Katrina

Buong mundo ay nagulat sa nangyari sa America.  Tinamaan ng ubod ng lakas na bagyo ang Louisiana at grabe ang pinsala na iniwan.  Lubog sa tubig, sira ang mga bahay.  Maraming nawalan ng tahanan.  Kahit anong bilis ng tulong na dumadating  hindi pa din nila kayang sagipin ng maaga ang ibang tao.

Nakakapanlabot panoorin ang mga naganap doon.  Nakakaiyak, nakakapanghinayang.  Hindi natin maisip kung gaanon kalaking halaga ang kailangan para bumangon ulit sila.

Lahat tayo ngayon ay nakikinig sa mga balita.  May mga masasayang kwento pero marami din ang malungkot.  Sa mga ganitong panahon, parang nakakaisa ang buong mundo.

We may not be able to go and help personally but I am a firm believer in the power of prayers. Isang simpleng dasal lang na naggagaling sa puso ang kailangan.

Recall

Do you still recall what you were doing or where you were when Ninoy was killed? Sa mga Pinoy, ito and equivalent ang American question kay Kennedy. Yung iba 'dyan siguro wala pang malay. Yung iba naman who are my age actually remembers this day.

The news came to use though one of the young kids at our village, who at that time didn't have the slightest clue who Ninoy was. He just came rushing to the house and panting. My mom and dad rushed and thought that something bad happened to him. Then he said that a guy was shot at the airport.

My sister and I were in our room when we heard him. I opened the TV but there was nothing there. Got the radio out and that was when he started hearing bits and pieces of news that trickled through the airwaves.

What was I doing? I was eating ice cream and bananas and reading a book by Sidney Sheldon entitled Master of the Game.

Indio: Ma, ma, may barilan daw!

Ermat: Ano? Ano?

Indio: May barilan daw
Erpat: Saan?

Indio: Sa airport!
Erpat: Sino-sino daw?

Indio: Ewan, basta sabi ni Ina Magenta umuwi daw ako.
Ermat: Ang gulo mo naman kausap!

Indio: Sabi niya sabihin ko daw may barilan.
Erpat: Buksan nga ninyo ang TV.

Ermat: Sino daw ang binaril?
Ermat: Ano ba ang sinabi sa iyo?
Ermat: Ngayon lang ba nangyari?
Ermat: Saan airport?

Erpat: Ma preno konti. Hijo, sino ba daw ang binaril.
Indio: Ewan, 'di ko tanda yung name, parang ninong ko.

Ermat: Ano!!!!!!!(Siyempre panic si ermat, kapatid kasi niya yung ninong ni utol)
Erpat: Slow down hijo, sigurado ka ba?

Indio: Nalilito nga ako eh, kasi nakita ko naman si ninong nagwawalis.
Bolong: May ulo ba?

Ermat: Ano ba naman kayo.
Erpat: Tawagan mo nga yan si Ina Magenta para sigurado

Erpat

Six years have passed since my father has gone. He has left us here on this earth to go to a far better place.

Madaldal si erpat (sa kanya ako nagmana). Malakas ang boses. Suplado sa unang tinggin. Madami talagang nagsasabi na kamuka ko siya (wala lang yung bigote!). Sa kanya ko din nakuha ang kakulitan ko.

He taught me a lot of things. From him I learned to enjoy reading. He taught me about food and how to really appreciate the efforts someone puts in a dish. He showed me how to be self-confident, he taught me about self-worth, and shared with me the secrets of inner strength.

He is one who is never selfish on praise, but he is also one who would say what he feels. He trusted my instincts, he was proud in all the achievements I made, no matter how trivial they may be. He shared my pains, my failures, and wiill always have time to give me his insights of the situation.

He and I talked a lot. We conversed about a lot of things, from the craziest subject (like- why pigs only have three toes) to the mind-boggling one (like - what's my take on Hitler - duh!).

We used to go around Manila and he would point out places and landmarks and included a bit of history. I learned to appreciate the value of the past and see things from a different perspective.

There are a lot more about me and dad that I'll be sharing. Meantime, I will continue miss my champion but somehow I always feel that he is always around and watching over me.