Parols are Christmas lanterns from the Philippines. Traditionally, they are made out of bamboo and paper and come in different sizes, shapes and designs. The shape is inspired by the star on the Nativity of Jesus that guided the Three Magi to the manger. It also symbolizes people’s hope and goodwill during the Christmas season.
Houses and shopping malls in the Philippines may be adorned with different kinds of Christmas decorations but the parol is always there. It is in honor of this Christmas star that this story was written...
Houses and shopping malls in the Philippines may be adorned with different kinds of Christmas decorations but the parol is always there. It is in honor of this Christmas star that this story was written...
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Kristina could hear her brothers playing downstairs. She couldn’t understand all the noise until Nacho rushed to the room. “Kris, wake up! Mama’s coming home today.”
Kristina tried to sleep again but it was useless. Angry, she got up, made her bed and went downstairs. Aunt Sara was clearing the dishes and turned when she heard her come in.
“Kris, have your breakfast. It’s a big day today!” her aunt said, a big smile on her face. “Why are you looking so glum?” Kristina shrugged her shoulders.
“Hey there princess! Want to sit beside me in the car when we fetch Mama from the airport?” Papa called from the living room.
“No, it’s my turn to ride in front with you!” Nacho butted in.
“Hey Nacho!” called Miko, waving a star ornament, “help me put this up and you get my turn to sit with Papa.
Nacho smiled and ran towards Miko, “You promise?”
Miko laughed, “Of course I promise. Come on, let’s hang this up.”
Papa smiled and said, “Let’s get this Christmas tree done.” Then, “What do you say, princess? Sit beside me in the car?”
Kristina looked at Papa, wanting to say yes. Instead, she pushed the bowl aside, and said “I’m not going. Nacho can have my seat.”
Kristina rushed to her bedroom, brushing away the tears. Five years! Five long years! Kristina thought angrily. When will it ever end? Why can’t she have a normal family like her friends in school? She reached out for the sketchpad on her study table and began to draw. Drawing had been good for her. The lines she sketched on paper suddenly took a life of their own. It brought her to that far-away place where her mother worked for the past five years. She tried to imagine those children Mom took care of and wondered why they should get her mother and not their own to take care of them.
Angry thoughts ran in her head. She didn’t realize that the sketch pad in her hand had shredded to pieces until she heard Nacho’s shrill voice, shouting all over the house.
“Mama’s here! Mama’s here!” Nacho screamed.
“Kris?” Mama’s voice called softly.
Kristina didn’t turn but felt Mama’s hand on her shoulder. It was soft and warm, as she had always remembered.
“Kristina... how are you, my dear?” Mama’s soft voice rang in her ears. “My dear child,” Mama said turning her face, “why are you crying?”
“You said you were going away for six months.” Kristina cried, “It’s been five years, Mama!”
Mama took Kris in her arms and said “I’m so sorry, my child. But I’m here now.”
“You’re here...” Kristina’s voice trailed off. “You’re staying? You will not leave us anymore?”
Suddenly, Miko and Nacho rushed to the room and Nacho cried out. “Mama, may I open my presents now?”
Mama laughed. “Not until tonight, Nacho.”
“Did you hear that, Miko?” Nacho yelled. “Tonight! I so love Christmas!”
“But first, you must all get into bed and get some rest. Tomorrow’s a big day,” Mama smiled and kissed Miko and Nacho as she followed them in their room.
Kristina heard the clock downstairs. Except for that, the house was quiet but she was still wide awake. She looked out the window, wishing things would be different. She prayed her mother didn’t have to go back to that far away place just to work for the family. Papa had explained to her before that it was important for Mama to go. Ever since the accident, Papa couldn’t work anymore, so Mama had to do it. But why did it have to be so far away?!
Kristina looked up at the stars and wondered if God could hear her if she asked Him now. She looked up and gasped! Up there in the sky, a star shone brighter than the rest. Dare she make a wish?
There was a soft knock on her door. “Can't sleep?” Mama asked, as she stood by the door. She went in and sat beside Kris. She too saw the star.
“I looked up at the sky every night while I was away. There were millions of stars out there but that star was there too.”
Kris smiled for the first time, “So many stars in the sky. How do you know it’s the same one?”
Mama placed her arm across Kris' shoulders and said, “I know because that’s the North Star. It’s the star that always points to home for me.”
“Like the star of Bethlehem?” Kris asked as she snuggled close inside her mother’s arms.
“Like the star of Bethlehem,” Mama smiled, “Just as it brought the three wise men to the baby Jesus, I also looked at that star every night and knew your Papa was also looking at it. We both remember many years ago when we looked up at the star and promised we would do everything to keep our family happy.”
Mama looked hard at Kristina’s beautiful but tear-stained face, “I’m sorry we made you unhappy. Just three more years, Kris,” she paused, looking up at the star, “our star will bring me home and then, I will never leave you again.”
Many Christmases came and went but Kristina was never the same again. She looked up at the star every single night and prayed it would bring her mother back to her, like it led the three wise men to the baby Jesus.
“Mama, I got perfect in my essay. I wrote about the North Star, about you and Papa.” Kristina talked excitedly on the phone.
“That girl has changed! What happened to her?” Auntie Sara asked, surprised.
Papa smiled and said, “I guess she found our star.”
Kristina tried to sleep again but it was useless. Angry, she got up, made her bed and went downstairs. Aunt Sara was clearing the dishes and turned when she heard her come in.
“Kris, have your breakfast. It’s a big day today!” her aunt said, a big smile on her face. “Why are you looking so glum?” Kristina shrugged her shoulders.
“Hey there princess! Want to sit beside me in the car when we fetch Mama from the airport?” Papa called from the living room.
“No, it’s my turn to ride in front with you!” Nacho butted in.
“Hey Nacho!” called Miko, waving a star ornament, “help me put this up and you get my turn to sit with Papa.
Nacho smiled and ran towards Miko, “You promise?”
Miko laughed, “Of course I promise. Come on, let’s hang this up.”
Papa smiled and said, “Let’s get this Christmas tree done.” Then, “What do you say, princess? Sit beside me in the car?”
Kristina looked at Papa, wanting to say yes. Instead, she pushed the bowl aside, and said “I’m not going. Nacho can have my seat.”
Kristina rushed to her bedroom, brushing away the tears. Five years! Five long years! Kristina thought angrily. When will it ever end? Why can’t she have a normal family like her friends in school? She reached out for the sketchpad on her study table and began to draw. Drawing had been good for her. The lines she sketched on paper suddenly took a life of their own. It brought her to that far-away place where her mother worked for the past five years. She tried to imagine those children Mom took care of and wondered why they should get her mother and not their own to take care of them.
Angry thoughts ran in her head. She didn’t realize that the sketch pad in her hand had shredded to pieces until she heard Nacho’s shrill voice, shouting all over the house.
“Mama’s here! Mama’s here!” Nacho screamed.
“Kris?” Mama’s voice called softly.
Kristina didn’t turn but felt Mama’s hand on her shoulder. It was soft and warm, as she had always remembered.
“Kristina... how are you, my dear?” Mama’s soft voice rang in her ears. “My dear child,” Mama said turning her face, “why are you crying?”
“You said you were going away for six months.” Kristina cried, “It’s been five years, Mama!”
Mama took Kris in her arms and said “I’m so sorry, my child. But I’m here now.”
“You’re here...” Kristina’s voice trailed off. “You’re staying? You will not leave us anymore?”
Suddenly, Miko and Nacho rushed to the room and Nacho cried out. “Mama, may I open my presents now?”
Mama laughed. “Not until tonight, Nacho.”
“Did you hear that, Miko?” Nacho yelled. “Tonight! I so love Christmas!”
“But first, you must all get into bed and get some rest. Tomorrow’s a big day,” Mama smiled and kissed Miko and Nacho as she followed them in their room.
Kristina heard the clock downstairs. Except for that, the house was quiet but she was still wide awake. She looked out the window, wishing things would be different. She prayed her mother didn’t have to go back to that far away place just to work for the family. Papa had explained to her before that it was important for Mama to go. Ever since the accident, Papa couldn’t work anymore, so Mama had to do it. But why did it have to be so far away?!
Kristina looked up at the stars and wondered if God could hear her if she asked Him now. She looked up and gasped! Up there in the sky, a star shone brighter than the rest. Dare she make a wish?
There was a soft knock on her door. “Can't sleep?” Mama asked, as she stood by the door. She went in and sat beside Kris. She too saw the star.
“I looked up at the sky every night while I was away. There were millions of stars out there but that star was there too.”
Kris smiled for the first time, “So many stars in the sky. How do you know it’s the same one?”
Mama placed her arm across Kris' shoulders and said, “I know because that’s the North Star. It’s the star that always points to home for me.”
“Like the star of Bethlehem?” Kris asked as she snuggled close inside her mother’s arms.
“Like the star of Bethlehem,” Mama smiled, “Just as it brought the three wise men to the baby Jesus, I also looked at that star every night and knew your Papa was also looking at it. We both remember many years ago when we looked up at the star and promised we would do everything to keep our family happy.”
Mama looked hard at Kristina’s beautiful but tear-stained face, “I’m sorry we made you unhappy. Just three more years, Kris,” she paused, looking up at the star, “our star will bring me home and then, I will never leave you again.”
Many Christmases came and went but Kristina was never the same again. She looked up at the star every single night and prayed it would bring her mother back to her, like it led the three wise men to the baby Jesus.
“Mama, I got perfect in my essay. I wrote about the North Star, about you and Papa.” Kristina talked excitedly on the phone.
“That girl has changed! What happened to her?” Auntie Sara asked, surprised.
Papa smiled and said, “I guess she found our star.”
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