AFTER a friend’s hubby watched “John Wick: Chapter 4,” we asked him how it was, and he said, “He killed more than 100 people.”
While watching it days later, during the Holy Week, I began thinking, Oh my gosh, this could be Jesus’ story. All those people trying to kill Wick! There’s no end! The difference is, Jesus, didn’t fight back.
Praying the Sorrowful Mysteries helps us reflect on the saddest time in Jesus’ life, it’s a miracle He still had the energy to carry the cross, with some help from Simon of Cyrene. As if the torture and the carrying of the cross were not enough, He was crucified. Who in his right mind could do all that to anyone? Only the brainwashed and the angriest, those with so much hatred in their hearts.
This latest chapter in Wick’s story depressed me. I should have watched it after brunch so I could go malling afterward, to relax my mind and heart. But I and some friends watched the last full show, and I went home feeling—spoiler alert!—sad and sorry for Wick. Which could be the perfect mood for Holy Week. Until we feasted on biko and tabirak on Good Friday while commemorating Jesus’ crucifixion. Carbs as a source of energy in listening to the Seven Last Words.
There were penitents who still tortured themselves and were crucified, an annual Holy Week tradition in Pinas, even a tourist attraction for those who feel they need a more concrete reminder of Jesus’ suffering. They should have watched the Wick movie, too.
The five-day vacation was supposed to be for recollection, meditation, and prayers. But if you had no time for an out-of-town vacation since the pandemic lockdowns began in March 2020, then, this was your chance.
It’s interesting to discover where people spent their Easter Weekend vacation, it gave us ideas on where to go next. Some friends went to Pinas’ tourist spots, other friends went abroad, and I went to the bathroom for that refreshing shower after a hot, humid day of holding each potentially non-essential item while asking, Does this spark joy? Will I ever stop asking that question?
The strange side of that question is, people who don’t spark joy tend to remove themselves from your life, too. They’re not old clothes that don’t fit anymore, they’re not outdated accessories, and they’re not books that the bookworm is not planning to read again. So, why the determination to stay away? Hmmm.
I spent the long Easter weekend as usual: writing, reading, and spring cleaning. And there was the unusual: posting my Cebu vacation photos on Facebook, prompting some friends to believe I was still there. That Cebu trip was last month. I had no time to post photos then, so, yeah, better late than never when it comes to updates. I have this on-and-off relationship with Facebook. I may decide to post nothing. Or only my columns.
The vacation is so over now. It’s back to reality, back to preparing income tax requirements for April 15, and back to the low-carb-fasting lifestyle, this time featuring Easter Sunday leftovers: lechon paksiw, dinuguan, and garlic butter shrimps.
