Chickki and I are both ICU nurses. She came to Dammam when I was about to leave the place in few months. I thought I'd like her the first time. She is funny, well learned and updated. Her unique name was easy to memorize. I always had flaws memorizing names but hers is instantly engraven in my mind.
For few months that I get to work with her, I knew we would "click" but it's a sad thing that I have to leave ICU on mid-3rd quarter of 2013. But this didn't stop us from seeing each other. Another common friend, Precious would invite us over for trips at the malls and so we were able to get to know each other better. Sometimes, we go together for breakfast at McDonald's near the hospital or would meet up at the admin office to process documents, etc. Yet, what really made us closer were times when she has to spend a day or two in my room on her days off. There were 2 beds in my room and lucky enough that I go solo while the rest have roommates. Therein we talk of politics, showbusinesses, current events, her adventures and misadventures at ICU and my not-so-exciting adventures at home. We would watch movies until 4am and sleep like a log after.
Chickki was my first partner in baking. Well, at least we baked a dozen of chocolate cupcakes and the next day, few rice cakes and we never had any after that! Yet, we both love to eat- that is, when we have money to buy out foods and indulge on our cravings. Food tripping became our bonding moments, too, although most of the time, we feel so guilty indulging in! Well, there's one more thing that keeps our friendship- we both love to imagine- A LOT!
There was never a day when we go out and not talk of our foolish, ridiculous, even hilarious and never ending imagination- that of finding a fortune of 500,000 rials along the way. We would imagine ourselves buying gadgets we wanted so much, bringing home a trolley of groceries and send them home via air cargo, of going to a jewelry store and buy sets of jewelries for our mothers and to ourselves, of dining at the finest restaurants in the city, of sending home millions of pesos to our bank accounts, and immediately resigning from our post and flying back home on business class to the Philippines. We would end up joking the whole day about our money and before going to sleep, we tell ourselves to never lose hope and stay positive! Upon waking up, we would remind ourselves of our 500,000 rials and where we should spend it that day!
One afternoon, during a walk from the housing to the hospital gate where we flag for a taxi, we dreamed of robbing a bank, too. You know, ala-Italian Job, the movie! We would laugh at our imaginations of digging a hole from the housing to the 3 banks infront of the hospital and come home with sacks of gold bars and cash!
Oh well, the bottomline of it all is because we are mothers. We have kids at home who need us. We have this imaginations because we wanted to create a world where we can no longer find ourselves stuck in a place where we have to work and leave our kids behind. Through our imaginations, we are empowered! We make our own world! We become like children with a world without limit! Each day and night, we would joke on counting 20 or 50 rial bills infront of a cashier while paying maybe for a Longines watch, a pair of Ninewest sandals, a McBook air or simply a bagful of groceries. Well, who knows? Maybe one day, we would find ourselves actually counting money! Lots of money! Not just 500,000 rials but millions of it! Maybe.........one day!
QUOTES:
"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were, but without it we go nowhere." ― Carl Sagan
