Spent my weekend with the Days with the Lord, St. Luke's Community (plus Baya) conducting a circumcision mission at Tiaong, Quezon. Upon arriving we were given a pre-tuli meal of longganisa and eggs. Given that I planned to shoot it was a sign that I'd be holding scissors and clamps instead. It had been a while since I've stitched up someone so I had my usual 1st case of jitters. Poor 1st kid.
As the day wore on, the kids kept streaming in and the Dazers started to arrive. The pre-clinic tally was 150 but there were people who kept arriving from far barangays. There were children who were relieved when we told them that they couldn't be circumcised (because of anatomical/pathological reasons) ajd there were others who were relieved for their turn to get it over and done with. There were those who, as soon as they lied down started to cry and those who kept crying despite the anesthesia. There were those who cried "aray" and those who cried "ouch" (maybe because he thought that Baya would understand that). There were those who covered their eyes, some stared into nothingness and one just read the newspaper. There were those who called for their moms and those who called for their dads. I couldn't help but notice that it was the parents who were more excited than the kids.
Past 6, I started to notice that aside form the unlimited patients, we had bottomless supplies. So circumcision continued until someone asked "Wala na po bang lidocaine?" Sigh. I could finally see the end of the clinic. Then surprise, surprise another bottle of lidocaine surfaced. It was 8 pm. Finally, someone announced "last 12 patients", the disappointed parents (with their relieved kids) finally ended their wait (but without a fight). We thought that they would start to form a picket line outside the hospital. It was finally, 9:30 when we had our dinner of crabs, squid, monggo and of course dinuguan with banana for dessert...
We finally inched our way toward Laiya (Llamar resort) with sleep first thing in our mind but the last thing we did....
