Noreen

The 8-Shaded Rainbow -pArt 8

Funny how coincidentally, when I counted it today, it turned out to be about eight months now since that trip to Banff.  Eight months, eight shades.  Hmmm... I think all I needed now is just one more “8” then I would go bet and could win the lottery!!!  One more “8” or maybe, one more friend.

In the course of almost eight months, somewhere in between, the 8-shaded rainbow in my head didn’t really stay “8” far much longer.  It became 9...4...7...5...1...8 again... back to 9 and right now, for me, it has just become all but a still image, some unrecognizable number between 1 and 9, yet, so vivid in my mind – only yellow and blue sometimes, all purple on rainy days, green and red on some occasions.  In my nightmares however, all the colors are there looking so much like the picture on a little kid’s first finger painting stint – chaotic, dramatic, bewildered.

In the meantime, before I lay my card to conflicts, let me tell you how 8 became 9. 

Noreen.  She is 32 - happily married to Dominic and a doting mom to Helena, her 6 year old daughter.  And yes, just like the rest of us, except Janelle, Noreen’s family is left back home in the Philippines as well.  She’s a masseuse – a good paying profession she chose to let go of in exchange of a better life she aspires for her young family.  Noreen and I share an extra special friendship.  We have known each other for, give or take, 3-4 years now.  We went through Proficiency Training together back in the Philippines.  We snubbed the free food in the training center (you can imagine how free food looks like, right?)  We feasted on Pork BBQ and roasted Chicken at the nearby restaurant instead.  We finished the month-long- training in one week and braved the assessors’ intimidating questions against our trainers’ will.  We lined-up late to get the results and got them ahead of those who were standing way upfront the line.  We jumped and screamed to the positive results of our assessment, amidst the arching brows of the rest of the examinees.  We didn’t care.  All we know is that we passed with flying colors and only later did we know that our training center has some political-affiliation going on with the Assessing Agency, that’s why we don’t necessarily need to wait in line.  Well, I have proven one thing then, that politics is good only if it works on your favour. *wink* 

She left for Hong Kong two days earlier than me.  And for some reasons, we lost contact.  Until one day, my brother sent me an email with Noreen’s Hong Kong phone number.  (It turned out that the last time I texted Noreen before she left for Hong Kong, I was using my brother’s mobile phone.) The rest, again, was history.  As soon as we found each other in Hong Kong, we were total allies.

She has gone through a difficult employer-employee relationship in Hong Kong.  But she made it just fine.  Together, we didn’t let go of our ultimate dream – to come to Canada.  (For some reasons connected to our government system in the Philippines, it is an awfully-shameful process to apply directly to Canada from our country.)  Hong Kong was our ticket to ride.  And because it was, we did whatever it takes to get hold of that ticket.

           Noreen for all I’ve known of her is a very determined being - emotionally stable, observant and ready to learn along the way. She confesses how she regrets not being fluent in English.  She is health conscious (good for her), she is grumpy sometimes (like who doesn’t get grumpy at all?), she nullify affinity and affection when it becomes a bit tight.  She sets a wall when she smells fluidity.  She wanted to have her eyes only to her husband and child.  She is Dominic’s wall, but she melts when he gets mad.  She would give up fun and claim it’s not her thing if only to show her husband the respect.  Well, don’t get me wrong but it sometimes seems too mushy for me perhaps because I am not her.  I couldn’t even speak about my idealism here relationship-wise, because I myself am out of a relationship (some reputation...)  Like a dentist talking about breast implants huh? 

Recently, I have had to deal with my biggest sorrow to date.  Noreen was there, not so much of those words, but a pat on the back worked like magic.  I haven’t had the chance to tell this girl how I appreciate having her in my life but I guess she’s seen it more than I needed to speak of.

So, naturally, I introduced Noreen to the ladies.  (Her struggle against a difficult employer-employee relationship in Hong Kong, followed her in Canada like some fate we were talking)  She had it worst when she, against her will of course have had to cut off her employment from this “Cruela De Vil” of the modern age.  Anyway, she came to Canada about a couple of months later than me – in another town, about 45 minutes away from where I am.  The culprit sent her off the house packing at an unholy hour of the night.  Nowhere to go, too shy to call my place, she called a taxi instead and went to the house of somebody she knew closest to where she is leaving from.  BUT NO TEARS, mind you.  She told me later, she stood there still, feet firm on the ground, while the evil woman point her finger to her and almost about to slap her.  Oh Jessie, yes, I know I couldn’t possibly be as strong as Noreen.  I weep upon hearing an angry voice an octave higher than the usual.  But Noreen is different.  I wish I have her strength, I wish I am as brave.

But hey, just like all of us, Noreen is human too.  And just like any other heroes and heroines, she’s got an Achilles’ heel of her own – Dominic.  He, for the last few months has been ill of this and that.  Acute gastroenteritis, appendicitis, Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) and most recently, he needed to have tonsillectomy.  Good heavens!  Does it ever end?  Noreen cries very rarely (except of course for the tons of tears she already let go of on her favourite “Filipino Telenovelas” which she religiously follows in YouTube.)  But Dominic is a rare case.  He is Noreen’s life.  And while she knows deep down in her heart that it is not right to question the goings of her life on earth, I actually eavesdropped the other day, nosy as I am, and heard her saying: “Why Dominic?  There are lots of irresponsible men out there with so many vices... Dominic doesn’t drink alcohol, he never smokes... why him?”

In between Noreen’s sobs and endless sighs, I somehow came to understand another side of her.  While she is here to take care of her family’s future, inside her soul, all she really just wanted, is to be where Dominic and Helena are.