The 90 year-old mother of our long time employee died from pneumonia last week. Despite the rain and my hectic schedule, I made the one hour trip to go to her wake. I arrived at their house in Calumpang, Binangonan, Rizal at a little past 10 am. The libing would be on that same day at 1:30 pm but I had no intention to join in the funeral procession.
It was my mother who recommended Loreta Sumalde to me long long time ago.
A 26 km distance is short except that it’s impossible to traverse thru the narrow and congested flood way where aside from pedicabs, pedestrians, children playing on the side of the road, parked vehicles, merong at least tatlong lamay na nasa kalye rin yung mga kabaong. At meron pang nagka-karaoke.
When you see the letter Y or the word Ynares, it means you are now in Rizal.
After about a kilometer of rough road, here’s their street
I know where Calumpang is but I am not familiar with the side streets. Loreta’s house is behind the main road. The barangay tanod we chanced upon while directing traffic in the middle of the road, voluntarily offered to ride with us to Loreta’s house. We made him sit in front of the van, He was so hyper.
He was calling every person he recognized on the road— “Pare, naka van ako!”…… “Hoy, nadito ako!”
He waved his right hand and smiled at the people outside.
OMB—— “Hindi po kayo nakikita at naririnig nung mga nasa labas”.
Tanod—- “Hinde, hayun at naka ngiti sa akin, naka tingin sila”.
OMB—— “Nakatingin ho sila sa sasakyan natin pero hindi ho sa inyo”.
Tanod—- “Kita nila ako at tumango, hayun o”.
(Sige na nga, oo na.)
It’s not so sad if the one who died is very old na. Di ba nakaka-inggit pa nga. Sana umabot tayo ng nubenta, na beauty at masaya pa rin.
When I entered their living room where the coffin was, Loreta was expecting I would stand beside the coffin. Naku I don’t do that, I don’t look at dead people’s faces. The images get stuck in my brain and I dream of them. So mabuti pa hindi na lang. Anyway, hindi naman talaga kami magka kilala in person.
Kahit parang natutulog lang sya, ayaw ko rin.
Parang natutulog is a common comment or traditional remark ba yan. There’s a cultural shift happening. Why not stretch the lips to the sides para, “Tingnan mo nakangiti sayo si nanay”. If we prefer our dead loved ones to look alive in death, maybe we can take it to the level, Open their eyes, stretch their mouths to the sides, and put both their arms and hands up near their cheeks.
open their two fingers, yung parang naka V sign, peace. Iyan talaga mas interactive. Hindi lang parang natutulog, but parang gising at buhay pa sya. Mas masaya at hindi nakaka-lungkot.
If the dead person’s favorite celebrity is Vice Ganda, put a karatula on the chest, BOOM PANES or See you in heaven.
One of Loreta’s brothers. He told me he was our driver 35 years ago. Nalimutan ko na. He owns a junk shop and drives a van to and from Crossing. He earns P1,000 a day daw from driving the van.
According to Loreta, her mom got pregnant at the age of 14, her father was 27.
She produced 13 children. One died at the age of 1.
A couple of years ago, several in their family died within 6 months interval.
Yung isa nasuntok daw sa Libis, mga lasing. The guy who delivered the killer blow never went to jail. Natalo daw sila sa kaso.
Loreta’s seaman brother died while docked in Korea from heart attack at the age of 27 or 28. He was the one pa naman who helped them purchase this 2,000 sqm property and built their 3 bedroom bungalow. Her sister, who was a librarian in one of the universities in Manila, died at the age of 30+. Her father passed away from natural causes according to Loreta. .
Tumawag sila ng mga albularyo, manghuhula and feng shui experts. They were told to tear down the small structure in front of their house alongside the road because it’s like a well “balon” na hinihigop ang swerte kaya nawawala and replaced it with malas.
They tore down the concrete structure and kept open the fence and gate to let the good chi come in. According to them, the omen was broken. Ngayon na lang na merong namatay, itong mother nila.
The funeral would be at 1:30 pm and the clouds were gray. Loreta was confident it’s not going to rain, why?
how to stop the rain from falling:
Before I left, she proudly toured me around their compound.
Rough road again
I was lucky we were able to avoid the traffic in C5. By 12:25 I was already in Pasong Tamo. I got off the van and bought buko juice to make pagpag. I was in a hurry I didn’t have time to make a full stop in a store or cafe elsewhere. This would do.
13 children? Wow breeder