Chapter 1 - Libya's Awakening . . . (Post # 4)

February 25-27, 2011 – Friday-Sunday



I had moved in and out of Dr. Naj’s home as a constant visitor but never had I realized the fullness of their hospitality until now. The whole household made me feel that I was a member of the family. Having no television in my own flat, I feasted myself with news from different networks during my early stay with them. I got embarrassed when Princess would bring my meals in the room which I share with her. (I watched the English channel; Dr. Naj and wife Karen watched news in Arabic at the master’s bedroom; the two boys who followed Princess viewed cartoon adventures, sports or national geographic in their bedroom; the two young ones paid attention to kiddie cartoons at the yellow living room while their grandmother, being a Khadaffi loyalist, watched the state TV network at the blue living room. The red sala didn’t have television).

Dr. Naj told me to feel at home so if I get hungry, I could just help myself and open the fridge or eat anything in the dining room. Being a picky eater, sometimes I would eat a bar of chocolate and announce that I had taken my meal already but Princess would prepare a tray of food for me and insist that I eat it. One time, we were all gathered at the dining table eating “cuscos”, a Libyan dish. Dr. Naj said: “ Aydee, you can have another share of the meat. It’s a beef meal tonight.” The statement surprised me so I asked, “What do you mean? Don’t you use beef always?” He said, “Eighty percent of the meat we eat is camel.” I said, “What?!! But I don’t eat camel! Gosh, from now on I would always ask what kind of meat you’re serving!” And they all had a big laugh.


I was surprised when Fr. Allan called me up one night. He was just checking whether I was already out of the country or was still in Tripoli. I explained to him that I was in a friend’s house, a Libyan. He felt relieved that I was in good company. He told me to avoid going around the city especially at night since everything was uncertain. He said that there were talks that rebels might use foreign nationals as hostages to put pressure to the regime. We ended up wishing each other good luck and hoping that things would be resolved soon.

Edna informed me that everything’s quiet in Mesolata. She reiterated the decision of her group to stay put. Ate Baby had already left for the Philippines so Edna and I shared the hope that she would pass through the ordeal of going back to our country without any mishap. In parting, Edna said that whatever happens, we should always keep in touch. 


Khasim, an Iraqi colleague, gave me a call also. He was like a younger brother so his call cheered me up. He said that he was definitely going home to Iraq and he was just disposing his possessions. He said that he wasn’t sure if he would come back to Libya. He thought that I already left because he could not contact me anymore. I told him that something’s wrong with my cell phone. To be sure that we would continue to communicate, we exchanged with each other’s email address and promised to get in touch. 


I called up Dr. Shabous to ask for some update about the college. He said that classes were still suspended but he told me to go to the College on February 28, Monday where I could see some of my colleagues. This prospect excited me.


Bok also checked if I was already with Dr. Naj’s family and was relieved with my reply. He said that Zletin was under the regime and was stable. He asked me if I like to join them there but I refused. I told him that I didn’t want to be anywhere else but in Tripoli, where I would have access to the Catholic Church and to the Philippine Embassy. I just felt that these two institutions were my lifelines. In case something went wrong I knew that I could lean on them for safety and survival.

Remembering Tripoli in Pictures

The flags of the African Union take a prominent place at the baywalk facing the Mediterranean Sea, the insignificant figure at the bottom is the author.

This is the Tripoli Museum facing the Saha Qadra where rallies and demonstrations take place.

This is the actual place where the protests and demonstrations are held. During more peaceful time, important celebrations and festivities are also conducted here.

This tower beside the museum is where Muammar Ghadaffi gave public speeches.

This fountain is the centerpiece of the Saha Qadra, the most spacious park in Tripoli located at the city"s center. It's in front of the museum. Kids and teen-agers go around the fountain in rollerblades and roller skates. Families hold picnics on the sprawling greens or attend to their toddlers at the monkey bridge and the various slides.

This is a poetic shot of the author watching the sunset at the Mediterranean Sea. She stands at a natural rock formation which has become part of the sea wall in Tripoli's corniche, about 500 meters away from Saha Qadra.


(Nb: Photos "borrowed" from the photo albums of Mr. Francisco Napalit.)

Chapter 1 - Libya's Awakening: Woe to Tranquility (Post # 3)

February 25, 2011 - Friday

At midnight, Ate Baby called me up. She sounded very anxious. She informed me that Khadaffi ordered to bomb all of Libya. He was suicidal already since his family was no longer in the country. According to news report, Khadaffi stated that he built Libya and he could also destroy it. Ate Baby also said that evacuation was now through Tunisia only and there are buses to pick up Pinoys in specific areas.

Ate Baby’s voice was so alarming that her message sent a little panic in my heart. I immediately sent an SMS to Bok and informed him about Ate Baby’s message. I asked him to stop his rhetorics and prepare his family for evacuation. He rang me up at about 8:00 AM and told me not to believe too much in news/rumors being circulated. He said that members of the Khadaffi clan were still in the country and even if they had left already, they would not be safe anywhere if Khadaffi would bomb Libya because victims would retaliate against his own family, and it could earn the ire of the international community. Besides, Kiko said their group had already decided to stay and their decision remained so. I heard a merry atmosphere at the background as I was talking to him which proved that everything’s okay at Zlatin (pronounced as Zletin). He was still worried of my being alone in Tripoli so he told me to stay with Dr. Najmed’s family. I attended the mass at 10:00 AM and offered it to my mom in commemoration of her death anniversary. Normally, there were two scheduled masses on Fridays and Sundays, 10:00 AM & 4:00 PM; and one mass, 6:00 PM on Wednesdays and Thursdays. When the uprising broke out, only the 10:00 AM masses on Fridays and Sundays were maintained. During the regular masses before, the church was always jampacked with people. In today’s mass, less than ten people attended. The Bishop’s sad look was heartbreaking.He thanked the people who attended the mass for their support of the church which he said was being tested in the light of recent events.

After the mass, I took my lunch at my flat and washed clothes afterwards. I finished my chore at 4:30 PM, then packed a few clothes and called up Dr. Najmed. At exactly 5:00 PM, he was already downstairs waiting for me. I brought out food stuff that could get spoiled and gave them to my landlord whose family was on the ground floor. (My apartment is at the left wing of the second floor of a three story building. An Iraqi family lived on the right wing and a Libyan resided on the top floor). My flat is located at the interior part of Souq Jomaa, one of the biggest districts of Tripoli, and Dr. Naj remarked that it is an advantage because unlawful element would only go there at the risk of being cornered.

When we were already traversing the main road, I told Dr. Naj about my last day in the College (Feb.20); when my students told me that they could not understand why people are revolting despite the fact that most of the basic necessities are provided by the government. He said that it’s partly correct BUT (and this is a big one) how could people be truly happy in a country where there is no constitution; where people could not voice out their opinions and thoughts; where basic human rights are being trampled upon. He told me about the indiscriminate killing of protesters which resulted in 600 deaths after just three days of anti-government protests. He also shared with me other shocking incidents which happened in the past and in the present which painted a clearer image of why people had turned their back on the “Great Leader”. Remembering the anniversary of the Philippines’ People Power Revolution today, I realized that compared to Libya’s infamous head, Ex-President Ferdinand Marcos was a lot more humane, considering the fact that he stepped down from power after three days.

Later, at the safety of Dr. Naj’s home and while we were watching the news (They have five 120-inch TVs all over the house. What a luxury!), we learned that if my decision to stay with them was delayed for one hour more, we won’t be able to pass through Souq Jomaa’s main road anymore. Hundreds of anti-government demonstrators filled the street. A relative of Karen, Dr. Naj’s wife, died this afternoon.

Chapter 1 - Libya's Awakening: Woe to Tranquility (Post # 2)

February 24, 2011 – Thursday

Last night, Princess called me up twice. (She is the eldest daughter of Dr. Najmed, the former Director General of one of the biggest government hospitals in Tripoli whom we met through a Filipino nurse. He consulted Kiko and me about some academic problems of his children and he became a close friend of ours. His family had adopted me as a member of their own household. I call their first child Princess because she has a resemblance to Princess Diana of UK). On her first call, she updated me with the latest news. The situation in Benghazi had risen to a dangerous level. Anti-government protesters had penetrated the peaceful demonstrations at Saha Qadra.

On her second call, Princess asked me to stay with them in their house. She said that I could call them anytime if I make the decision to join them and her father would come to fetch me. I told her that the coordinator between the embassy and our group couldn’t contact me through the cellphone so he advised me to just stay in my flat where he could see me for any instructions.

Bok called up at 3:00 AM to ask how I was. He was worried that I was not eating properly anymore. (He was the cook in the house, I was the laundrywoman and dish washer). He also told me to get the plane tickets of the group in Zletin so whatever happens they would have an alternative plan. I said I still had enough food that could last even for more than a week. I also mentioned that Rey and Inna, two of my children in the Philippines, commented that I looked better when they saw me at Skype yesterday than when they talked to me last week. From my talk with them, I gathered that Khaddaffi had vowed that he wouldn’t step down from power; that the 6-man committee from DFA-Manila that would facilitate the repatriation process left the Philippines already.

I also told Kiko that I had already prepared my kids for whatever decision I had to make. Of course, they would prefer that I go back to our country but if I would decide to stay, they would understand because I am in a better position to assess the situation.

Edna, another Filipino English lecturer (from Mesolata, a small town under Kohms), called me up at about 9:00 AM. She said that her group in the area had decided to stay. Just like most of the Pinoys in Libya (including me), the reason is financial. There is no job in the Philippines which could offer us better salary than what we’re getting here. If we go home, chances are, we might not be able to come back because of the UN sanction. This bolted my resolve to stay. Those who were staying were more in number!

I rang up Fr. Allan after lunch. He is a Filipino priest based in Tripoli. I hadn’t talked to him for several weeks now because of some misunderstanding but I decided to reach out to him. I just felt it so petty of me to be acting like a brat in the face of what is happening around us. Fortunately, I was able to contact him on my first attempt (His phone is eternally busy!). When asked about the current situation (I feel so isolated being alone in my flat with no radio and television), he said that they are no longer allowed by the Bishop to hold masses outside Tripoli because a Catholic priest was recently killed in Tunisia. He also informed me that anti-regime protesters barricaded the church for more than two hours before they were dispersed by the police with tear gas. This occurred at midnight until 2:00 AM. Fr. Allan knew that I was alone in my flat so he told me that it would be a good idea if I would stay with the Libyan family who asked me to join them.   

Ate Baby called up at 7:00 PM and told me that she would go to the embassy on the next day to register for repatriation. She said that she would just bring one hand-carry baggage with a few clothes and her important documents (as instructed by the embassy). She would leave everything else in Kohms (and she had quite a number of possessions already, huh!). Again, she asked me about my decision and I gave her another noncommital response.

I received a call from Noel at about 8:00 PM. (He was also an English lecturer working in Janzour, a small town at the outskirt of Tripoli; he acted as the coordinator between our group and the embassy). He said that the tickets were not with him but with the DFA people who would be coming from RP (Republic of the Philippines). Everyone who wanted to go home had to register at the embassy and bring their things there. If necessary, they had to stay at the embassy and wait for instructions. He said that there was an assurance that all OFWs deployed by our agency would be accommodated because Madam had submitted our names to DFA-Manila. He informed me that air travel had already been blocked, no plane can land or leave Libya, so evacuees would travel by land to Tunisia, or by boat to Malta.

After Noel’s call, I sent an SMS to Kiko informing him about what Noel told me. I also told him that I was worried that he might not have money anymore. Thel had no salary yet and the kids’ expense (milk, food, diapers, etc.) was something Bok was not prepared for. (Bok was basically thrifty that’s why before his family arrived, I was the one borrowing money from him. When they came, he was not able to anticipate the expense so he borrowed from me once in a while). I informed him that I was thinking of going to Zletin tomorrow after the mass to bring them money. I also told him that all shops were closed in Tripoli. I ended my message saying : “Let’s all pray for Libya. LET GO AND LET GOD.”

JOURNAL OF A FILIPINO FROM LIBYA, Chapter 1 - Libya's Awakening: Woe to Tranquility (Post # 1)

INTRODUCTION:

My spirit is restless. It has always been since the beginning of May, when the little money I brought along with me had been exhausted. I contacted friends in Tripoli, with the inclusion of my immediate superior, Dr. Shabous, the Libyan head of the English Department of the college where I worked as assistant lecturer. Most of them were urging me to go back to Tripoli and resume my job. And since May, I had made plans to return but the Philippine government's policy of a travel ban for Libya has stopped me, and all other OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) bound for that North African country, from going back.

It’s now July, the third month of my stay in the Philippines. I must admit that my heart has a certain longing for that place where, in the not so distant past, I made a new beginning for myself and for my family…. Why did it have to end so soon?.... Somehow, there is an ambiguous feeling within me about what happened to Libya. I feel the need to share this journal as a means of purging my thoughts in the hope that I would be able to bring out the essential things which would guide me to fulfill my dreams for my family and me.

PART ONE – THE AWAKENING OF LIBYA ….WOE TO TRANQUILITY #1

February 21, 2011 – Monday

I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of gunshots. At first I thought they were just fire crackers. Libyans normally use them when celebrating weddings, and they do it even in the middle of the night. But there was an eerie silence after the shots which made me realize that the sound was not what I thought it was. I asked myself:” Has the uprising in Benghazi reached Tripoli already?” I prayed the rosary and it lulled me to sleep….

At 7:00 AM, the continuous ringing of my mobile phone woke me up. Kiko, a Filipino IT (Information Technology) lecturer was on the line. He was in Zletin, a small town two hours away from Tripoli, where his family resides. He asked if there were gunshots heard in Tripoli because it was in the news (I don’t have radio nor television). After confirming it, he told me that anti-government demonstrators in Saha Qadra (The Green Square, an important landmark at the center of the city) were fired at. He asked me if classes were suspended and when I told him that I just woke up, he told me to wait for his next call before doing anything else. He called up his boss, the head of the Computer Department, and was informed that classes were suspended in our college. He then gave instructions to stock up on food and water, to be home before nightfall, to secure doors and windows before going to sleep, and NOT to open up to strangers.

As I followed Kiko’s instructions, I was telling myself to be brave because I was about to face difficult situations alone from then on. Kiko had always been with me since my Day 1 in Libya. We went through all the joys and pains which our one and a half years of stay in Libya had seen us through and being in the middle of the Libyan conflict without him by my side was something I was not prepared to handle.

In December 2010, Kiko’s wife, Thel along with their two toddlers arrived in Tripoli. Thel was hired as an IT lecturer at the Misurata University. They decided to live in Zletin which is midway between Tripoli and Misurata because there were other Filipinos residing in the same building who could look after the kids when they’re not around, even if there was a Nigerian nanny attending to them. Because of this set up, Kiko had his schedule fixed so that his classes would be only on Wednesdays and Thursdays. He would be in Tripoli on Tuesday evenings and would be back to Zletin on Thursday afternoon. So I am basically alone in my flat from Thursday evening until Tuesday morning. This was our set up when the revolt began.

February 22, 2011 – Tuesday

Just like the previous night, the sound of gunshots woke me up. My clock registered the time at 2:00 AM. It came in a burst and was gone after fifteen minutes…. then the dreadful silence. I prayed my rosary, offering it for peace in Libya and safety for all the Pinoys( slang for Filipinos) there.

At around 5:00 AM, Ate Baby (an English lecturer assigned in Kohms, a city one and a half hours drive from Tripoli) called up. She asked if I got the emergency numbers of the Philippine Embassy which was passed around thru the SMS. She also told me that she had a phone conversation with Madam (the owner of the agency that deployed us). She was advised to go home to the Philippines because the situation in Libya is already critical. The repatriation process of Filipinos in Libya has begun. Ate Baby asked me if I would go home and I said I was not sure because I didn’t have the money yet to pay off all my remaining debts. She said she didn’t have money too, but she believed that her life is far more important than whatever money she could get by staying in Libya. It was also her family’s decision. She asked me to think about it.

The conversation with Ate Baby, who is like an elder sister to me, got me into thinking: “Is this really happening?”…. Just last week I was telling my daughter on Skype not to worry because the problem in Benghazi (which was shown on television worldwide) was an isolated case, just like the conflict in Mindanao in southern Philippines which is very far from Metro-Manila where my family resides; that the troubled area is very far from Tripoli; and that the majority of the people in Libya are loyal to Moammar Ghadaffi, the Great Leader. I also told her that the demonstrations staged at Saha Qadra were pro-government, to show the world that the Libyan people were united in their support of the regime. It was also their way to disprove the allegation that Libya would follow the trend which Egypt and Tunisia had set in the Arab world. I was at Saha Qadra on February 18 and witnessed the start of one such rally. It had a festive air and the atmosphere was not at all threatening.

On February 20, I had my last lecture with my students at the College. I wanted to know how they felt about the situation but they were evasive when asked. They just warmed up when I shared to them the Philippine experience of the People Power Revolution in 1986. I told them that the Filipinos revolted because the country’s First Family was living in lavish lifestyle while majority of the people were living below the poverty level. My students said that it was just like in Egypt and Tunisia. They also told me that it‘s not like that in their country. Here the people have free housing, free hospitalization, free education, and subsidized prices for food and other basic necessities. They could not understand why some people are revolting …..It all seemed so far away now.

February 23, 2011 – Wednesday

At midnight, Ate Baby called up and told me that she already made a decision to leave and was just waiting for the taxi driver who would bring her and another companion to Tripoli. She informed me that all inquiries and arrangement for travel are coursed through the embassy. DFA-Manila (Department of Foreign Affairs) had given directives to the embassy to evacuate all Filipinos in Libya. She also said that all other embassies had already repatriated their citizens and that the Philippine office is one of the few which are still open.

At 2:30 AM, Kiko texted. In his message, he said that he and Thel had already decided not to go home. He reasoned out that they could not risk bringing the kids to Tripoli, passing through different checkpoints (there are 10 from Zletin to Tripoli), thereby increasing the length of travel time. He said that they would stay in Zletin whatever happens, and if they die, they would die as a family. This made me cry. I didn’t know what to tell him. And in times like this, when words seemed too difficult to express, I turned to my rosary and prayed. Somehow my spirit became calm.

At 7:00AM, Bok (my pet name for Kiko which I interpreted as little boss; that’s what he also calls me privately) rang me up. He asked me about my decision. I told him that my children, whom I always talked to at Skype, wanted me to go home. He said that he would respect whatever decision I make. He reiterated their decision to stay in Zletin, together with seven other Filipino lecturers working in that area. Then, he gave instructions to pack his things, secure his documents, and bring the latter with me to the Philippines. He also asked me to contact his daughters in his hometown and turn over his papers to them. I was crying while listening to him. It was like listening to his last farewell.

Bok texted me at about 2:30 PM, he seemed desperate. He thanked me for the friendship I shared with him in Libya. He also stated that he learned many things in our journey together. He asked me to be strong in order to face the journey ahead, which he could no longer share with me. He mentioned in the text that he was crying while making the message because he was worried about the two kids. He and Thel could face any problem together but the young ones are very vulnerable. And he just didn’t know what to do.

Again, the message made me cry. Knowing that he was the source of strength to his group in Zletin, I sent him the following message: “Courage, Bok. Let’s lift everything to God. If ever I would decide to go, I would wait for you for as long as I can. If not, I’ll contact Ches (his eldest daughter) and do as you requested. I’m with you in prayers. Take care and God bless you.”

I started packing Kiko’s things late in the afternoon. I was crying while doing it, remembering the time in July 2010 when we were about to take our vacation in the Philippines. He volunteered to pack my things to economize on space in my luggage. He did it so well that we even made joke about what a great “packer” he was…. Gosh! He’s been gone only for five days but it seemed to be a long time already. I miss him so terribly.       

At 6:00 PM, I received a text message from Bok telling me that he and Thel are making their last stand in Zletin with their kids; that if they would die, they die as a family. At that point, I realized that we both needed some cheering up so I sent him this message: “Please don’t talk about death yet. I’m still hopeful that the dark clouds over Libya would pass. Be brave. Be the source of strength to everyone there. I’m with you in prayers. God bless.”

After packing Kiko’s things, I called up Dr. Shabous. Until now, I wasn’t sure yet whether I would go home to the Philippines or stay, so I asked my boss for advice. He told me to wait for at least three days before deciding. He said he didn’t want the department to miss me. This gave me a warm feeling.

I informed Bok about my talk with Dr. S . I also told him that one reason why I was already considering going home was because I would like to speak in behalf of the Filipinos who would be left behind. I just believe that somebody who has been in Libya can eloquently tell the people in the Philippines why they need to change their policy (about the travel ban). Whatever happens next is God’s will. In parting, I gave him this message: LET US TRUST OUR TODAY’S AND TOMORROWS TO THE ONE WHO HOLDS ETERNITY IN HIS HANDS.