The last time I last spoke to Mama was 18 days ago. My wife Fe and I were seated on the porch waiting for my younger brother Guidon who will take us to the airport. Our flight back to Manila was leaving at 10:15 a.m. We were later joined by my sisters-in-law Ng Celia and Cynthia.
When Guidon arrived, he said that we are still early for check-in so we lingered at little, taking pictures and savoring those last few words. Mama was in good spirits.
My annual visit to Mama is usually during her birthday in April. However, I postponed my trip this year due to some personal circumstances. Mama wrote me a couple of times over the summer, asking me when would I visit her.
Originally, I was supposed to be the only one travelling to Kalibo, but Fe decided to accompany me so she can meet Mama again. We decided to go after our daughter Joan gave birth to twin grandsons, and chose to leave by end of September for a two-week visit.
I spent some fruitful days with Mama, picking on her brains and her awesome memory. I told her the I would like to expand on her autobiography Life is Beautiful which we published on her 95th birthday. The updated version should be ready for her 100th.
She provided me with many additional details of her life, and I was able to complete three episodes and handful pages of notes – which I hope I can transcribe in the next few months. I plan to publish some of these notes in another compilation that I am starting on the Ysalakan clan.
The day before I left, we decided to take a break on her autobiography work. We agreed to continue the narrative when I visit her in May 2016.
We then talked about her garden and I also showed some pictures of mine, always a garden-in progress. She was happy that I named a corner of my garden the Plaza Josefina, and another part of my garden the Plaza Juanita, for my mother-in-law.
I didn’t know that it would be the last time that I would see her alive. Was it a coincidence, or was she waiting for her son to visit her and share stories? That me and my brother Guidon has finally decided what we plan to do with the modest property that she and my father has given us?
As soon as I found out that Mama has passed away, I decided to continue the story telling of her life through a different way. With my modest self-learned web design skills, I would like to tell her story from the words of people who knew her, who loved her, and who cared for her.
If you have a story or anecdote to tell or some pictures to share, please send them by e-mail them to me (and my soon-to-be volunteer assistants).
This website will, hopefully, keep Mama alive in our hearts. And in the hearts of generations to come.
Thank you.
Bavi dela Cruz
October 27, 2015
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