I don’t think the January 23 mini get-together of my brothers and Gov Ito will happen again in the future. Realistically speaking, mahirap pagtugmain ang mga schedules.
natyempo lang nagka sabay ang visit namin ni Gov. sa Bay Area.
And as we grow older, challenges naturally come along.
Even traveling short distances can become troublesome — mostly because of health issues. Look at what happened to Kuya Junior. He sat at the back of the car while his son, Atty. Ryan, and Ryan’s girlfriend, Jessica, sat in front. During the two-hour drive, Kuya was reading from his cellphone. By the time they arrived, he felt dizzy.
Even I experience that sometimes. When I’m in the car and texting — especially at night — I start to feel nauseous. The darkness outside, the movement of the vehicle, and focusing on a small screen can really make you lightheaded.
Kaya ayun, Kuya Junior struggled through the mini get-together — trying his best to enjoy the reunion while quietly managing his nausea. Kawawa naman.
You could see he really wanted to be present, to laugh and catch up, but his body was not cooperating. Still, he made the effort. And that, in itself, meant so much.
(Jessica, Ate Linda, Atty. Ryan, and Mia.
When Kuya Junior got here, he went straight to the powder room and threw up. He did that several times. He couldn’t sit still kasi nga he was nauseated.
His son blamed his dad was on his phone most of the time.
Kaya ayun, Kuya Junior struggled through the mini get-together — trying his best to enjoy the reunion while quietly managing his nausea. Kawawa naman.
You could see he really wanted to be present, to laugh and catch up, but his body was not cooperating. Still, he made the effort. And that, in itself, meant so much.
Hiyang-hiya ang Kuya kay Gov. Ito kasi several times he had to leave the table to throw up. At one point, he even fell asleep.
I remembered that I had bought a small cheesecake with assorted fruits on top from Safeway. But in all the excitement and kwentuhan, I completely forgot about it. I only remembered after Gov. Ito and Cong. Mia had already left.
Later, when Kuya woke up, he asked, “Ay, asan si Ito? Umalis na ba?”
Yes, nakaalis na.
Sayang daw — he could have blown the candle while Ito was still there. I felt bad. It was my fault. I was so absorbed listening to their stories that I forgot there was a cake waiting.
But in the end, he was happy.
At 83, one can only wish to be healthy, strong, happy, and alive day after day.
Ayleen prepared a few trivia games, and Kuya was the winner. At 83, his brain is still sharp and fully functioning. His memory is impressive. He answered confidently, recalling names, dates, and little details from long ago.
It’s sad — we used to be six, and now we’re down to four.
Time has quietly thinned the original Tans. The laughter is still there, the memories are still shared, but I can feel the spaces left behind by those who are gone, Kuya Romy and Kuya Ben.
I pray that the four of us remain standing for many more years to come — healthy, present, and still able to gather, laugh, and remember.
Because at this stage in life, every reunion is a blessing.
