THE DAY MY GRANDMOTHER DIED
There came the time eventually when my Grandma became bedridden. Everybody knew the end is nigh, they just do not know when. More people came to visit her everybody. To a 6-year old like me, they were just big people coming and going to our house and I did not let them disturb my routine of playing with my friends or going about in the neighborhood until it was time to eat.
But I remember one morning a priest came to the house and I saw him gave my grandma Holy Communion. She had on this white veil ( most women in Asingan at that time wore veils when they went to Mass ).
One afternoon, I was in the living room doing some sketching my favorite hobby even then. I had this tin cracker box which was big enough to store 8.5 by 11 paper, pencils and eraser. I was doing my own comic strips at that time, having been inspired by the countless Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel etc. comic books owned by my brother. Then, I heard this wailing and pounding of feet coming from my Grandma's bedroom.
The room was packed with big people. I sat down and looked through several feet. The room was already filled with crying women, like everybody was doing it all at the same time. But there on the floor, I saw a sight which I still carry with me up to now.
I saw Grandma, lying down on the floor ( I do not know why ) . She was about to give up her spirit. Her eyes were wide open as if she was looking at something ( or some unseen spirits ). There was no sign of fear in her face, just a big surprise. Then a few seconds later, I saw her eyes closing, never to open again.
The wailing inside the room was too much for me. Somehow I had to go out into the living room, then down the yard to catch some fresh air.
There were more people coming to the house than ever before. The agent of a local funeral parlor came and afterwards, I saw them set up black curtains in the living room. Soon, my grandma's coffin was set out in the middle section.
Dr. Regalado Tendero ( my Aunt Filomena's husband ) who was there all the time before and after Grandma died was quite busy cleaning up grandma's room. He used lye solution and most of her personal stuff were burned.
That night, Mr. Sampaga's generator started giving electric power to the house and it was to run the whole night. Asingan had no electric power yet at that time. A Bingo paraphernalia arrived too. The whole house took on such a gay and festive atmosphere. I was so happy to see my cousins coming over to the house so we had all the time to play.
For several nights, there were the sounds of Bingo, mahjong, etc. There were also bottomless cups of coffee, food and dessert. The kitchen of the house had never been that busy. As a kid I learned that dying in Asingan could be such a happy ocassion.
During my Grandmother's funeral, I was told to stay at home together with some younger cousins like Cora, Zorayda, Evelina, Armando and Arnulfo. We stayed out of harm's way when the coffin was brought down from the house and was brought to the church for the Mass of the dead. When the funeral procession passed by, we were at the big stairway of the house with an adult. The house was empty and desolate once more.
I remember that night, everyone in our house ( except some other relatives ) slept together in one part of the living room. We waited for the third night after the burial because some Filipinos believe that the soul of the deceased comes back to visit her old abode on earth three days after the burial.
That night, when the clock chimed 12 times , I woke up. I heard coughing inside grandma's room. I heard it legibly. I pulled up my bedsheet over my head ( like it would help protect me ) and nestled close to my Mom's body. There was no more sound after that and I slept like a baby until the next morning.
I asked my sister Aurora the next morning at the breakfast table.
"Did you hear the coughing in grandma's room last night?"
"Yeah.." she answered.
"So she came back, she came back!" I affirmed.
"Oh, eat your breakfast," my Mom interrupted. " We have lots of things to do this morning.."
I continued eating. At least my sister heard it too. The rest of the family did not want to talk about it.---#
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