The Song Plays On

Francis was filled with disappointment when he heard that he won't be able to have their same holiday tradition this year. The coronavirus made it difficult to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family in the Philippines, and they couldn't even go outside because of the lockdown.

"Ma, how are we gonna celebrate with our family this year?" Francis asked.

"With all the technology available, I'm sure we'll work something out." his mother reassured him.

The technology in the Philippines was very expensive, and their family would have to work very hard to get enough money. There wasn't much time to do so when Thanksgiving was right around the corner. Francis was really hoping to do karaoke this year. They started the tradition not long ago when Tito Andre married Tita Janella. (Tito and Tita mean uncle and aunt) Francis was scared of singing in front of his family when they first started but became more confident over the years. He even practiced singing in his room to impress them the next time they met.

On Thanksgiving day, Francis and his mother went out to purchase the ingredients for their Thanksgiving dinner. They didn't buy a turkey like everybody else, but only the authentic Filipino foods that would make your mouth water when explaining what it looks and tastes like. The two picked the best pork belly and got herbs and vegetables in the store. When they returned home, they were met with loads of bright colors wherever they looked. There were banners and other decorations everywhere. The sound of upbeat music and the smell of food cooking in the kitchen made Francis forget about his worries as he helped his father and mother with the meal. Angel, Francis's older sister, was the DJ to make sure that the best songs would be played for their celebration. Their neighbors even stopped at the house after smelling the aroma of heavenly made Lechon (pork belly) and pancit (Filipino noodles). Francis quickly put on his face mask before he answered the door and was greeted by his neighbors, who were also the parents of his friend Ralph at his school.

"Hey there, Francis! Do you mind asking your parents if we could do a potluck with them on this fine Thanksgiving?" Ralph's father smiled.

"Unfortunately we gotta keep social distancing, but we can always do a zoom meeting so the whole neighborhood can celebrate with us." Francis declared.

"Since we're social distancing, can you at least send some of that pork belly to our house?" Ralph's mother asked.

"Okay, okay. I'll ask my parents first."

That's when Francis realized. He and his family in the Philippines can do karaoke using a zoom meeting. He remembered that Lola (grandma) had an iPhone that they could use and so did his aunt, except that her phone had this horrible echo, every time they used WhatsApp. Now that he had agreed to do a zoom call with his neighbors, he suddenly became nervous about singing. His friends had never heard him sing, and they've only known him as your typical bookworm that was good at Math. He told his parents about his neighbors' request and then raced to his room to practice his singing. He was not going to make himself look like a fool in front of his neighbors by singing horribly. Angel knocked on his bedroom door with a concerned look on her face.

"What are you worried about, little bro?" she questioned.

"I don't wanna sound horrible when we're doing karaoke tonight, so I have to practice a lot," Francis explained.

"Francis, you have to remember that this isn't a singing contest. Karaoke is about having fun, and not worrying your head off if you sound perfect or not. It's not like everybody else sings like Bruno Mars or something." Angel said.

Even after the conversation with Angel, he still practiced anyway. He stayed in his room until his sister dragged him out for dinner. Their parents needed help creating a zoom meeting so that everybody could celebrate without having to leave their homes. The food at the table looked delightful and tasted heavenly. Francis ate his meal slowly to enjoy it as well as postpone the karaoke until everybody had finished dinner. That wasn't until he noticed his dog, Choco, eyed the food on his plate.

After loading the dishes into the dishwasher, his parents said their goodbyes and started another meeting with their family in the Philippines.

"Wait, why did you end the meeting?" Francis tilted his head in confusion, "I thought the neighborhood was going to do karaoke along with our family."

"Well, your wonderful and loving sister told us that you weren't comfortable with singing in front of the others, and it's not like the neighbors have to participate in our family tradition." Francis's mother patted his back.

After realizing this, Francis grabbed the TV remote and pressed the button to go to Youtube for their karaoke. He grabbed the laptop which was used for the zoom meeting and brought it to the living room. The family all gathered on the sofa and waiting for the others on the other end to join. Angel went into the kitchen and brought in some snacks and drinks.

"Hello Tito, hello Tita. Are the cousins with you?" Francis asked.

"Of course. They're practically squirming in their seats. Shall we get started with the karaoke?" Tito Andre grinned.

The family all took turns singing their favorite songs. Once the family member finished, there was a round of applause. Francis was back to his confident, carefree self, and he continued singing all night long. As expected, he received a lot of praise, for his family in the Philippines were even more impressed by his singing this year. Everybody was smiling and laughing, and having a good time. Francis couldn't wait until Christmas, when they would be doing karaoke once again, with even more delicious food. Hopefully, before then, the coronavirus would be cured and the others on the other side of the world could come over and celebrate.