How I Become A Prince

Angelo was in second year Engineering when I left SLC and so I didnt know much about his collegiate exploits except that I remember him to be on top of the Dean's List. Later, when I went back to teach part-time, he was already a SLC Engineering instructor - young but well-respected - who not only excelled in math and Civil Engineering but also in arts, music and dancing. He was a multi-faceted whiz kid but I didnt knew he was also a superb writer - until now, that is...

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First Installment of A Three-Part Series
by Angelo C. Canedo

Welcome Abroad

01 Sept 2002 – The nine hour trip from Manila to Dammam combined with the long queue out from the immigration (obviously ‘black’ ladies first) had never been so annoying. I stepped out the sliding door which was a passage from the baggage checkout counter and fortunate to see my name visibly scribbled on a placard that covered half the face of a kabayan. I pulled my twenty kg luggage and approached him exhaustedly worrying on how to adjust in a different environment of Saudi Arabia. I consciously greeted him with a smile and he welcomed me with a handshake. “I am Ras sir” the old slow-moving fellow said “and he is Arnel” turning his face with a brief look at the other guy with him.

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During a short walk out from the passenger terminal to the parking area, my attention to various naïve people, as what I thought are in their national costumes, is diverted to the warm breeze of the humid night penetrating in my skin. I began to sweat and felt uncomfortable with my suit that kept me warmer. Inside the car, a steamed bath was the product of my swift perspiration making me severely uneasy. Ras quickly switched on the AC to the maximum, opened the window and noticeably we were relieved by the cool air mingling with the hot ones. Away from the two-hour drive to the camp, I could not fail to remember my teary-eyed wife, waving her hands with the hope of seeing each other again. As I am getting a bit sentimental, my confrontation with the long-beard Arab in green uniform who threw and scattered my belongings on the floor after scrutinizing them, is capturing my imagination.

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“First time abroad sir?” Ras asked in a husky voice. “Yes manong! It is worst than what I expected”, I replied anxiously and continued my contemplations. Ras smiled amiably as he glanced quickly at the front mirror to recognize me further. We were strangers then, Arnel was asleep and the vehicles moving in high speed kept breaking the silence. No conversations came in between until we finally reached a small town called Abqaiq.

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I descended, took my stuff out from the compartment and searched for an aisle where I can move forward through the interval separating the parked vehicles. I went a few steps after Ras, directing my way in to the camp, who was just behind Arnel enabling him to rush double pace to continue his disturbed sleep. “That is your new home sir”, Ras said pointing towards his left after throwing the car keys on the bed overlooking from the door adjacent to mine which Arnel left wide-open. Ras grasped the key from his pocket, opened the door and lit the fluorescent light for me to visibly recognize the inside where the aircon has been working overtime. I took in my first step; the floor was covered with carpet in layers. The bed to my right clothed with white mattress was so modest and tempting me to sleep off the headache. “Somebody will bring food for you, take a nap meanwhile” Ras said while closing the door gently.

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My tired eyes begun to roam around and noticed the walls and ceiling were on pale fawn color like flakes of falling debris. Later, I entered a door of less than the normal size situated behind the cupboard fronting the main entrance and took a quick bath of hot water sprinkling from the shower and drained on a commode leveled to the floor. Afterwards I laid my back over the soft single bed, set the alarm and almost got asleep when somebody knocked at the door timidly. It was midnight then, so I ignored and went fast asleep with an empty stomach.

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Time traveled like a couple of minutes. I was awakened by numerous bedbugs, crippling here and there, to listen to the loud falsettos in chorus from the mosques with unusual melodies that I could not comprehend. I glanced at my watch, it was 4 am so I immediately went back to sleep to recharge for the challenge the coming sunrise in exchange to a compensation of ‘six significant figures’ Saudi denomination (this includes the two zeros after the decimal point)…..

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to be continued...