REFLECTIONS: The Phone Call
by Teresita Bacani-Oropilla, MD
Midnight in Louisville, a long distance call from the Philippines! Who would be calling? Family? An emergency? They certainly would know about the date and time change! They are 12 hours ahead and certainly would respect grandma’ s midnight sleep! Or jolt her to instant awakeness!
Surprise! On the sending end of the call was an elderly nicely coifed lady eating lunch!? Nonchalantly, she announces she is going to visit an old friend named Caridad, and two others, and have a tea party that afternoon with them.
Was it part of a dream? It was not! Was it part of an old, recorded film suddenly come to view? It was not! She was an old dear friend, circa post-World War II, when we resumed going back to high school at ages 16 to 18. We are now in our late 90s, pushing to become centenarians! In opposite parts of the world! And she calls!( From a grandson’ s phone, of course!). that helped liberate the Philippines from Japanese rule, had gone back to the U. S. Families that had evacuated to their farms or mountain retreats were back in the cities and resumed peaceful endeavors such as family reunions, restoring their businesses and sending their children to school. We were some of those, finished our courses, practiced our callings, raised our families and moved all over the“ modern” world!
To get a phone call 70 years later and fill in the gaps like it was yesterday is not only astonishing! It reflects the love and memories or years gone by! It is the recorded history of humankind! It also shows what is a“ HUMAN.” They love, live and remember!
Would you like to get a midnight call from the past? Would you?
Dr. Bacani-Oropilla is a retired pediatrician and psychiatrist.
Back in those days, WWII was just over. American soldiers, those
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