Festivals and condolences

Today is the Feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, the "patron saint" of the parish inside our subdivision.

All of our neighbors are out to watch the parade and yes, they're all in festive mood.

Of course, our family also tried to be in a festive mood. Went to the wet market early in the morning for the food preps; cooked pancit, papaitan, and BBQ; bought two 750ml(?) bottles of Emperador for the boys (sucks being their only "princess," No you're not allowed to drink, little girl!); and put the speakers up to the highest volume (my brother loves his Missy Eliot's and Jessie J's).

But, well, you can't really be in a festive mood if one of your relatives had just died, right?

Last night, we received a message from our cousin who's in Cagayan saying that our Mother Asing died. Mother Asing is our eldest relative on my mother's side. Vague memories of her suddenly flashed back on my mind. I remember her whipping my butt whenever I get too close to the well near her house. I remember her giving me boxes of Marie Biscuits as pasalubong. I remember her telling me to stop running around the compound whenever nightfall strikes else, the aswangs will come and get me. I remember the Mother Asing who's strong enough to run after us, the naughty children. I remember the Mother Asing who's healthy enough to be able to do her own laundry.

I had never seen her sick.

No.

Maybe I just don't REMEMBER her sick.

I've never seen her since the last time I went to Cagayan, which was about a decade ago. I just hear things about her through our cousins in Cagayan every now and then.

But still, I miss her seemingly unlimited stocks of Marie Biscuits.

I kinda miss her.

Kinda.

My mom and my tita won't allow us to be too festive today. Respeto daw sa patay.

Maybe I'll just let the boys drink to that.