Well, it’s been a while since I posted here, so maybe there
is a reason why I posted this article. Actually, I have been keeping this thing
for almost a week now. This is a sad story so I may not be good in conveying my
grief and sorrow over this matter.
My grandfather Ruben, Mom’s “Tatang” (father), passed away
last Wednesday, May 8, 2013. He died because of cardiac arrest. Today is his
funeral service and my eyes are still aching after shedding all the tears that
I can still shed.
His real name is Servillano Sampang Dela Cruz, or more
commonly known as “Ka Ruben” because that’s how he was addressed by our
neighbors and relatives. He was a farmer and it is really visible in his
appearance. Well, he is industrious because he managed to make three out of his
six children – three girls and three boys, finish their studies by just farming
alone despite of hardships in life. One of them is my Tita Luisa, who suffered
from polio when she is small. My mom’s cousins told me that when my Tita Luisa
is attending her classes, my Lolo Ruben always carry her to and from school each
and every day.
Well, I did not cry because of his kindness in my uncles and
aunts, but with how he spent his life with me as his first grandchild. (I
started crying again). It started May 8 in the morning. It was Wednesday so I
have to leave 5:30 in the morning to enter to the office where I’m on duty as
an intern. When I’m with my father riding in our motorcycle on our way to the
terminal, I saw him beside the street. I smiled at him, but since our motorcycle
passed swiftly, I did not even have the chance to see what his reaction is.
My day in the office started and ended normally so I logged
out early. What surprised me is that travel time from office to the bus
terminal is really short (because normally I’m stuck in the traffic) and an
airconditioned bus is not that loaded with passengers when I arrived at the
terminal (normally it would take me one hour to fall in line and wait for an
airconditioned bus to arrive). I was
really happy that time because I will arrive in our house early. I even managed
to sleep in the bus. One more kilometre left on where I will drop off, I was
surprised because my dad is calling me using his Sun Cellular number eventhough
I am using a Touch Mobile number so somehow I had an idea that this is
something important. When I picked up my phone, he first asked my location and
I told him that I’m almost in my drop off place. Then his tone changed followed
by a phrase that I made sense that something really went wrong, “Nak, huwag
kang mabibigla ha. Patay na ang tatang. (Child, do not be shocked. Your
grandfather passed away already.)” Then I was suddenly speechless. In the
morning he was standing firmly, without any previous disease he may suffer for,
then he was dead by the night? When I got home, a jeepney is waiting for me.
There loaded are my uncles and aunts, my mom and dad, my brother and cousins
and my grandmother. All of them are teary-eyed except for my grandma who was
bursting in tears. We all headed to the funeral service first to get an
ambulance then went to the hospital to fetch his cadaver.
According to the doctors, he died of heat stroke due to
severe heat that day. What broke my heart the most is seeing his body before he
is going to be embalmed. I started calling him. I called his name again again.
I called him thrice already. No answer. He’s no longer answering. My aunt Luisa
kept waking him up, but he didn’t. My grandma burst in tears again. He’s gone, yet I want to say a lot of things to
him.
His funeral wake lasted for five days and that is how I
witnessed how people loved my “Tatang”. Some people came that even my uncles
and aunts do not even recognize at all. They all said that my grandfather was
really a happy person because he always tells jokes to those people. Also, my
grandfather is good in “pakikisama (social adaptation)”, that’s why many people
knew him. He was always a simple guy. He’s just fine with t-shirt and shorts. He
just dresses up when there is an occasion.
But I am something that my brother and cousins are not to him
– I am his favorite grandchild. I started noticing it when I was in high
school. Whenever he saw my brother and my cousins, he always tell them to stop
what they are doing and instead do this particular thing, but when it comes to
me, he always compliments what I’m doing, even I’m playing in the computer he
thought that I was studying. He was always proud of me. He tells my achievement
and what he calls as “my bright future” to our relatives. When he is having
coffee in the morning, he always tells me jokes and inspirational stories that
he picked up from the television. We even watch Face-to-face when I do not have
classes during weekdays. I always wanted him to share meals with us because
sometimes he dines late when grandma went to sell goods in the market.
I want him to be present in my graduation day. I want to
celebrate with him as I being first in our family to graduate in UP. I wanted
to treat him and my grandma and dine in restaurants when I get a stable job
someday. I want him to ride in my dream car once I’ll be able to buy it. I want
him to meet my future husband and my future kids. I want them to know that I
have an amazing “Tatang”.
I know he is in a better and safer place now. He did not
suffer from any tests or operation. I think this is a better way for my “Tatang”.
I know someday I’ll be able to meet him
again. By this time, I just have to swear that I’ll bear his surname as my
middle name longer than the usual and I will do my best to achieve my dreams.
I love you Tatang. We’ll miss you.
