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Lonely this Christmas



Fr. Ivan Sciberras

Fr. Ivan Sciberras, Missjunarju Malti fl-Amerika iltaqa' ma membri tal-familji ta'whud mill-vittmi tal-attakki fuq il-World Trade Centre wara li qaddes il-quddiesa ta' nofs il-lejl.

Din hija l-esperjenza tieghu fi kliemu:

Din is-sena, c-celebrazzjoni tal-Milied fil-Metropolitan Tri-State Area (il-partijiet ta' New York, New Jersey u Connecticut l-aktar qrib ta' NYC) qeghdin jiehdu xejra differenti mis-soltu. Dan ghaliex, wara l-grajjiet tal-hdax ta' Settembru, hu difficli li ssib persuna li ma gietx milquta mill-qrib mill-effetti ta' din it-tragedja. Apparti dawk li tilfu persuna ghaziza, hafn' ohra baqghu trawmatizzati wara li kellhom jaharbu minn Ground Zero, waqt li numru akbar tilfu l-impjieg b'konsegwenza ta' dawn l-attakki. Hafna feriti ghadhom miftuhin, u zgur li se jibqghu miftuhin ghal zmien twil.

Hafna kienu dawk li heggew lil pubbliku biex jiccelebra l-Festi tal-Milied b'mod kemm jista' jkun normali. Ghaldaqstant, is-sigar tal-Milied inxtelu aktar kmieni mis-soltu u x-xbiehu ta' Kristu - il-Princep tal-Paci - fil-maxtura (the reason for the season, kif ihobbu jghidu xi whud) kienet aktar evidenti mis-snin l-ohra. Hu minnu li kien hemm anqas bejgh fil-hwienet (is-sales sahansitra bdew qabel il-Milied - hasra li ma kienux jafu n-nisa Maltin!), imma hu minnu wkoll li aktar nies fittxew li jaqsmu l-ispirtu tal-Milied ma' l-eghziez taghhom. U ghal hafna nies din ma kenitx xi haga facli:minhabba d-distanzi twil li hafna drabi jifirdu familji w hbieb, ma kienux ftit dawk li qattghu granet shah jivjaggaw bil-karozza biex jevitaw ikollhom jirkbu ajruplan.

Hekk kif mat-tokki tan-nofsillejl il-kor tal-parrocca tieghi - Our Lady of Mount Carmel, f'Ridgewood, N.J. - beda jkanta s-Silent Night, l-aktar mill-elf ruh prezenti ghal quddiesa tal-Milied ma setghux ma jiftakrux id-disa' funerali - kollha bla gisem - li ccelebrajna fl-istess Knisja anqas minn tlett xhur ilu. Kuntest kompletament differenti minn dak tal-bidu tal-harifa. Hafna mir-romol kienu prezenti, imdawra min-numru kbir tat-tfal taghhom li se jkollhom jikbru bla missier. U kif qaltli wahda minnhom fi tmiem il-quddiesa, Peggy McGinley, bil-hamest itfal zghar taghha jgebbdu fid-dublett biex jigbdulha l-attenzjoni, "Nixtieq immur norqod u nqum it-tnejn ta' Jannar meta jkun ghadda kollox."

Meta fl-4 p.m. spiccajt inqaddes l-ahhar quddiesa tal-Milied bl-Ispanjol, bzajt li jekk immur niehu naghsa kont se nibqa' rieqed bhal ma xtaqet Mrs. McGinley. Wara 9 quddisiet, mijiet ta' qrar u tant qsim ta' tislijiet, in-nghas waqa' fuqi bhal azzar. Imma ftakart li kont weghdt lil familja ta' Steven Paterson, li nqabad fil-105 sular ta' l-ewwel torri li ntlaqat, li kont se mmur inzurhom filghaxija. Hekk kif tfaccajt fil-bieb ta' barra, t-tewmin ta' hames snin li Steven halla warajh gew jifirhu bija. Is-salott kien mimli b'persuni li sirt naf dak inhar li ccelebrajt il-funeral ta' Steven fil-bidu t-Ottubru. L-armla tieghu, Lisa, esprimietli kemm sabet support mill-girien, familjari u parruccani minn Settembru 'l hawn, u ziedet, "Qatt ma bsart li l-Mulej kien se jghinni daqshekk ingorr dan is-salib." Imma bhal hafna mir-romol l-ohra, Lisa dejjem tistenna li jcempel it-telefon biex jghidulha li sabu xi parti - anki jekk biss sinna jew difer - mill-gisem ta' Steven f'Ground Zero. Kapaci tkun stennija twila!

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