09 September 2010

E goes home to Ecuador

The moment I've been dreading has come. E's father has finished his PhD and the whole family is now on their way home to Ecuador. How's my little one taking it? I don't really know. Sometimes I think I'm the one who's taking it too hard. Or is it so? 




When I told him last month that E will not be attending K-3 class anymore, he just asked why, took my answer coolly, and asked for more milk. I thought that was it. That's how pre-school aged kids are with friendship. Then we run into E and his family a few days later, and E instantly gave him a hug. We parents just looked at each other with our adult don't-take-them-too-seriously smiles (shame on us!). 

Between these two, E is the more expressive one. He always shows his affection unabashedly to my little one. My son is a bit different (hello! I think by now, that's an understatement). Sometimes, especially with the things that really matter a lot, he can be very subtle with his reactions. You'd think nothing happened to him, until small signs give you a peek of what's really going on inside.


One night my little one and I were playing the "I like" game (where you complete the sentence with the funniest thing that comes to mind). "I like tickles...I like stinky feet...I like kulahngot..." And then out of the blue, the little one said, "I like to go to Ecuador one day so I can visit E." ... 

Last Sunday afternoon, he was working like a bee, asking for sticky tape, scissors, more sticky tape, sharper pencils; until curiosity got the better of me and I asked what he was making -- he said, " A "watch" for E."  ...


Tonight, at prayer time, I asked him to pray for the usual people - mom, dad, him, lolo, lola... Then he added,"And E, mum, let's pray for him."  ... After that, he blew E a good night kiss. ...

We went to their apartment two days ago to say goodbye. E's parents let him come over to our place to let them play together for one last time. The play time ended just like the way it did in the past. E's dad would come pick him up, say thank you, and that was that. Yet, that night, I wondered,  if these two kids understood that that was the last time they would ever play again. ...


Maybe I'm just making a lot of drama out of this. The burden of being the adult in the scene, of being the one who's had her own share of goodbyes, is that she feels the weight of that moment. 
Still I'm happy that my little one has learned to cherish a friend at such a young age. And thanks to photography, he will have memories of this friendship to return to.

1 comment:

ruthietheotaku said...

I'm sure he will be fine :-) He will miss him but the world is full of other friends for him :-)