By Tedler D. Depaynos, MD
It was over unending cups of black coffee when a long lost coffee mate was relating his recent All Saint’s Day experience. Actually he has been staying abroad for quite some time and was just here for a brief vacation with his family. The last time they came home was seven years ago and as usual their schedule was very tight because they wanted to maximize their time. His parents were buried in the province and visiting their graves was not part of their itinerary. They were scheduled to go to Palawan as pre arranged and after that they were to fly back home.
The night before their scheduled departure, a glass sudden fell from their cup board and broke at the floor. Initially, they did not mind it because perhaps it was not properly placed. At around midnight, he was awakened by a pile of books falling down. Despite the loudness he was the only one awakened. He was curious how the books fell down. While he was taking a shower before their departure, the heater suddenly turned on and off. This was too much for him! His parents must be trying to communicate with him so that he decided to stay behind and instead went home to their province to visit his parents’ resting place.
He said that he suddenly felt so sentimental when he saw that his parents’ grave yard were so neglected and a canal of water was flowing into the grave and that was perhaps the reason why he suddenly felt chilly. The flowing water was soaking his parents.
He had to rush the cleaning and repair of the graveyard hiring some of his cousins with double time remuneration. The water was diverted, the surroundings were cemented, various plants around the grave were placed and it was after the refurbishing that he felt warm and joyous that his parents must be smiling wherever they were.
Before he left his hometown, he spent some more time with his parents asking for forgiveness and at the same time giving thanks for what he is now. He informed them how many “apos” they presently have and he promised to drop by whenever he will come home for vacation. He had teary eyes.
Our brief encounter was also tearful and he could not avoid wiping his reddening eyes especially when he insisted that we would shift to a stronger drink. I guess his ghostly experience was also a reminder on our part to always remember and give thanks to our departed ones by visiting them especially during “Undas “days.
MED EXPRESS
It was another coffee encounter when a limping coffee mate who had been suffering from chronic osteo- arthritis related his experience with a certain pharmacy located at SLU Hospital. He just came from his cardiologist for follow-up due to HPN when he went to the pharmacy to buy his prescribed medicines. Knowing that he forgot his DSWD papers he was fearful that they might not give him his senior citizen discount which he really needed noting the amount of medicines he has to take daily. If not, he has to take a cab home to get them just like what happened when he was buying his medicines in a pharmacy along Session Rd and along Mabini St. where consideration was not part of their vocabulary. He says that it may be the rule but for those who obviously looks senior like he, although he argues that he could still perform like a junior sometimes, the rule must be bent for the sake of the suffering patient. He also mentioned with some Duterte expressions an arrogant pharmacy that gives only 5 of the prescribed 30 tablets as if he is going to make money out of it!
He was so joyous that the smiling young attendants sold all the prescribed medicines he needed with just his senior ID card. It is surprising however, that he could recall the names of the pharmacies he was frustrated with but cannot recall the pharmacy that was very considerate. We had to remind him that it is Med Express.
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