the best of one’s self. Mga mahal naming kababayan, kapamilya at kapuso, my royal court and I give to you, hindi po isang kulong na monumentong semento. Handog po namin sa inyo ang bagong anyo ng Friendship Park. Where you are welcome to feel free, to walk barefoot, to skip, to jump, to lie down on the green grass, to scream! O di ba, parang tula ni Emmanuelle?
Sana ay palagiang gamitin po ninyo ito at ng inyong mga mahal sa buhay, at sana ito ay maging isang lugal ng kasiyahan at pahingahan matapos ang inyong araw ng pakikipag-buno sa hirap ng buhay.
At inyo po sanang pulutin ang inyong basura at ilagay sa tamang lalagyan.
Beginnings must have good endings; what better ending than a good beginning?! Ang bawa’t panimula, kung ito ay kina-kailangang magwakas, ay dapat bigyan ng magandang pangwakas. Ano pa ang nakahihigit sa isang magandang pangwakas kung hindi ang isa ring magandang panimula?
Sa bagong Reyna, to the Mayor and his wife, sicayon kabaleyan ko, and to my beloved parents General Wilfredo and Grace Dulay, I remain, simply KAREN PANGANDAMAN DULAY.
(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/feelings/)
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