“When a brother dies suddenly and unexpected, we not only lost one of our greatest supports but also our confidence and footing in life!” Anonymous

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Bye for now, Manoy Bebong! We will all meet again in a better place the Lord has promised us – where there is no pain and sickness! Mama, Papa, Buckie, even Ike and Bart are now with you …

You left this world happy and “fulfilled”, a better word for “contented”. Fulfilment means mission accomplished! While contentment may mean, things went bad but it is alright. I am glad I saw you before I left Manila, flying back to 🇨🇦.

Blue told Jekka over the phone to book my flight right away to Dumaguete, with a return flight on the following day. I said “No”, I wanted to stay two nights there. Benmar and Lilibeth overheard my plan; while, us, foursome, celebrating Valentine’s day in a pub at BGC. Benmar and Lilibeth thought of sending a V-gift to you. They wrap something in a table napkin and then, gave it to me. I told them already that you said “Thank you”, when Blue and I saw Benmar and Lilibeth in Venice, unplanned, of all places in Venice.

In compliance to your instruction, JR fetch me at the airport and handed me the keys of Bucky’s car. I drove alone from the airport to Tinaogan, buying a bucket of Jolibee fried chicken along the way at Tanjay.

You were very happy to see me. You told me immediately about the good news:

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/07/07/2279346/marcos-enacts-debt-forgiveness-law-610k-farmers

You are one of the beneficiaries of the 610 thousand farmers who received “debt-forgiveness”. You do not need to pay back the bank any money, where your conjugal property is possessed. There will be a clean title for the eight hectares of land – to be inherited by your four children (without the burden from them to continue paying for the debt). Praise the Lord! Thank you, Mister President!

However, I sensed that this might be the reason you told yourself that you can depart now, leaving your family in a better condition … Nothing is holding you anymore!

You told me that you need a laptop for your work. The laptop of Manoy Bucky, that went to you after Bucky died, five years ago, was unusable anymore. The motherboard just gave up and declared by the computer technician as junk. I forgot to retrieve the harddisk and bring it with me, to salvage it, without telling you my intention to explore and discover hidden things inside, now both your work and Bucky’s.

So, I am giving you, Manoy Bebong, the MacBook Pro that I received from the AFP, as a retirement token, more than ten years ago. The Mac is just gathering cobwebs in Red’s bedroom. It is old and bulky, with all of the plug-in sockets at the side: a mini-display port, HDMI, Thunderbolt, USB-A, Ethernet Port for RJ45, FireWire, SD Card and audio for earphones. It can serve you well, if you need it only for typing documents, not for gaming.

We talked one-on-one since the time I arrived; that was a few minutes past 3 o’clock in the afternoon. I should have brought some beer or hard liquor; but in second thought, I better not – so you won’t drink. I immediately told you that I wish to borrow the vintage pedal ride-on steel toy horse, which Lola gifted you; and bring the item to Manila. I will return and pass it on to whoever has a new boy in the bloodline of Mama. You let me have the horse. I plan to have all Lomeda boys take pictures on it. It is now the turn of Kalvin, my grandson, to be on that horse . . .

I will not write down here, in detail, what we talked. The conversation is between us. We discussed purely family, expectations and what more to give in life. We enumerated each of our children and their children, of course, including their better halves. You are, were, very proud of Weena; and to include, her husband, Mark. You laughed when Mark told you that Weena is the youngest looking lady among her classmates during their class reunion; then, concluding, on that topic, “Dapat lang – tangkilikin ang sariling atin!” haha You continued saying, “I receive and take my medication maintenance regularly”, as you said, because of Weena. You have projects of planting more crops, plenty of time but no money. So, I promised to finance you; and I am glad, I made true with my promise. I even sent you in advance your June and July support; telling you that the next remittance would be in August one. You were surprised when the Balimbing tree Infront of the house started to bear fruits. Then along somewhere in our exchange, I asked you, where do you wish to be buried when you die? You said, here, in the farm. I asked you if you wish me to bring your ashes to Daet – to be laid beside Mama, like Bucky? You did not answer. I am the one who answered my own question, saying, “Of course, you have your loved ones to visit you and we do not have a place for them to stay when they visit you. The Barangay official there unlawfully took away Mama’s ancestral lot”. The conversation was going down deep and intimate but when 8pm came. You excused yourself and sat beside Manang Mila at the sala, to wait for the start of the show: Batang Quiapo, also known as – Ang Probinsyano.

The following morning, you showed me green and yellow Balimbings on the breakfast table. You offered me one, but I refused. Manang Mila took one and had a bite. She did not contort her face. So, I assumed, the fruit is sweet. Mila exclaimed that you have many different fruit bearing plants in the farm but you do not eat any fruit. Mila sounded disappointed. Perhaps, for the reason that you are missing the health-wise benefits of fruits. [The best fruit in the farm is the mango. When the season is nearing, a contractor buys all the produce, even the trees are still bare, with only the flowers showing.]

You showed me around the farm with a finger-tour, while us, just sitting at the porch. [He cannot walk far anymore. He uses a cane. He easily gets tired and out of breath, even just coming out from his bedroom.]

I saw Danica, your granddaughter from afar, near the gate, with her father, Jetri. They were arguing. You said not to mind them; and told me the reason. I said to you, it will just be a passing stage for a child to rebel against authorities; and Danica would outgrow her behavior someday. We both hope so. Macoy, your grandson also from Jetri, is now grown-up, much taller than us; a loyal aide-de-camp for Mila, becoming her eyes and legs in moving around.

You have an old lady, as house-help. She comes over to wash dishes and do the laundries. You also have a teenaged house “boy”, who can clean the surroundings and run errands. The boy was the one who boxed the metal toy horse, after buying some package-tapes in the nearby sari-sari store. I left Tinaogan after lunchtime, with the intention of staying overnight in a hotel, at Bethel House, for my second night at Dumaguete. I texted JR to pick up Bucky’s car at the hotel parking lot; and to just get the key from the receptionist of the hotel. My flight back to Manila was early in the morning. I took the shuttle bus going to the airport. So, I just spent one night with you but it was a night that I would cherish forever.

For me, being back in Canada, we exchange messages regularly in Facebook Messenger. You told me that you are displaying the Philippine flag early, as usual, infront of your house where passersby can easily see it. Now, I realize that the flag is the right size for coffins. Thinking that you are entitled to have a flag draped on your coffin – you died a patriot, exactly on Independence Day. You were a commissioned officer in the Philippine Constabulary (PC), as a lieutenant and a judge of Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC), Branch 2, Bindoy-Ayungon-Manjuyod. Do not forget that! After saluting you, I will then fold the flag and give it to Manang Mila saying, “On behalf of a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.”

Your last transmission in the Facebook Messenger was this. I am glad you were feeling jolly…

I called Manang Mila to comfort her. She is blind now, both eyes, but she told me that she still watches and follows – Batang Quiapo. She is not sad; just regretting that you left her without saying “Goodbye”. Here is a clip of our video Messenger chat (audio removed). . . it is up for you to describe her feelings through her body language and facial expressions you can observe.

When I left Tinaogan on 23 February 2024, we said our “Goodbyes” with the usual handshake and touching of our right shoulders. I realized now that the goodbye was not for me that I was leaving; but it was for you because you are the one leaving . . .

I love you Manoy Bebong and I will truly and surely miss you . . .

May flights of angels escort you to your eternal peaceful resting place, a farm in paradise!