A Love Story

Posted on Jan 28, 2010 11:16 PM

Today I rushed out of the office after hearing of Gian's mom who is in life support system at the Cardinal Santos Hospital. Gian is L's friend, who eventually became my friend as well. I remember L and I would ask him to tag along on our movie dates and once he joined us, and we bought him sandwiches and drinks to eat inside Trinoma's cinema. Instead, he drank the soda, and brought home the sandwich to his dad.

Gian's dad sadly passed away last December 28, in the wee hours of the morning, most probably from a heart attack. He was trying to make a call, apparently, but he was not able to make it. Gian's dad, quite memorably for me, awarded me my first badminton tournament medal which Mike and I won in their biannual event.

Today, January 28, Gian is waiting for his brother to come home from Boston so they can pull the plug on their mom, who was taken out of the ICU and brought to a private room, in life support. I couldn't help but shed some tears when I hugged Gian and saw Tita Carmen. Especially since I know how much she adored her husband. Although Tita Carmen has had seven operations since 1976 in the brain due to aneurism, with radiation and cobalt treatments, she was very much active everytime we see her at their house. Gian, who is the youngest, and is now the only left left in the empty nest, is the favorite, and Tita would demand a kiss from Gian before he leaves the house. Bunso eh.

I remember telling Cha that it is not uncommon for couples who are so close to each other, to die within weeks or months of the other partner's death. My grandfather died in less than 5 months after Lola died, while I know of someone who died within a three-week span. Today is the 30th day of Gian's dad's passing away, and while I can not help but feel sad about the in and out heaving of the machine attached to Tita's mouth, I recognize the love between the couple. He's probably waiting for her.

I didn't know of his mom's previous condition, and Gian tells me that apparently during their wedding day in 1976, her mom fainted and had a nosebleed. Talk about wedding fiasco, right? And that's when they knew she had a condition. In spite of that, the couple braved on to have three normal and talented kids, even if it meant having her brain opened, clipped and stitched 7 times. His dad used to be just a clerk, but if it weren't for his love for his wife, he would not have strived to be a successful executive, and later on as an entrepreneur.


About a year ago, Gian also tells me that his dad sent an email to his two elder brothers, telling them they, his sons, were miracles, because the doctor told them they can only have one child, and yet they had three, and lived a normal and pretty comfortable life. When I asked how his mom coped after his father's death, he said she never saw him cry in front of him. One day, she played AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, their favorite movie, looked at the albums, and wept. Gian was not there; she would not show her weakness to him, because Gian, in an effort to entertain his mom would talk to her and follow her nonstop wherever she goes. Then eventually he would end up crying to her, while he talks of his dad. That's the wisdom from mothers. That's the strength of her character.


It just made me realize that love is so powerful, and life, yes, fleeting. We just really have to make the best of each day, live in hope and keep living out our dreams while we still can.
Comments

Armi Andrade on Jan 31, 2010

Tita Carmen passed away yesterday at 5:40 PM.