My Lola

Lola is almost 90 years old. She's a tough, old bird who has lived a long, hard life. She bore 8 children (buried a couple of them just last year) and traded anything and everything that she could in order to raise them.

I remember when I was a child she would come to our house with loads of those really sweet, really tasty, tiny mangoes. I loved them! All year round, I would drop coins into my piggy bank so that I could give it to her when she visited. She used to come to Manila to buy goods like dresses and tops to sell in the province. I visited Macalelon only once in my life, 28 years ago, when Lolo died. It was a typical province with small houses and everybody knew everybody. I hear it's more progressive now.

She visited my house a few months ago when she came to see her doctor. She dreaded coming because she heard I live in a tall house and was afraid she'll not be able to climb all the stairs. She was thankful to find that I have a sitting area on each floor so that she could rest in between. Lola has 20/20 vision (thanks to the laser eye surgery she underwent a few years ago) and keen hearing (thanks to the big guy upstairs). I kept asking if she was hard of hearing already and she kept telling me no until the 5th or 6th time when she asked me if I was hard of understanding already. "Bugok ka na ba?" LOL! I told her she'll probably live to be 150 years old. She said she'd rather not because she's tired despite her fear of dying.

Mom (who is 70!) went home to Macalelon last Sunday because her sister told her Lola was sick. I sent her her favorite queso de bola and some goodies. Mom (who is 70!) told me yesterday that she's better. Imagine that? My Lola's old enough to die. I actually get surprised that I have been in existence for 40 years! I feel like my life has only been half the time it has been. For all we know, I'm near my end, too. Who can tell, eh? Anyway, natural death is rest, no matter the timing and is deserved.

Let's be happy, happy, happy while alive!