A FRONTLINER'S CHRONICLE

Away from my family

    Yes, each passing day became an endless cycle of work, vitamins, eat, sleep, disinfection and prayers. Each day is a rerun of an 8-hour or sometimes 12-hour duty depending on the number of workmates who turns out positive and how many will be quarantined. Days pass by in a blur often accentuated with happy conversations with my kids thru facetime and attending virtual meetings, masses and funerals.Three months in a hotel on top of a hill overlooking a nearby gulf was spent as what I believe to be the most challenging phase in my career. It is protocol not to reveal the name of this hotel but I remember distantly how grand this hotel was. Enter nostalgia, I had several photos in my Ig way back when we held a convention here two or three years ago. Now, it is not the same grand scene anymore with the empty and quiet hallways wherein every time  I pass by I often wonder, how come is it so surprisingly quiet that even a needle dropped would produce a thud considering the almost 100 occupants mostly health workers, doctors, nurses and other front liners. A place occupied
discreetly like fugitives in hiding for fear of being driven out due to discrimination.

This being so, somehow there is a contradiction in the way the rest of the world would call us heroes and yet they discriminate us. Unbeknownst , we front liners are in a very difficult situation and none of us could say that we are hundred percent ready for this. We are thrown into a battleground without artillery and logistics. All of us whispering, thinking and praying for our safety and peace of mind.

In the words of a nurse within our ranks; "We mean no harm, all we need is a place for resting after a tiring shift in the hospital". This is what he said to the group of people driving them out of their accommodation sometime ago. My heart bled for this fellow front liner because we are in the same boat, the same predicament of the so-called modern day hero.

What a shame....