Our Neighbor's Chocolates

We used to live in a town in the same province, and was a neighbor to a family whose dad goes abroad for a living. That was during those times when the term OFW wasn't even coined yet. This was when I was not even ten years old, which was about thirty years ago. This neighbor already brings home imported chocolates and gives us some as his pasalubong. There were Milky Ways, M&M's and Snickers. I liked Milky Way and M&M's and my sister went for Snickers.

Fast forward today.

We are in the capital of the province, where we moved thirty years ago. It turned out that this same neighbor moved in this town, too, a few years after we did. And as one of the proofs that this is a small world, we crossed paths, go to the same church, the same gym and even the same sari-sari store to buy load.

Their father still goes out of the country, and now I can say that he's an OFW.

We met before Christmas, and their dad was home for the holidays. After all those years, they again, gave us some chocolates for pasalubong.

That was when I got nostalgic.

Back then, I thought someone who goes out of the country was a seaman. Not a domestic helper, a nurse, a welder, etc.

Back then, I thought imported chocolates only meant Milky Way, M&M's and Snickers.

A lot of things happened, a lot of changes have transpired.

But the chocolates and their gesture will always remind me of how we were neighbors and how neighbors were during those times.