Eulogy for my other Nanay

What I can never forget during our Biology class was that it was the only time that I got thrown out of classroom for being talkative. Yes, Nanay was probably so pissed off with me and classmate Roger Ybanez or Oliver that he asked me to stay at the UP High canteen while Roger stays at the Leader.

I can no longer remember the details except that I asked Nanay for a few minutes before I can step out of the class because we need to exchange shoes with Roger. He got my left shoe, and I got his.

Then there was the terrarium project. The plants inside the jar were already dying because I forgot to put it under the sun. But when I already placed it under the sun, the plants still died because it was already high noon.

And then I got that gaze from Nanay, she wasn't laughing at all when the small frogs inside the jar were also dead. Yes, we placed frogs in the terrarium.

So, I wasn't much within the roster of decorated students in UP High.

Then came senior years where I got close with Jikoy. We were never classmates but we actually got close during extra curricular activities aka parties and social drinking outside school.

Then came numerous times sleeping at Jikoy's house sometimes with other barkadas.

Every time I go there I always hope that Nanay would not remember that I was that student she threw out of class for being a bad student. She never mentioned anything about it. Maybe she forgot or maybe she just don't want to remember it. I never asked her actually.

Year's past, I got stuck to being a regular household visitor maybe Nanay started to like me around because she had no choice. I come uninvited and she just wakes up in the morning and there I was.

Just recently, I got a glimpse of history that led me to conclude somehow why I stick around with their family aside from the fact that our roots are from Malitbog in Southern Leyte. Generations ago, I found out that my 94 year old Grandmother was able to take care of Nanay when she was still a little girl. My grandmother's sister does the laundry for Nanay's family before.

During Jikoy's wedding, I never thought Nanay would actually remember a phrase during my speech as Bestman when I quote a pop culture slang: Jikoy is my brother from another mother and Rhea is my new sister from another mother.

A few days ago, while we were scanning photos for Jikoy's slideshow, I came across my last facebook conversation with her when she was still very much active on FB. I sent her a photo of the candles I lit at the Santo Nino during her birthday this year.



I told her, Nay, my birthday gift for you are these candles and prayers for healing.

She replied: "Thank you very much, my Anak from another Mama." That made me smile.

Thank you nay for considering me somehow as one of your anak and I will always remember that you said it in the most "awesome" way.

(My eulogy speech during the batch 1996 tribute for Dr. Josefina Carvajal, August 17, 2017)