By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
My older brother, Carpio Pekas, passed away a few days ago. It was the kind you don’t gnash your teeth for in sorrow. For he lived a full life. He was supposed to turn 84 this October. He went peacefully. Did not suffer. Kids are all OK. Doing well, if not very well. Had a number of grown-up grand-kids he also helped raise. I would say his passing was the kind that calls for, as it did, a good family reunion.
He lived well the slice of life he was dealt with by the Almighty. He and his wife, Manang Salud, achieved the most professionals in the village could during their time. Not much complications as we city dwellers usually have to face. Theirs was a great life a lot of modern people like you and me could only envy.
About three months ago, he came around the city, traveling for almost a day through our Cordillera roads— uphill, downvale, and innumerable twists and turns. All because he got the news I was hospitalized. It was great of him having come at that time to tell me we in the family live very long. Of course, that went with the unmentioned caution, “unless you tried to prove you could drink alcohol and smoked cigarettes faster than manufacturers could make them.”
Yes, Manong, we have long lives. While you suddenly appeared when I was just starting my thrice- a-week dialysis, I just got the good news the other day. That frequency was reduced to twice a week as my heart and kidneys appreciably improved. In short, they are still very much alive. They just have to be nursed back to good health.
But no kidding, it is still quite some distance from totally doing away with dialysis but that is my goal. I will try my very best to validate what you said—we have long lives. I will just have to continue eating almost tasteless green leafy veggies with no condiments. With just almost negligible salt and olive oil, no sugar and so many other things. If tastelessness were the price to pay, so be it.
Am sure we ‘will know each other’s names when we and other relatives see each other in heaven.’
So long, Manong, as we who are left behind will have to continue dealing with life’s daily grind of life.**
