Remembering the Dead

For these year my family and I decided not to join the melee of thousands of people who will troop to the cemetery and just observed it after a day.
So November 2 came and at about 4:00 in the morning my 2^nd child excitedly woke us up.
We agreed to go earlier than usual because I had to report for my work by 9:30 that same morning.After all have been finished with their usual morning routine, off we go before 6:00 am.
Did I tell you that listening to our family discussion seems like you are in the halls of Philippine Congress?
First Session: Mode of transportation.
Child 1: “We must ride a taxi for safer and more convenience”.
Child 2: “But the expense will be higher, just save it for “Jollibee”. Let us ride an “FX”.
Child 3: “If would be impossible for an “FX” to accommodate us all 7 in our location. Let us take a Bus”.
Child 2:”Can’t you see all buses that passes by are all full of commuters?”
Child 4:”Jeepneys seems to be the only option left cause there’s a lot of them.”
Child 2:”But the pollution is so great so seems to be you are smoking a cigarette”.
After a few more minutes that of suggestions and counter- suggestions, few more stares at one another we were able to have a verdict:
Ride a Jeep.
Arriving safely at the Manila South Cemetery (Chinese Cemetery) I told them to get the candles and other stuff for my mother’s tomb.
Our route would be shorter and more efficient if we start from my mother’s tomb; to my Sister’s and then my Father would be the last. After hearing a few murmur, I found out the candles were left behind. “Oh my God! Of all the things you need to forget is the most important thing that we should bring”. Then I tell them to take out all the content of their bags.
A few bottles of soft drinks, a few bottles of water, a fan, 2 loaves of Banana Bread, and an mp3 player … yes there are no candles.
Second Session: Who would go out and buy candles.
Child 5:”Don’t look at me, I might be lost.”
Child 1:” I lack sleep, I might feel dizzy and get lost”
Who do you know would always volunteer when situation like these crops up, there loving mother?
Bang the gavel. That is the End of session 2.
After lightning the candles, incense, and paper money and saying our prayers. I quietly observed my grown up kids. I was in that state of mind when one of my kids sang a few line of a song dedicated for my departed mother. A few second more they are all singing and with choreography to boot. It seems to me that they are all starring in a High School Musical movie. What a sight to behold. Save for their voices.
Going to the tomb of my older sister and my father will have the same scenario. Only the songs are changed so that according to them there would be no jealousy among those they performed to. I have to assure my wife there is no mentally disturbed person in our family. I asked her how about her Family? She’s also sure she got none.
There are many more happy moment to be told, like the photo – op session. There discussion of the size and design of Mausoleum that they would construct. The agreement that of who would die first would be the last because of the positioning in the mausoleum.
This memory will forever be book marked in my mind and in my heart as “Happy moment No. 1”.
Going out of the cemetery, we were able to pass by a “Ruby Tower Monument”. My youngest child asks me about it. The date says August 2, 1968. As I vividly recall, many lives perished in that day. Many affluent Chinese people died when the Ruby Tower building came crashing with the intensity 7 earthquake. Many people became heroes for many un-selfishly, and voluntarily gave their services to try to save lives. But there also stories of those who take advantage of the situation by looting in what ever they can take.See related story Inqiuirer.net ,
The earthquake movement is so great I fall out of my bed (I was only 10 years old by then) and I saw my Father an able to control his balance and fall. The wooden cabinets that fall behind him miss to hit his head by a few inches. I prayed hard thinking that maybe that is the end of the world. A few more after shocks occur. Then the news broke out about the Ruby Tower.
I told my kids to say a little prayer in memory of those who died in that incident. Reminding them that life on earth is really not in our hands but in our Maker, our Lord.
I am now happy with the thought that when the time comes and the good Lord would take me in his Kingdom, My children would perform another similar number. Or maybe I could now use they’re new found talent and introduced a new kind of Business. An entertainment for your departed ones!

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