Airport Movie

My butcher brother who is based in Saudi contacted my sister to tell her that his workmate was coming home and was bringing with him the cellphone that my dear brother got for his wife. Brother wanted my sister to meet the returning OFW at the NAIA Terminal 3 to get the cellphone from him. The flight was in the evening, and I volunteered to accompany sister to the airport so she wouldn't have to go home alone that night.

The instruction was simple. Meeting the guy whose face my sister saw on Facebook as prompted by my brother shouldn't be so difficult. No other detail was given.

We waited at the airport. My sister and I kept an eye on a small bespectacled fat guy as this was the description my brother had given. I gave up looking and instead took my seat on the floor away from the waiting crowd, and observed the people.

We were not alone waiting

This scene made me smile

How awed I was at the scenes that unfolded before my eyes. I was like watching movies. I never thought that arrival scenes depicted in Philippine movies were true. I saw exciting returning OFWs, anxious family members and welcoming friends. Warm embraces, big smiles and excited chatter filled the evening air. It was beautiful.

Domestic and international passengers with their cheerful companions came and went. All international flights that were to arrive at the terminal that night did not have the bespectacled OFW. Needless to say that the cellphone that we were supposed to meet and greet did not arrive that day, and I was fuming mad at my brother for making us go all the way out to the airport late that evening. However, I couldn't not tell him so because texting or calling him would cost a lot more.

But it was a snapshot of the realities that I was beginning to understand especially now that I have an OFW for a brother. The notions of "padala" and "sundo" in the OFW context became clearer and more real to me.

Poor sister waited for close to two hours