Rutchel, 47

It was my first time to go to Kawit, Cavite, an hour drive from Makati via Macapagal Avenue and Cavitex.

Sea view to the right

Squatters view to the left

We paid P24 for the first toll / vehicle and P64 for the second toll / vehicle.

We were slow because we were not sure if we were going the right way. We stopped three times to ask for direction. We were actually looking for Wilcon Builders, kasi the instruction was that the burol is near Wilcon.
We were going to the wake of Rutchel Gonzales, the niece of Eves, Robert, and eldest daughter of Linda, sister of Eves and Robert.

We found St. Peter. My staff got off first to verify if there was indeed a wake for Rutchel at this location. Meron daw so I got off the SUV. I read the names on every door. I was being very careful, I didn’t want to end up at a different wake just like what happened to me before. Nung namatay and daddy ni Dick Penson, basta ako pumasok sa isang chapel. Ang tagal ko ng nakaupo pinagmamasdan ko yung kabaong na puti. Napansin ko bakit wala akong kakilala sa mga nagluluksa duon at naglalamay? At teka bakit babae ang nasa picture? Oh my God! Hindi iyun ang daddy ni Dick. Buti hindi tumayo yung aleng patay at sinigawan ako. “Hoy miss, nai-stress ako sa’yo, hindi dito!”

The walk to the chapel was so eerie. Parang ang hirap humakbang.

Rutchel lives in a bungalow beside Robert’s house in Limay, Bataan. Every 6 pm she switches on the lights in her house. Robert noticed that it was already past 8 pm and yet Rutchel hasn’t turned on the lights. He checked if the front door was locked. She probably went out. But the front door was open, which meant that Rutchel didn’t live the house. Robert used a flash light and went around the bungalow. She saw Rutchel on the bed. She didn’t respond to his calls. He and his son broke down the room’s screen door. Robert shook her, slapped her several times but she was unresponsive. They rushed her to the nearest hospital in a tricycle. The doctor said her pulse was very faint, almost not breathing. She was in a coma and was declared brain dead. The family of Rutchel decided not to prolong her suffering by agreeing to remove the life support just three days after she was declared brain-dead.

So sad ano? Rutchel had no known sickness. According to the doctors, she had a massive heart attack.

Life is so short.