AT THE END OF THE DAY.....

Rest In Peace.....






Final Viewing.....






The Family Left Behind....






His Loved Ones.....






A Pensive Mood.....






I may not be seeing what is left of my close friends in PGH that often nowadays but that does not mean I do not care about what goes on in their lives next. From a group of 11 people, only three of us have remained here in the country and the rest have established their lives abroad. A text there, a message in Facebook or a chat here keeps me updated about them. Before, I used to be able to go to PGH and pay them a visit. But since both have become settled in their married lives, priorities have shifted and going out like we used to do when everyone was single is now a rare occurrence.

Early this year, I was shocked to learn about the deaths of the loved ones of these friends of mine. One lost her husband to leukemia while the other lost her father to a presumed heart attack. I wasn't able to attend the wake of the husband of my friend since it was in an area I wasn't really familiar with (Pagbilao, Quezon) but I sent my condolences. But when the other pal lost her dad, I made sure that I would attend his wake out of respect for the family. After all, the man welcomed me, (and the rest of the gang when we were still complete) to his home years ago and I was grateful for that. Ate Rose joined me as we traveled to Lani's hometown. Since we arrived at sunrise, we felt we just have to be with Lani's family for the burial, which Ate Rose and I did participated in.

Right after Lani's dad was laid to rest, a sudden downpour occurred. It was the most disrupting event to happen. I hate traveling while it is raining. I don't want to waddle in flooded areas; I don't want to get wet if I have not set my mind to be. All I want is to return to my home as soon as possible. This is me being tired, I longed to be home. Also, this is me being mindful of contracting leptospirosis.

But I liked returning to Lani's hometown, even if it was for a sad occasion. My first and only visit was a decade ago. The three of us reconnected as we were able to engage in some serious conversations. I found out about the progress of Lani's kidney transplant journey while Ate Rose regaled us with stories about her daughter, Precious. I updated the both of them of what I have been doing this past few months. And we would fill each other about news concerning our other friends if we knew something new about them.

If ever the time comes that some of our friends return for a vacation, we would suggest a trip back to Lani's hometown. Besides, we would be occupying a huge house, just for us, the girls!