Chapter 16~A NEW Chapter called life

A new chapter called life
June 2017

Going through the motions in the struggles of every day life just to lay my head down to dream ~ to escape ~ to relive that the precious memories and moments past times and future goals of being back in the Philippines is my happy place in United States.

I've been asked to write again and while honored, I am very reluctant because I have no drive nor compassion or inspiration. I can only do this for a back when I am home. Now finally I am here again on vacation with my new guest- my son, John at 11 years old.

He has lived prior for 1 & 1/2 years in Leyte with his older brother and survived Yolanda because their mother and I separated. So I headed North to care for my mother who needed me in her later years.
( She passed away Oct 2019 before Covid-19 pandemic covering this planet). She was a great kind woman most called "their Den Mother" and I cared for her very well along at the end with her longtime friend  and roommate.  I definitely would not be able to care for her to the extent of what Terry's help and love offered!. She was not in critical/chronic pain and was happy to be crossing over to my Father and 2 older brothers.  I'd comb her hair, kiss her forehead,  hold her hand....ect.....doing the usual but Terry  and I knew it would be soon for her? Our last moments I was laying down on her bed for about a couple of hours...... until her very last breath and I held her for an hour after with her sweet spirit.


***back to~

Then, after the horrific Yolonda typhoon in 2013 I brought my 2 boys back to live with me. Unfortunately their mother tagged along- so thought I'd give it one last try taking one for the team to reconcile? But that didn't last very long and she was pregnant with another???? We divorced and both moved on, she has the eldest and her other child and I have my "bestest" buddy John, the youngest.

I've taking him now to Cebu where I have moved to and introduced him to my business partner Ken and his girlfriend Grace. Because of my past years being on the road and traveling with bands in with my mother called the "Peter Pan syndrome", I never married or had children till 45 years old. Some might recall maybe about the articles I had written prior before and published in Filipino magazines and newspapers ofwhere I had lived for 3 months every year of 1994-2000.

A simple native house of bamboo and coggon grass reeds on the roof with no neighbors on the beach overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean. Being there was no electricity where I lived, that meant no aircon- fan, fridge- TV- computer and no cell or telephone on the beach of Dolores Eastern Samar. This is where I call it "my being born Filippino " and totally immersing myself into the culture. That's why I always rode bus or ferry from Metro Manila when I got away from being stuck on plane! Everything was totally the opposite
being in the big city lifestyle of San Francisco California. How this could be done was 1 simple trick, my heart got infected by the warmth- the respect given toward others- the love & caring -the overwhelming generosity...... The world coniussers of hospitality! Eager to take time to chit-chat like bending your ear now?

Now settled into our 3rd day,  with the usual barrage of food being cooked for us (total overkill ~~~~please!) we somehow manage to get through breakfast? I'm continually out strolling and reexamining the beach from long ago, amazingly there are people that stop me and recognize me and even remember name~ even my family name! Ok, this has goosebumps and hair standing up all over me as I'm just flabbergasted & floored they would recall, sharp memory they have!

There is plenty of chitchat down memory lane of year when I was with my friends. My son knows I don't exaggerate or lie but now he gets to get an earful from the source of the past events when I was single. Big nose, blue eyes, freckles just blend in all too well well here.....LOL

A couple of days later we get to take a pump out to the nearby island briefly where I would visit before. Not too much time is spent roaming around because my companion is busy doing business. But my son can you have the expense now and visit of what I had spoken many time of as well. I'm so honored my son is able to visit do use places and see the faces and finally understand why it is that my heart got so deeply infected by country and people.

Back toward the evening time once again arriving at the resort a late lunch is laid out for although we didn't order food, but here it is? Sigsig, Lechon, eggs, pancakes, bananas & mangos! The folks that run this place are great, brother's Dante and Dex, sister Rizza, Uncle Peter and anty Jeneng and their sweet baby girl along with Jephanie the girlfriend of Dante. They are just fantastic making my son & I feel family, like long lost relatives, like a 5th cousin twice removed from my mother's brother's nephew's friends brother.... Something like that?