When Edna saw me at the office after I got back from a month of absence, she told me she needed to speak to me and had been eagerly wishing for my return. She said her office mates are all younger and they would not be able to understand how she’s feeling. She felt relieved when she saw me. I asked why and she told me, with tears in her eyes,
“An, meron kasi akong naaapa dito”. She could feel a lump in her right breast, sometimes it’s big sometimes it felt smaller. It hurts a bit but not enough to deter her from her daily activities. She’s so scared that it could be something more serious. I advised her to immediately go to the hospital and get a sonogram or ultrasound instead of worrying too much. She did after a week and the findings indicated that there’s a lump that is suspected to be malignant.
Edna became hysterical and spent her days and nights crying. She couldn’t work because she was too devastated. She was absent for almost a week because all she did was worry. Her co-workers at Mazda Makati encouraged her to come to the office to deviate her attention. She showed up on Friday morning, and attended the regular First Friday Mass at our showroom.
The priest and our staff prayed over Edna.
After the mass, Edna went back to the cashier’s office. There’s a woman who was about to pay for her car’s service and Edna overheard one of our Service Advisors saying “Doctora, dito ho kayo magbabayad”. Edna asked the lady “Doctora, ano ho ang specialization nyo?” The lady doctor said she’s head of the mammography clinic of a certain hospital and she holds clinic there from 1 to 5 pm. In fact, from Mazda Makati, she was going to her clinic at the hospital.
Edna shared her predicament to the lady doctor and she immediately told Edna, “Tamang-tama, papunta ako ngayon doon, sumama ka na sa akin, ipa-mammogram kita, wala kang babayaran”.
When the doctor found out that Edna’s surname is DATOR, she asked “Dator? kaano-ano mo yung si_____ Dator na nasa Dubai? Ang bait-bait nuon at nung bumisita kami ay sobra kaming inasikaso”.
Edna replied “Bayaw ko po iyon, kapatid ng asawa ko”.
What else can you think of? Destiny? God-designed? Edna had been absent for several days. She just showed up on Friday. This lady, of all days, came to our office to get her vehicle on that very moment that Edna was there?
She’s a doctor and not only that, she heads the hospital’s mammography unit. And what else? She went to Dubai and of all people, she met Edna’s brother in law? Sobrang namang coincidence yan.
Edna had mammography and two suspicious lumps were identified. Sample tissues were taken and tested and they spelled malignant. Edna got a second opinion and results would be known tomorrow.
Yesterday morning when she saw me at the office, she cried a river. I gave her some words of encouragement.
“An, ayaw ko pang mamatay”
“Edna, hindi ka pa mamamatay. Buhay ka pa 5 years, 10 years, 15 years from now. Basta ipa-opera mo na yan para mawala na. Hindi pa naman siya kalat”. I know it’s easier said than done, pero pilitin mong tumigil sa pag-iyak kasi baka bumulagta ka naman dyan sa sakit sa puso lalo ng napadali ang buhay mo”.
In times like this, it’s difficult to cry to our families and friends every single time. All we have is our indomitable spirit that would help us face this fight of a lifetime. As an ordinary human, this is certainly the most difficult. We are just too frail and weak. I quiver when I hear some people say that this is “pag-subok, malalampasan mo din yan”.
Please do not say that. Pag-subok? How does one human pass this insurmountable test? And what is the test for? Test of faith? Test of the strength of ones spirit? So you mean to tell me yung mga namatay, bumagsak sa test? Or yung nagtampo sa Dyos dahil sa nararanasan nilang hirap ay bagsak sa test? So what will happen to those who were too weak? Would they be fried in hell?
I included Edna in my prayers while I was attending last Sunday’s mass. I prayed that her body be cleared of any sickness. I also prayed for her long life.
Dear Lord,
Si Annie po ito. I do not have any authority nor power to decide on Edna’s fate. But please hear my prayers. I have known her since college days. She was my classmate at UST. I knew she was a good person that’s why I gave her the privilege of being one of my daughter’s ninang sa binyag. She’s neither rich nor popular but what’s more important to me was she exhibited genuine sincerity. I also did not hesitate to hire her when she needed a job because I knew I could trust her. And I was right. she’s been with us for many years and I never doubted her loyalty. Meron siyang malasakit sa amin at sa kumpanya.
Edna had her share of family problems and sadness. She took this with all her strength and humility. Thank you for blessing her with good children and cute apos. Edna is not ready to go to heaven yet. It is her desire to be allowed still to live here on earth with her family. Please remove any illness that’s afflicting her body. Please extend her stay on earth, because for now, this is her heaven. Thank you Lord, this I humbly pray in your eternal power and love. Amen.
