Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

Friday, February 17, 2012
11:47 AM

It rained yesterday.

Yesterday we went out to eat. Inday Ched, Inday Frey, Inday Bec and I. Inday Lyn was preparing her speech for next week's seminar so she stayed at home and worked. We did our best to keep our spirits up but it was most difficult. We missed you. We know you loved going out to eat. All morning, I have been ready to go to U.P. I thought I'd visit our old university campus. I thought I'd walk in front of Palma Hall up to Benitez Hall and perhaps walk in to Vinzon's Hall and buy a fresh pineapple pie. Do you remember that pineapple pie? It cost P14.00 then in 1979. When I came here last year while you were in the hospital, I stopped by Vinzon's. It cost… I already forgot, but a slice costs P45.00. I thought I'd walk towards Malcom and Bocobo Halls. The thought alone was enough to make me cry and cause my chest to burst. I miss you. I miss you terribly. I know I should go on, we shall all go on. But my heart aches. I keep looking at our old photographs, when we were children. You were so pretty and you looked so cheerful, yet so thoughtful. I remember everything that happened when those photographs were taken, except the ones where I was a baby and you were a big girl. You had beautiful smiles in the photographs. There was a photograph where you were holding a book. There was Inday Freah, you and me. We were standing together, each of us holding a book and I was looking at Nanay, while you and Inday Freah were looking at the camera. You were leaning on me. The other day your secretary told us that you got a 100 in karaoke singing "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head." We did not know that. He told us you loved to dance. He told us that you sometimes danced in your law office. He wore the socks you gave him. Sometimes I hear you laughing and giggling. Everyone is so quiet except when we start cleaning. Freah is cleaning. She is rearranging, rearranging… Last night Inday Ched and I took her to the infirmary. A fishbone got stuck in her throat.  She is okay now, the bone dislodged itself when she gagged and coughed. She is going to offer flowers at Tatay's and Nanay's grave when she goes home. I can't go. I need to go back to work soon. I hate the thought of that very long flight. We will be alright. I am just so sad. I don't want anyone to tell me to stop being sad. I miss you… There is a photograph of you holding Inday Lyn, and Inday Frey, Ernesto and I are standing close together. I am holding the plastic basket filled with plastic fruits. Remember those toys? We played "store" and we pretended to be fruit vendors. We sold plastic fruits. Inday Freah said she liked that basket, I do too. 

The skies are gray. I think it is going to rain again.

It is raining...