That midnight madness
“He could have verily been the victim had he not heeded his father’s advice and continued test-firing Bugoy’s firecrackers.
“Remember the pact that we did that we’ll never celebrate with firecrackers anymore? We contended ourselves with pailaws after that.
(Two days from now, when the clock strikes midnight Saturday, humanity will once again ring in the new year and say goodbye to 2022. While digging on old files of our past columns, we stumbled upon this article published in this paper and found that its message holds every time we experience that midnight madness. We reprint this 30 December 2021 column piece to serve as a warning to those intending to celebrate the new year with those bigger, new firecrackers.)
Boknoy and his playmate, Bugoy, were merrily enjoying their time in the yard as Casmot and I were busy catching up in the living room a day before New Year’s Eve.
Boknoy is Casmot’s youngest, while Bugoy is their neighbor’s teenage son. They were both test-firing some firecrackers brought by the latter. He got it from his dad, in preparation for tomorrow’s midnight madness.
“Why are you allowing them to explode those triangulos?” we asked Casmot. “Aren’t those dangerous for youngsters?”
“Ah, those small triangles are kid stuff,” Casmot dismissed our reminder. “Besides didn’t we at one time, when we’re their age, lit up some of those?
“Of course, I remember,” I blurted. “But then didn’t we stop those wild celebrations when one of our neighborhood friends miscalculated and got injured, forcing doctors to sever two of his fingers?”
“Yeah. And that was because he was lighting up those big Judas’ belt, which is powerful enough to maim if you are not careful.”
“Those were the days, Casmot,” I nodded in agreement. “Remember the pact that we did that we’ll never celebrate with firecrackers anymore? We contended ourselves with pailaws
after that.”
Just then, a loud booming sound disrupted our reminiscing. It was so loud we could still hear its reverberation seconds after the initial explosion.
“What was that? “We asked Casmot. “Must be from one of those newer, bigger firecrackers like Pla-pla and Super Lolo,” he told us as he went to call Boknoy. “Did you just explode those?”
“It’s Bugoy, Dad. He was trying the Super Yolanda.”
“Super what? Aren’t those just Pla-pla or Super Lolo?” he asked Boknoy.
“Super Yolanda, dad. It’s three times more powerful. Pla-pla and Super Lolo
are old stuff.”
Casmot then asked him not to try those. Boknoy reluctantly obliged and just watched Bugoy as he continued lighting up more of his firecrackers.
“I bet he’s got more of those newer, bigger kind of firecrackers,” we told Casmot. His dad could easily get those.”
“Yeah, but those are prohibited stuff now. Based on the list announced by the PNP, Super Lolo, Pla-pla, Goodbye Philippines, Goodbye De Lima, Pillbox, and other overweight and oversized firecrackers and pyrotechnics are banned and cannot be sold commercially.”
“Yeah, I read that, too. What is allowed is such stuff like fountains, Roman candles, sparklers, trompillo, and all kinds of pailaw.”
“There are also some that are allowed but regulated like a baby rocket, bawang, and other types of firecrackers that are not oversized, not overweight, and certainly not imported,” Casmot added.
“Making that announcement ahead of the holiday celebration is fine, my friend. But do you think they would be able to implement it?” we asked our celebrated informant.
“Well, it’s heartening to know that every year, the list of casualties due to fireworks is dwindling. But still the figures are still alarming. More so on deaths due to the indiscriminate firing of guns. It seems us, Pinoys, never really learn.”
“Well, traditions really die hard.
And merrymaking at this time of the year is a good excuse to unravel our instinct for revelry. It seems like unloading a year full of pent-up emotions toward the change in the calendar year. We can call it midnight madness.”
“Actually, there’s nothing wrong with celebrating the change in year,” Casmot retorted. “But the way we Filipinos do it, we tend to go overboard. Merrymakers usually do it under the influence of liquor, and you know how dangerous that is.”
Just then, another booming explosion ripped through the stillness of the afternoon.
“What was that again?” Casmot asked Boknoy.
“It’s Bugoy, Dad, looks like he hurt himself firing that Goodbye Philippines!”
Casmot and I looked in the direction of Bugoy and saw him holding on to his bloodied right hand and writhing in pain. His parents appeared from nowhere and bodily carried their injured son to rush him to the hospital.
Boknoy was frozen stiff by the incident. He could have verily been the victim had he not heeded his father’s advice and continued test-firing Bugoy’s firecrackers.
Casmot could only embrace Boknoy in relief, thankful that he has an obedient son.
“You see, Boknoy,” Casmot told him. “It’s not the size of the firecracker that you explode that matters. It’s how big your heart is in facing up to the coming year no matter the challenges that really counts. What happened to Bugoy should be a lesson.”
A tear fell on Boknoy’s cheeks as he nodded in approval. He embraced his father with the realization that had he been hardheaded enough, it could have as well been Goodbye World for him, too.
Happy New Year, everyone!