Scenes from a long night, as 2011 gave way to 2012

Dec. 31, 2011 unfolded kind of lazily, the usual New Year’s Eve sandwiched between Rizal Day and Jan. 1, even though people were obviously preparing to greet 2012 in their own special ways.   Long before that, merchants were banking on superstitious beliefs that round objects bring luck, especially fruits, and that making noise by banging pots and pans or exploding firecrackers drive off evil spirits and bad luck.   Somehow, the nutritional value of fruits seems to have been lost beneath the superstitious belief, in the desire of people to have something better in this life, in this world. A 125-gram serving of an apple, for instance, may not bring you luck but it will surely make you healthier with all its vitamins and minerals.   And in terms of commerce, what was noticeable the past week was the army of children hawking noisemakers in the streets of Metro Manila.   As night fell, there appeared to be a growing sense of calm, like something before the storm. In Chinatown, the merchants were eager to close shop early and the hawkers were cashing in on last minute shoppers to move their merchandise before the New Year arrives. Nearby, devotees flocked to the Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz (Binondo Church) to hear the anticipated Mass.   A merchant on Benavidez Street had an employee lighting up sparklers and firecrackers on the street in front of their store.   We marveled at the spectacle of pyrotechnics in the heart of Chinatown, which was expected since the Chinese are said to have invented fireworks in the 7th century. Those brave enough — or foolish enough perhaps — lighted the fuse that set off the fizz-flash-bang process of exploding firecrackers, an act similar to those of terrorists using deadly bombs that maim and kill.   There is that sense of invincibility, at being able to stare at the flash of light as one’s chest cavities absorb the sound waves of the ensuing bang in split-second timing — just like the rumble of music from over-sized loudspeakers in a rock concert or a disco — without getting hurt.

But the truth is, some people do get hurt.   After midnight at the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City, doctors and nurses were scurrying about tending to those injured during the New Year revelries. It was also a feeding frenzy for the media.   The victims were men, women, and children who had to endure the pain and suffering of a firecracker exploding in their hands or at their feet. Some were hit by stray bullets. Still others were victims of either stabbing or hit-and-run incidents.   As 2012 eased its way through the first few hours of Jan. 1, a taxicab screeches outside the emergency ward. Photographers and videographers rushed to the sidewalk, aiming their equipment at the taxi.   Instead of another victim, there was a pregnant woman having labor pains. Using a plastic chair, a cadre of volunteers in their orange overalls whisked the woman into the emergency ward. But as soon as they set the chair onto the floor, its feet buckled under the pregnant woman’s weight.   It seemed like a symbol of hope falling on the floor, as the fireworks victims in the ward struggled with their own pain. The medical team went on with their duties, and the members of the media who were looking for the next emergency tainted with blood groaned with relief.   Ah, 2012. What’s in store for us this time around? — YA/HS, GMA News