It was a sad weekend for the family as we were awoken with news that my father's youngest brother had passed away after suffering an asthmatic attack. My father hails from one of the prominent families in a town in the province of Cavite. But, by prominence I don't mean wealth but stature and respect.
My father is the eldest in a brood of 5 siblings. He worked himself to the bone to provide for his siblings, sent them to school, took care of them even though we lived overseas for long periods of time. He never failed in his huge obligation as the eldest son of a family that fell on hard times during the second World War. Their family is well known in that tiny town with its rolling hills and rice fields.
It was a big shock that my uncle (who was 20 years younger than my dad) would pass on, so suddenly. My father is devastated, to say the least. Early Sunday morning with heavy hearts, our grieving souls made our way to his hometown. The last time, my parents went home was in 2006 to attend the burial of a relative. Me, I haven't been on Cavite soil in ages. But D & I tagged along as it was an opportunity for me to reconnect with my relatives as well as introduce D to my father's side of the family.
As most wakes in the Philippines goes, it turned into a big reunion of the different clans. All my younger cousins have large families of their own. There were kids of all shapes and sizes gathered in the ancestral home. Me, being the oldest 'granddaughter' was welcomed with open arms. We mingled, we ate, we were boisterous beyond comprehension. It was a very noisy environment with babies crying, kids playing, my aunts' very animated 'kwentos'. It seemed like the whole town was present at the wake. Even though it was a sad occasion, we enjoyed the company of our relatives who never seem to run out of stories to tell.
D 'survived' the intense scrutiny with flying colors. My relatives were clearly impressed with him and couldn't stop gushing over his good looks, kuno. Hopefully next time after we attend the funeral, we would get a chance to go around so I can show D the historical landmarks of my father's hometown.
It didn't seem appropriate to take photos during a wake but I managed to snap some shots of the historically renowned church - the Parish Church of the Assumption of our Lady.
My father is the eldest in a brood of 5 siblings. He worked himself to the bone to provide for his siblings, sent them to school, took care of them even though we lived overseas for long periods of time. He never failed in his huge obligation as the eldest son of a family that fell on hard times during the second World War. Their family is well known in that tiny town with its rolling hills and rice fields.
It was a big shock that my uncle (who was 20 years younger than my dad) would pass on, so suddenly. My father is devastated, to say the least. Early Sunday morning with heavy hearts, our grieving souls made our way to his hometown. The last time, my parents went home was in 2006 to attend the burial of a relative. Me, I haven't been on Cavite soil in ages. But D & I tagged along as it was an opportunity for me to reconnect with my relatives as well as introduce D to my father's side of the family.
As most wakes in the Philippines goes, it turned into a big reunion of the different clans. All my younger cousins have large families of their own. There were kids of all shapes and sizes gathered in the ancestral home. Me, being the oldest 'granddaughter' was welcomed with open arms. We mingled, we ate, we were boisterous beyond comprehension. It was a very noisy environment with babies crying, kids playing, my aunts' very animated 'kwentos'. It seemed like the whole town was present at the wake. Even though it was a sad occasion, we enjoyed the company of our relatives who never seem to run out of stories to tell.
D 'survived' the intense scrutiny with flying colors. My relatives were clearly impressed with him and couldn't stop gushing over his good looks, kuno. Hopefully next time after we attend the funeral, we would get a chance to go around so I can show D the historical landmarks of my father's hometown.
It didn't seem appropriate to take photos during a wake but I managed to snap some shots of the historically renowned church - the Parish Church of the Assumption of our Lady.
4 comments:
I'm so sorry to hear this, Daphne. I pray for your family especially your father strength to get through the tough times.
Many thanks Kayni.
really sorry to hear about your loss. it's sad that only during funerals do families see each other sometimes. it happened with us too when my dad passed away.
i'm sure that d would pass every "kaliskis" your relatives would impose.
Oh D certainly passed with flying colors the close scrutiny of my relatives. :D
Thanks Photo Cache. It was a highly emotional funeral for the whole clan.
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