Rough Groove

A loss

Its really a terrible loss. Sometimes, thinking about it just would make me cry that I wanted to do other things, distract myself. While I was still in Makati to wait for the body, I watched X-Men and strolled at the spanking and newly opened SM Mall of Asia with my amour. I was burning to DVD some of my photos that are archived in CDs. Read books and magazines. These things also helped. But when calls and information came from time to time, I again feel so sad, so alone.

Outside, just now, its really raining very hard. Maybe the heavens are crying in sympathy?

Death on a Sunday

For the past few days, I haven’t written something nor posted. I just can’t seem to put it down into ones and zeros but the more I delay, the heavier it gets.

Around 0130H, Monday, my mobile rang. I checked who called and it was my mother. She was sobbing. “Dong, si papa nimo. Namatay na” (”… your father died”). At first, tears flowed as I cried, a natural reaction but then it just stopped. I coudn’t believe what I was hearing. It was too shocking but at the other end of the line, it was my mother. I have never heard her cry this way before. I can’t sleep. I cried again. And for the rest of the day, I just felt so alone. I filed for a leave of absence.

My father died, probably of a heart attack in a hotel room in Mumbai, India, while waiting for the ship that he will be handling. He was alone when it happened and that thought, the possible struggle to hang on to dear life was just too much for me to imagine. In the end, he succumbed and expired. Earlier that day, he has been calling my mother to tell her that his heartbeat is getting lower. Calling her every now and then telling her his condition. He was given medications and it improved but later, it went down again. By around 1500H, my mother wondered why no calls came. She rang him but no one answered. This until late in the evening. Then that crucial time came and my mobile phone rang.

Initially, we were told that his body will be brough back to the country by Tuesday or Wednesday that’s why I stayed in Makati to await its arrival. But my mother sent me an SMS telling me that it will still take time due to documentation and other legal processes and it will be flown direct to Cebu that’s why by Wednesday, I was already on a Cebu Pacific flight for Cebu. From the airport to our house, I can’t just help but think of my father that when I arrived home, I just broke down and hugged my mother.

Earlier tonight, Friday, and my father arrived cold and frozen from a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong encased in some cheap coffin and crated just like any other cargo.

Later today, Saturday, and the body, already prepared from the funeral parlor will be brought to the house for the wake and burial will take place 11 June, 1400H.

Cebu cebu cebu

Arrived home yesterday for the weekend. Well, nothing in particular. Just had an opportunity to come to Cebu for around two days. As usual, nothing much to do again but just stay at home the whole day Saturday, surf the internet, download, flickr, blog, photoblog and eat steamed crabs and humba!

Today, my father bought lechon, jackfruit (left) and had puso (hanging rice to none Cebuanos –> this is steamed rice cooked inside a woven receptacle made from coconut leaves) and eaten with one’s bare hands. Just delicious.

Ah, the joys of being back and spoiled with food.

Janet’s sons and a tremor in Makati

Well, nothing much to do last night. I was supposed to watch a movie, “Nasaan Si Francis” but when I looked outside, it was just raining hard. Not this time. I went back to my room and prepared the photos that Janet, my cousin, wanted. I was supposed to print this days ago but my #59 gray ink for my photoprinter HP 7960 just got consumed and it was really hard to find available stock unless I order. Below are photos of Paolo and Patrick that I’ll be emailing to her and is part of a series of 7 photos.

On the other hand, while I was just lying around on my bed last night, I felt the bed moving. A few more seconds and it was still shaking. The door of my closet was also swaying and creaking and I was just really afraid that here comes another earthquake. I got up, put on my slippers and got my camera.

Hmmm, I just realized, even in time of grave circumstances, its my camera that’s quite dear to me. Heck, I spent a large sum for this and this is my equipment of choice and I can’t just let it be left behind!

BBQ night and Patrick’s baptism

Other than the overcast and wet weekend here in Cebu, I was just home most of the time with family and my cousins. Its always good to be home doing nothing but eat, sleep, go online, etc.

Friday night, I sponsored a barbecue get together which we usually do from time to time. Whereas before we buy the meat and marinate early, readily marinated pork belly from the grocery is quite convenient. My cousins were complete and catching up with old times spent at the terrace where we did the barbecue. We also had barbecued chicken thighs, sakto Coke (a cute version of the popular softdrink, just 200ml and retails for just a mere P5 –> around 5 cents) and 2 1/5 gallons of ice cream.

My cousin Janet, a nurse in Great Britain came home with her family for the baptism. Instead of the Friday schedule, it was reset the next day due to some superstitious beliefs as Friday is considered a day of penitence (adlaw sa kasakit) –> christ’s death occured on a Friday (in this day and age?), the reason that I came home on that day. Right, Patrick Valiente, Janet and Nerio’s 2nd son at two months and is a British citizen.

The baptismal rite was just simple and short and was held at the church’s sacristy.

My cousin Janet’s 1st born, Paolo, now at age 4. Can’t speak Cebuano but understands a little. He’s really kind of shy but when around other children, right, with my niece Enicka, and his toy dinosaurs, he’s really a great and happy kid.