Saddam, friendship and the New Year

I have closely observed the event as it unfolded, "online" that is... the execution of the self-styled pan-Arab leader, ambitious and cruel-to-the-gut, former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein Al-Tikriti. When news sites mentioned he could be executed anytime Friday evening (US eastern time, I guess early morning Mid East time December 30, 2006), my attention never left the laptop.

Then I remembered the date... for the past 7 years or so, me and my friends have this small firecracker business stall that we always put up after Christmas until New Year's Eve and we would stay there from early morning to midnight and at one time for 24 hours just so we could bring in more profits (or so we thought then, t'was a bad idea and physically draining). Besides the business, it was fun to be hanging out with highschool buddies and chat about old school stuff, introduced and sell our wares to both new and loyal customers (the best of Bulacan-produced fireworks and imported China firecrackers), see old friends dropping by and test some of the fireworks for our enjoyment. December 30th in fact was always the busiest time for us, as this was the time people haggle for prices and look for impressive firecrackers to show off on their block.

wait... before you start typing another web address on the browser, read on first...

what's the connection between the death of the former Iraqi prez and our humble fireworks stall? We named IT after HIM. Like him now, the stall does not exist anymore in its original location. The core group of the fireworks store splintered into three (hmm.. shades of Shia, Kurd and Sunni divide), with stores in different locations now (We're still a solid group of friends by the way, we don't release car bombs against each other). This might be the last time the name *SADDAM'S FIREWORKS will be used. Owing to Filipinos' fondness for businesses named after famous/infamous celebrities or events, people easily remembered the name of our store and would look for it yearly. I think it would be in bad taste if the group still use it in the future though, and I am not Chinese FYI.

I recall people enjoying the name of the store, jokingly asking for the latest "weapons of mass destruction" that they can unleash come New Year's time. The last time I was fully active with the group was in December 2003, the month of SH's capture by US special forces after his location was "betrayed" by a tribe member (boy, the guy got a windfall of 25 million dollars for it). I remembered me and one of my buddies posting a news clip along with SH's pic on the store and seeing people smirking over it.

Now, things have changed. He is no more. Our store is no more. Iraq unfortunately is still embroiled in a semi-civil war. The friendship we all share with my high school buddies fortunately is still there but with the way things are going we are having less and less time with each other and more with our own businesses and careers. I just hope and pray that the things we do won't grow bigger than us and affect our relationships with each other. It happened to Saddam; he could have been the hope of Iraq, but because of ambition and lust for power he instead took a major part in its progressive destruction. He betrayed friends and was willing to murder anyone who will stand against him and his beliefs. On a visit to Dujail, a small group took potshots at his motorcade. He took vengeance on the townspeople who welcomed him with open arms (and fear). He gassed to death minorities who are obviously powerless to stand up to him. The rest of his country was biting their nails off because of hunger while he amassed millions of dollars from the oil-for-food program that was really intended to help Iraq recover from the Gulf war sanctions. So, I guess he really had it coming for him.

Sorry SH.. time to go. I wish they could have just thrown you into isolation for life. But your people have other things in mind for you. Strange as it may seem, thanks for the name of our fireworks store. It was a yearly thing for us friends to look forward to. But like everything in this short-term memory world, we have to move on.

We pray for a favorable 2007 for the struggling people of Iraq.







*Saddam's Fireworks used to be located @ the ruins in BF Homes Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines (the location is now a row of small residential townhouses). Chiefly owned by CV Moises, in its early years with financial and manpower assistance from his Saint Rita College, Paranaque highschool bestfriends. CV Moises Trading is now a supplier of fireworks, both local and imported, not only for New Year's but also for special occasions. Two of his friends, G.Muncal and C.Samonte have set up their own fireworks stores, seasonally open every Dec.26 to Dec.31. The author is a close friend of the persons mentioned.