A few changes

A lot has changed. It was weird. Too weird. It was weird that Reign was not packing tank tops, thin cardigans, shorts, sunhats and sunscreen. It was nearing the end of November and that usually meant a trip back home to the ever sunny and hot Philippines. She always looked forward to her annual trip back home because that meant a month long freedom from work, and just dilly-dallying across beautiful beaches in Palawan or Boracay. It wasn't always smooth sailing though; long lost uncles and too nosy aunts seemed to pop in from time to time only to judge every single person that's younger than them. God knows Reign has had enough with Aunts who gain satisfaction over commenting on her weight and the salary of her job despite working in a country miles away from them with a minimum wage that's equivalent to a Filipino employee's maximum one. Reign almost always wheezes every time she's being judged only to be asked if she had any extra basketball shoes and chocolates for their kids. But besides the usual comments here and there and as well as the constant need to remind Reign that she needs to be wedded to a nice young man ASAP, Reign loved going home because of all the traditions that she love. But this year made Reign have to push back her plans of traveling back home because of a virus that's had way too much fun jumping from one person to another who aren't wearing masks and are not within a few feet away from each other. She'd been sulking all week long as she dreamed about the usual chilly mornings while attending simbang gabi then proceeding to munch down on the various delicacies a whole line of vendors had stored on their tabletops. The lighting of Christmas trees and parols was such a sight to see that she missed the excited grins on her nieces and nephews faces. She missed the Christmas carols too; she always laughed whenever she'd hear the kids start to mumble sing the wrong lyrics to the song and proceed to just bang their tambourines made out of cola bottle caps and drums made out of milk tin cans. Noche Buena, or Christmas Eve, was something Reign always looked forward to, but not because she wanted to stay up to wait for Santa Claus, she just wanted to start feasting on the food on the table, and you know what they say about a Noche Buena feast; it just never seems to end. Alas, this Christmas would be spent away from them and from all the Filipino Christmas traditions. But Reign had a plan. Video calls. Easy. One problem? Most of her relatives have two citizenships; one for being Filipino and another for being a senior, and Reign knew how much of a struggle it already was when she taught her Lola to use a smartphone. Boy, did she have an earful of Tagalog curse words stuck in her head after her Lola freaked out over the Alexa thing. But since they didn't exactly have a backup plan on how to celebrate the holidays overseas. A zoom meeting was the closest thing to being them. Tagalog curse words and all. - "Mom, you're on mute" Reign said as she shook her head at her ranting mother on the screen of her computer. As her mother continued to try to find the button while totally ignoring her daughter's instructions, Reign admired the decorations behind her mother. Her father and younger brother were still busy putting up extra Christmas lights on the small plastic tree in their living room. A long table was already filled with food and at least two bowls of fruits, and a very happy and excited Aspin was perched on one of the chairs as he awaited for a juicy bone to be given to him. "This is gonna take a while" Joanna, Reign's cousin was laughing at the scene before them. Her laughter filling in the room Reign was in, her voice bouncing off the walls. Joanna's parents were also struggling to find the button to unmute themselves. Reign saw one screen where her grandparents were too close to the camera that you could see the whites in their noses. The other screen was of Reign's older sister who was busy running around trying to gather her very energetic twins as her husband and his brothers were bringing in the huge Lechon. The other screens were of her cousins enjoying the circus going on. "Perhaps conference calls would've been a better idea" Kyle, the only teenage cousin they had left, commented as he gestured to the camera. His background was a bit bare and hellish, Reign guessed Kyle didn't go home for the holidays and decided to stay at the dorms of his university. His Mom was on screen but busy chattering with some of her neighbors that decided to pay a visit. Reign erupted in laughter when everyone who was about to speak froze as the familiar words of a famous Philippine Christmas song started blaring through their speakers. "Well, I guess Tita isn't muted anymore" Paula sighed as she leaned back against her chair. Her arm was brushing against the small tree she had beside her while her fur babies were resting happily on the sofa behind her. "Anak!" Reign's Mother, Amelia, greeted happily. "Hi, Ma" Reign smiled at her. A chorus of "Hi Tita!" followed. Reign could not help the growing smile on her face. It was new, and sort of weird to just look at her relatives through a small screen on her computer. She couldn't exactly hug or make "Mano po" to her parents and grandparents, and she couldn't huddle with her cousins to try and prank their little mischievous nieces and nephews. The food on her table differed from the food on theirs. She had a real tree that she picked from a school sale a few blocks along her neighborhood while their trees were of plastic and of different colors. She had a few Christmas songs playing in the background, soft enough as to not bother her neighbors, while the rest had barking dogs, loud neighbors singing karaoke and singing roosters in theirs. It was almost 12 noon where she was, but it was nearing midnight in the Philippines. The traditional exchange gifts or Monito Monita could not take place this year though they did ship their gifts to one another, but due to the situation, the delivery would take far longer than they thought. "We're glad all of you are okay. Let's pray this thing doesn't last too long so that we can have our usual Christmas day tradition." Amelia said "Yeah, I don't think I can ever erase the image of Lola's nose boogers from my memory" Kyle shuddered. "And I'd rather have Lolo spoil my kids than have to chase after them all day" Reina sighed. "Where are you?!" Their Lola exclaimed "You're too close to the camera, La" Joanna said "Huh?" "Yeah let's never do this again" Reina chuckled. Reign laughed as well. She knew they meant well, and if circumstances like this happen again, they'd still be down to have zoom meetings like this. "Yeah, this is weird" Amelia agreed. It was weird. A bit far off from what they've been used to. Traditions have been put off for a while, travels on hold, and family warmth a bit far away, but despite the difference (time zone and all), Reign was just glad she could still be with her family. No tank tops under thin flowery cardigans with a glass of soda in hand with the feel of the fresh beach air, no 4AM masses and delicious puto bumbong, no long lost and hidden aunts and uncles, but the love was still radiating strongly. Maybe this year was weird but it still somehow felt the same. "Promise us you'll come home next time?" Amelia asked Reign "If everything is okay" Reign said "Maybe one day?" Reina asked Reign smiled, remembering the three words they once read before in their teens that they now carry with them. It's something they say whenever they're not sure of a promise they're making. "Maybe one day" "For now let's enjoy a nice Noche Buena" Reign added with a wide smile on her face. Reina copied the smile. Then a newcomer decided to join in the zoom meeting. "Oh Reign hija, you gained some weight! Don't forget pasalubong for my son, okay? Size 8 basketball shoes will do" Okay, maybe nothing has changed at all.