I want to taste meat! Mmmmm...
-Chad

bittersweet.

mom was standing at the table going through stuff when i came down. i yawned.
"happy birthday, mom.."
smiling, she thrust her arms out at me. i walked into them and gave her a big hug.

the tv was softly blaring when she called my attention.
"papa ato died this morning... just after midnight."
and for a second, all other sound disappeared.

when she had come home from an early morning mass that morning, miggy greeted her and also gave her the news. she sat down on the sofa and started crying. papa ato and mama belen were/are her second parents. mom called up mama belen. papa ato had been unconscious since the day before... he never woke up... his body just shut down. mama belen was happy she got her daughter, tita cecy, to get a priest for him in time. that was apparently important, coz among the immediate family only papa ato and tita cecy (one of eight kids) were the only catholics (the rest of the family is protestant). mama belen had been forced to leave by the med staff... which left him alone. she prayed that the archangels might keep him company instead. a pastor from their church visited the room once... and saw that mama's belen's prayer had been answered. so mama belen was doing ok.

there was a break in the subtle gloom... mom's birthday lunch at brazil brazil. meat lover's paradise. eat all you can - roast chicken, sausage, porkloin, striploin, tenderloin... and i cant remember the names of the others. i ended up dazed.

we dropped off mom at greanmeadows on the way home so she could spend time with her cousins. we'd join her at the wake later. i spent some time resting before i had to leave the house again for daniw. that was over and done with soon enough, and i was just glad i got to receive some solace in sop.

fell asleep waiting for dad to get home from his rehearsals so we could head back to greenmedows. it was late when he finally arrived, he told me to stay in bed instead, and so did mom.
but i went anyway.