Fr. Jonil’s Wake

February 6, 2016 Saturday

It was raining when we reached SLEX going to Canlubang to attend Fr. Jonil’s wake.

There were stretches of mild and heavy traffic due to vehicular accidents along the way. Thank God none seemed serious, just a bump here and there. I will not blame the weather, it’s all about safety driving.

A Jaguar test drive unit (our guess) was facing the opposite direction on Skyway.

It probably skidded and made a U-turn.

The mass and burial were at Don Bosco in Canlubang. I texted Fr. Bok that we’re stuck in traffic. I thought we wouldn’t be able to make it on time.
We arrived at past 9:30 but we were still able to attend half of the mass.

Fr. Jonil was the parish priest in Makati, maybe that’s why VP Binay sent him flowers.

He was only 49. Bata pa ‘no?

A—–“Tart, communion na ba? Communion na ba yan?”
E—–“Bakit, magco-communion ka ba?”
A—–“Hindi”
E—–“Hindi naman pala eh”
A—–“Makasalanan, hindi ako nangumpisal”.

Nakakaiyak yun mass. They flashed the notes Fr. Jonil scribbled during his last days and hours.

I couldn’t control my tears. He thought he was already dying on January 27. He wrote “Do not cry for me, be happy for me because death will make me one step closer to God whom I love very much.

There’s a cemetery just about 60 meters behind the church.

Fr. Bok, the one who celebrates mass at Makati Ford in Pasong Tamo every First Friday of the month. He was there this morning for the Ash Wednesday mass.

I normally don’t look at the body. Hindi ako tumitingin sa patay. Kahit sulyap hindi. Minsan di ba merong family dadalhin ka sa unahan at iiyak duon “tingnan mo si tatay, prang natutulog lang”. Syemre I couldn’t tell the relative, naku-naku teka, takot ako sa patay. Wah choice but to stand there beside the coffin. Secret, I dont look, I stare at the coffin’s paint. Or sometimes I pretend to be looking but my eyes were closed.

In Fr. Jonil’s case, I looked at his body and said goodbye to him just before the priests closed the coffin. Pero hindi naman ako O.A. na nagkiss pa. Sinulyapan ko lang and thanked him. I heard his sister cried “Kuyaaa”. It must really be heart-breaking to see a loved one inside the box. Kaya siguro yung iba nahihimatay. Okay lang mahimatay, wag lang matutuluyan.

There was a butterfly who didn’t want to leave Edmund.

A—-“Tart, i-close up ko”.
E—-“Yung kuko ko makikita”.

There’s a small cemetery at their compound. It’s nice that they take care of their priests even after life.

Bye Fr. Jonil, please be my angel in heaven. Thank you for the friendship.

After the burial meron libreng inumin at pande-coco. Heaven.