A lot has happened since my last post in May 2011. There’s been blessings, joy and heartaches within May to December 2011 and it’s only now that I find myself writing about it. Call me uninspired or simply lazy. I just couldn’t put every thoughts and experience in this blog before now.
So forgive me. I am about to flood this blog with everything I can remember happening before December 2011. Okay, okay… so I’ll just give the highlights.
AN UNEXPECTED PARTING
On September 18, I had to go to work and check out our Taiwanese guests from Pan Pacific Hotel. Since it’s a Sunday, I figured my husband could go with me and we’ll just head straight to the mall and eat out for lunch afterwards.
While savoring all the food we could consume at Yakimix in Mall of Asia, my sister in law Beth called me on my cellphone to ask if I’ve heard about Lola Betty. She said that Lola was rushed to the hospital and that she, my brother Blu and their kids are on their way home from church because of lola’s emergency.
So okay. I was a bit worried but panic has not set in. The rest of the family are at home that time and I figured Lola was in good hands. But since it was still unclear whether Lola Betty is okay by then, I could no longer enjoy my food.
Then Beth called me again after a few minutes and I could hear her crying. She said that Lola had a heart attack and that she’s in a coma. I immediately wanted to know if Lola will be okay but despite trying to call my sister Chi and my parents (especially my father because Lola is his mom), I can’t get through.
So my husband and I rushed to finish our food, pay the bill and flagged a taxi to take us straight to the hospital. The minutes it took us to travel was like years because I still don’t know Lola’s current status and I can’t reach anyone from my family who can answer.
When we got to the hospital, everyone was outside the emergency room. They told us to enter the ER and I found lola strapped to machines and such. Tita Josie was there, also my sister Chi and they were arranging for Lola’s room.
I was a little relieved by then thinking if they need a room for Lola, then she’ll just need 24-hour observations and medications and she’ll wake up from her deep sleep. All of us were trying to think positive because we know that aling Betty is a fighter.
And while waiting at the hospital with my parents, siblings, uncles, aunties and cousins – yep! Lola has a big family! – we learned that Lola was actually enjoying her lunch earlier before she complained that she couldn’t breath. My uncles all thought she’s having another asthma attack and wanted to rush her to the ER. But she opted to go to her room for her nebulizer. But she still couldn’t breathe and on the way to the hospital, Lola lost consciousness. I think they mentioned that her heart stopped and she had to be revived in the hospital. So the doctors were worried about the time when no oxygen reached her brain too.
While in coma, we always talk to Lola. We believe that she can hear us and we keep telling her to wake up. All of my cousins and siblings and I took turns watching over Lola in behalf of our parents. Our parents were already of an age where they need a good night’s sleep so the younger generations had to watch over Lola.
Thursday, September 23. I was assigned to look over her that morning so I filed for a sick leave that day. Since Felix couldn’t take time off from work, he just accompanied me for a short while and we were at the hospital by 7am. We talked to her, saying her other children are coming from abroad to visit her so she had to wake up already. Lola always wanted to present her best so we teased her that she needs to wake up so we can wash her hair and she can put on a lipstick before her daughters arrived. One will be coming from New Zealand, one from Malaysia and two from the US.
So in between talking to her, urging her to wake up, singing Christmas songs to her (I always choked up in the middle of the song. This is definitely the hardest thing I had to do that day), massaging her limbs, I also had to talk to her doctors and nurses. That’s when we learned that she’s not responding to all the tests given to her and that her body is starting to shut down.
Long story cut short, Lola’s brood had to move her out of the ICU the next day and we all had to say our goodbyes to her as she lays in the hospital bed unconscious.
And by 12:30 AM on September 25, the ringing of my cellphone woke me up. It was my cousin’s friend telling me we should go to the hospital now. She didn’t have to tell me Lola is gone by then. I knew she was because she visited me in my dream. Lola Betty’s face was the last I saw before the phone woke me.
I’ve never been close to my Lola unlike my sister Chi. But we grew up living next door to Lola. And during those times she lived with her daughter in the States, she’s always in touch with her apos in Manila. We also send out videos of us here in Manila to her. Internet was still not popular then so we kept in touch through her regular calls to Manila and through sending her videos in VHS format.
But despite not being close, I must admit that I felt and still continue to feel her absence. Celebrations and parties in Bambang are certainly different now without her. As the matriarch, she’s in the center of all family reunions and celebrations. Now, everyone feels that pinch when it hits us that she’s no longer with us.
I miss you Lola. I will always regret not showing you how much I cared. Sorry for being too busy with my life. How I wish that when or if Felix and I do have kids, that they would be able to get to know you too. At least by that time, you no longer need to ask me kung may laman na ba or wala pa.
I love you, Lola and know that you will always be remembered.

















































































Whacchasay?