Michael Jackson was very famous in the Philippines and the world you know. Maybe you have seen on YouTube all the prisoners in Cebu dancing their Thriller dance. I will tell you my story about when I heard that he died.
I hope you read my story before about Typhoon Feria in my home in Samar Province. I was visiting there for the Fiesta San Juan. After the Fiesta, I had to get back to where I live in Pampanga because I have a lot of work to do.
Really I was tired of so much time with my very big family in Samar, and I needed a break. I was also helping my Kano friend visit Samar, and it was very hard for him.
It also was hard for me because I worried a lot about this. The very hot weather is bad for him and he is not used to a place without electricity or toilet or pillows lol!
And the usual problems with money and some family fights made me tired in the province too.
So I had many things on my mind. First we had to go to Tacloban, but our only way to begin was in my dad’s small boat. It was not good to ride it four hours to Tacloban. So we took it two hours to the town of Babatngon. You can see this boat in main part of the picture here. It has the orange paint inside and the man standing next to it.
The boat does not have protection from the sun. So we left very early at 5am and we had to make sure our Kano friend had all of his skin covered. The sun in the Philippines will make a Kano’s skin the color of blood talaga.
There were eight of us in the boat, because we took some other people with us who are from Tacloban. And we needed help with all of our bags so we had people for that too.
From Babatngon we can take a very crowded van to Tacloban. The van did not leave until we had almost 20 people. This ride is for about one or two hours, I don’t remember.
Then in Tacloban we had to buy airline tickets to return to Manila. We did not have much money left, and I knew the tickets would be expensive to fly the same day. But we got lucky, we had enough money to get home.
So when we got into the van I was thinking about many things. The van had a little TV playing. My Kano friend heard on the TV that Michael Jackson died. This was at 8am. He told me, but I did not hear him. I think I was tired of listening to him!
We did not get home to Pampanga until almost 10pm. I was very tired. We did not eat all day because we had no money. Later my friend found 120 pesos he forgot about. I wanted to kick his butt lol!
At home a friend told me Michael Jackson died. I was very shocked. I love all of his music. Even though I am very young, I know all of his music, even when he was a little boy. This was a very sad thing to me and to everyone in the world, I think. I am sorry for his family but I think God is taking care of him now.
I told my Kano friend that Michael Jackson died. He tawa (laughed). “I told you this morning!,” he said a little angry. He thought that I did not care. He thought maybe I did not know who Michael Jackson was. He did not know that I just ignored him hahaha.
Many Kano are very matalino (smart) and they can make good money with only their minds. But sometimes they are blind to people in the Philippines. They do not see or understand what is happening. I mean, of course I know who Michael Jackson is! Wow, my Kano friend says the heat affects his brain sometimes. I agree!
I was also a huge Michael Jackson fan. But I am old, the same age as Michael, I grew up with his music, I am still sad today that he is gone.