"Merry Christmas!" Mommy, Daddy, and Dino greeted Chuck via video chat. "Where did you celebrate?" Mommy asked.
"I started doing volunteer work at the orphanage where Lola Madre is the Mother Superior"
"Oh really? That's wonderful! How is she?"
"She's good. She and Nana get to talk often, I think. Speaking of which, where is she? Where's Nana?"
"She and Gino just arrived from church..." Mom said.
"Yeah, Bro. She's been busy with the Brothers and Priests, too, you know..."
"Hmm...that's good to know. Thanks for the Christmas present. I just checked my account yesterday"
"I was so worried that if I got you something, it might not reach there on time and you know how expensive overseas shipping can be"
"No worries, Mom. Thanks!"
"He gets cash while I get a shirt?"
Chuck chuckled at Dino's remark. He knew that Dino also got some cash as a Christmas present. Their parents have been giving them cash or gift checks since they graduated from college. Plus, both his and Dino's apartments were partly sponsored by their parents.
"How's life back there? How's the weather?" Dad asked.
"It's been pretty cool. Sam says that it's normally like this around this time of the year."
"Lucky you! I had to shovel up to the sidewalk again! Third time this week!" Dino groaned. In the background, a girl with an infant in her arms crossed.
"Hi Kim! Merry Christmas!" Chuck waved.
"Oh hi! Merry Christmas!" Kim approached the screen and greeted. She raised the baby to the screen, "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, Jacob!" Chuck greeted. "Are you guys at Mom and Dad's?" Chuck asked Dino.
"Yeah, in the basement. We're basically snowed in for the next week..."
"Sucks to be you!"
"No kidding! But hey, I hear it'll get pretty warm there come summer time"
"That's what I've been told." Chuck groaned.
"Anyway, what are your plans for your birthday?" Dino asked.
"Oo nga, Jay, what are you doing for your birthday?" Mom asked. As a child, Mom would always organize parties for both Dino and Chuck. As the boys grew older, they would normally have dinner with family and then celebrate with friends.
---
"What are you looking at?" Nana Linda found seven-year-old Rj by the bulletin board of the church. It had a lot of posters and notices tacked to it.
"That one..." Rj pointed to one poster. "Pack..a...shoe..box. Pack a shoebox! What does it mean, Nana?"
"There are many kids who are not as lucky as you and the people who put up the poster is inviting people to share their blessings to others."
"Like the little kids and babies where Lola Madre works?"
"Yes. The kids don't get many presents or toys during Christmas or their birthday so other people donate and help so that they can have a good Christmas, too"
Nana Linda talked to some people who passed by so little Rj was left staring at the poster for a while. He only left when Nana Linda called him.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Do you have an extra shoebox?"
"Shoebox? Why? Do you need it for school?"
Rj shook his head. "Thank you!" Rj said before running off with the box.
"Bakit nya kailangan nung box?" Dad asked Mom.
"Baka may kinokolekta na naman yun" Mom replied. As soon as they could manage, Dino and Rj were assigned chores. Rj was a neat-freak and wanted things organized. His mom also reminded him to return things where they belonged and to put his toys in their toy bins.
After a week, Rj brought the box with him when he and Nana Linda went to the church. "What's that?" Nana asked.
"I gathered some of the things that I had and put them in the box. I want to help..." Rj said as he presented the box to Nana Linda.
Nana Linda was very proud of her grandson. "Wow! Okay, let's take it to their office..."
"But Nana..."
"Yes?"
"I only have six dollars and thirty two cents..."
"Huh?"
"We need to add three dollars and sixty eight cents for the shipping fee"
"Oh. I'm sure they'll understand. What did you pack in the box?" Nana asked as they drove to the drop-off center.
"I tried to get stuff that can be used for boys and girls my age. I read it in the poster. And there were pictures of girls AND boys there too"
"Good thinking!"
"I put in a toothbrush, a comb, a pair of socks, a puzzle I got from a birthday party, a travel pouch from Dad – the one he gives Gino and I when he comes back from bis business trips, a candy bar, a hand towel, and some of my pens"
"Pens? The ones you collect?"
"Yes. I have some duplicates. Oh, and a box of colored pencils. Mom and I went to the dollar store yesterday and she asked me what I wanted, and I picked up a box of colored pencils and a small pad."
Nana nodded and assisted Rj in donating his box. "Oh, and I included a letter and my picture, too"
"Cool!" Stacy, the volunteer who received the box exclaimed. "I'm sure whoever gets this box will really be happy!"
---
"Meng! Halika dito" Sister Carmela called Meng.
"Po?" 6-year-old Meng timidly approached.
"Happy birthday!" Sister Carmela said as she handed Meng a box.
"Hindi ba birthday mo ngayon?"
Meng nodded. "Opo...s...salamat po"
"Naaaaay! Binigyan ako ni Sister ng regalo o!" Meng hurriedly ran home and showed Nanay her box. Meng didn't notice that Sister Carmela had followed her.
"Bigay ng Operation Christmas Child ng Samaritan's Purse" Sister Carmela said. She and Nanay spoke some more while Meng reveled in the contents of the box.
After Sister Carmela left, Nanay inquired about the box's contents. "May mga ballpen, sepilyo, suklay, puzzle...meron din nito – sulat at letrato" Meng said and showed them to Nanay.
"Nay, anong nakasulat?"
"Hindi ko rin masyadong mabasa, nak. English e"
"Ah" Meng said. She folded the letter and returned it to the box, along with the picture.
---
Many years later, Meng found the letter and the photo among her things. She was cleaning her bedroom when she found the letter and photo pressed in one of her books. She remembered the box and when she received it but couldn't remember many of its contents anymore. She read the letter several times and then thought of searching for 'Richard Siegfried Faulkerson' on Facebook. "Hindi naman siguro mahirap makita...napaka-unique ng pangalan e" Maia thought to herself as she stared at the friend request button on the page. "Bahala na!" Maia said as she clicked on the request button.
When she picked up the pen outside the coffee shop, a memory of receiving or having several pens came to Maia's mind. Then pen in her hand was rather other ordinary as where the pens she remembered. This made Maia think what the significance of the pens were. When Chuck mentioned about the pen he had lost and about his pen 'obsession', Maia remembered the pen in her drawer. "Sa kanya kaya yun?" Maia thought.