Paz at last
my family is mourning over the death of my grandmother, Paz Lorilla Dionaldo. we will surely miss her.
lola pacing’s house is the sanctuary or, to my cousins’, a prison for deliquent anak. hehehehe sori ate anna. of the eight apos she got, i stayed in the ancestral house the longest. not that i am the most stubborn but i felt, at an early age of 4, at home staying there. till now every vacation i still stay there.
as a toddler my lola taught me to pray the angelus and hail holy queen in latin. she would tag me along whenever she will say prayers for the dead in our neighborhood. she was my constant companion in the church.
lola do play favorites. kuya allan being the eldest apo is the apple of her eye. i remember when lolo died 1985, lola was crying and calling on kuya’s name during the interment. so when we got back home, she was the center of our jokes. still she denied she has a favorite. when aunt daling died eleven years after, we kidded her never to mention kuya’s name again, she promised she won’t. as we lay my aunt’s coffin in the tomb, we were all crying suddenly we burst into laughter… lola called on kuya’s name again. people were left wondering what was the fuzz all about. this is a classic family story, that we keep on remembering whenever we have gatherings.
áhhh another lola’s classic story. every new year’s eve the whole dionaldo clan gathers in my lola’s house and our new year kicks off with a prayer led by her. Lola would always warn my dad and siblings never to bring fireworks. so my dad would keep it in a place where she won’t find it. moreover, as the whole world is enjoying the turn of the new year with all the blast and noise, the dionaldo clan is in silence saying a thanksgiving prayer. too many new year eves we have asked her to pray early but she insists. only lately when i was tasked to lead the prayer, we say it an hour before midnight.
my lola got a sharp memory about all her eight apos. she knows most of our stories’, which guests enjoy during gatherings.
i will surely miss her requests for kisses. cadbury chocolates without nuts, ice cream, jollibee and mcdonald’s… she loves peach mango pie too much. i will miss her voice asking me why do i have to work abroad. i feel guilty co’z last month i talked with her and i joked that i am coming home in the next two days. no more new year thanksgiving prayer with her.
sad i wasn’t at her side when she left but i am happy for her. and here is the secret: lola do have a favorite… it is me. sabi ni lola yun sa akin.
wherever you are lola…i will miss you. d ka na nakahintay sa amin nila ate. see you in heaven.
