Santa's Signing Off

Rakista ang peg, to?

‘Ne, ano sa sa Tagalog ang ‘Don’t block the driveway?' , jokingly asked by my tito when I was about eight years old.  The memory is still vivid. ‘Di ko po alam’, I replied.  Then he answered back teasingly, ‘Wag mong itiman ang daanang papunta, ‘di ba?, ‘di ba? Nakakatawa.  Wag mong itiman ang daanang papunta. Hahaha.’ He was amused by his own joke. I didn’t find it comical, then.  Or maybe I didn’t understand that it was supposed to be one of his gags.  Recalling the scene, it was his facial expression that makes me laugh.

My uncle, known to many as Ancis, is my favorite maternal uncle (I don’t have too many as a choice). He is a favorite, I am sure, of  my other cousins as well. When we were little, he used to bring us to and from school using tatay’s ride.

He is always that funny uncle.
He cooks good food. 
He is a fanatic of anything about radio (the electronics) and ironically, yes, he follows the serye  ‘ Walang Hanggan’.
He is a master to his several dogs, Maxi to be his favorite. 
He is the tito and lolo to every kid on the block.
I can say, in fact, he is fond of all the kids- The Lolo Ancis to the new generation Aplaya kiddos, my niece and nephews to name a few.

He used to play Santa and dress himself like one during Christmas Day Aplaya celebration. Always, he would try to sneak his costumes and detour from the opposite street (Quezon St) and surprise the giggling kids celebrating Xmas afternoon in Rizal St.  And always, he would try to deny as kids shouted,  ‘ Si Tito Ancis lang ‘yan, ‘di naman yan si Santa’.  He was always wearing his gigantic gold ring so kids would always recognize it was him. Yet, he would always play role and participate in these kiddie activities.

It is heartbreaking to see our Santa in pain.  It just doesn’t feel and look right. Even the moon and stars are not revealing themselves in tonight’s skies.  The celestial bodies in animation might be saying that there’ll be no Santa sleigh to guide tonight.

So as 10/11/12 ended, you may now take off your Santa costume and give yourself your due rest.  You can now sign off. All the parts you have played were all given justice.

We love you. Rest in peace, my beloved uncle.
Oscar, Kilo? Oscar, Kilo!
Did I hear you say, ‘10-4’?