Wednesday, November 14, 2007

For Uncle

hubby and i anticipated the long weekend from the last week of october on to november, so that prior to that, we busied ourselves with our respective backlogs. who would not be, with a b-r-e-a-k waiting for us?

or so we thought.

the night before we flew to home-sweet-home came a shocking news: uncle gerry didn't survive a massive heart attack.

i remember as a toddler, i used to cry on the short but bumpy tacloban-manila plane ride. but on our flight home on oct. 26, i cried because i dreaded to see our once lively uncle, now gone.

my father was to speak in the necrological services in behalf of his 2 sisters. but days before, he didn't assure me that he'd be able to do the task. so i prepared my own eulogy to pitch in for him.

i was glad my father stood up to the podium when his name was called. for sure, that would have what uncle gerry wanted. in ending his eulogy, he said: "this is a joyful day because my brother is already in heaven". oh how brave of him to have said that of his younger brother.

while tatay was speaking, uncle's close-up photo was flashed
in the wide screen. this just breaks my heart.
hereunder is my prepared message. i bet i wouldn't have been able to finish reading it.
---------
good morning.

i am darlene, joseph's daughter, uncle gerry's favorite niece. that's what uncle gerry would say when i am at a hearing distance. i am sure, he also say the same thing to my siblings and cousins whenever uncle gerry is sure that they hear him.

that's our uncle gerry - - - very expressive and never fails to make us laugh.

i learned from my father that even as a young boy, uncle gerry was boisterous; he never runs out of story to tell. and even at times when he'd caught our grandfather's ire for his mischievous ways, he is sure to reason with all the jokes he has mastered. so all of you who know him can now imagine how he was in his youth.

that mischievous boy grew up to be a soft-hearted man and subservient brother. as they say, comedians are always the first ones to cry. that is true of uncle gerry. in a rare gathering among uncle gerry, my father, aunties lina & elen, and our family's tenants in the family farm early this year, uncle gerry in his message, couldn't help but cry when he thanked our family's loyal tenants all these years. that's the other side of uncle gerry that some of you may not have known. uncle knew when and to whom gratitude is due.

uncle is full of surprises. you see, we were scheduled to meet in manila next week where he asked me to have him scheduled for some facial cleaning in the hospital where i work. i never knew that he needed more than that. for the past days, i looked for the answers to the many whys on my mind. of late, i realized, he must have done his share that's why he had to leave us this soon.

i am thankful to have known him. i am grateful for the affection he has shown me and my siblings. sure i will miss his calls to me and my husband, most of the time, just to ask how we are. even while we are geographically far apart, i could feel uncle's concern. there was one time he called, pleading my husband & i to go home quick because he saw on tv that there's a fire in makati. you could just imagine how wide makati is, yet he insisted that we go home. that's uncle. you just have to follow him sometimes.

i will be forever thankful for his thoughtfulness. i have always known october to be a busy month for him, so that when i told him i was getting married in october, i said i'll never take a no for an answer. sure enough, he was at my wedding. i think he missed manning his staff at the civil service exam that month.

for all these uncle, thank you is not enough. i may not have been able to repay you in the best possible way, but rest assured that your memories will not be forgotten. if there's one important lesson from you i wish my siblings and my cousins will learn is this: it's true, tatay and uncle gerry never fought. they were loving siblings in the truest sense that i hope we will all emulate. i think the surest i will miss is hearing you call tatay 'gurang'. and because i hate goodbyes, i'd rather say: uncle gerry, until we meet again. we love you.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Condolences sis. Will pray for you and your family. Love you!