a tiring escapade

The weekend that I assumed to spend lazily in bed became a very tiring escapade. Hmmm… yes, I said escapade! Although that Saturday was reserved to say our final goodbye to Mama Lolit, it did bring me some sort of inspiring experience out of town. I was honestly skeptical when Mom first asked me to go with her at the burial. The mere thought of travelling on a very early time off to a quite distant province discouraged me. It’s weekend after all − I needed the day to rest all I want, but my reasons just appeared unfounded to her. Still I was dragged like a little child chaperoning on a parent’s errand.

Map of Pampanga showing the location of Santo Tomas.

Already up at 2 o’clock in the morning, I spent the remaining free time at the car catching some naps before the funeral service started. The program was conducted by the departed’s eldest son. I have been to numberless funeral services, and as expected it flooded with tears of grief. Among the people who shared their eulogy, it was the eldest daughter’s speech that scored through my sleepiness at once. She described her as a very dependable mother. Only at the age of 13 that she realized children supposed to have someone to call their father. In her entire life, their mom never faltered in providing their needs in school, embracing them with motherly love and gave them genuine home in the absence of a father figure. It would have been less painful when they weren’t informed that the person left and chose to have another family despite having a whole bunch of responsibilities to six kids. The years following were extra challenging until their mom was stricken by a heart disease which sadly caused her death.

Surrounding the place where the body was laid were people professing their love and concern for this woman. The eulogy was a collection of every good work she did for her family while she had the very strength and time to do it. Tears rolled down on my cheeks while recalling how many times I saw her in the church before, pulling her other leg already paralyzed that time.

While everyone was crying along with the immediate family as we sent Mama Lolit to her tomb, I noticed that we were actually at the very foot of Mount Arayat ─ one of the nearest mountains anyone can readily climb. The area looks like a valley of dead in front of this green mount. I actually wondered how unsanitary these village people live in this terrain where the corpse juices are just a few steps away. Gross!

After the burial, my mom and her friends went to buy some pots. From the car I saw several establishments at the roadside selling coffins. Yes coffins! Some big, others for infants I surmise. I was told later on that Sto. Tomas, Pampanga is actually the casket capital of the Philippines. This is where people can buy them at more economical prices. To an urbanite like me, seeing these boxes almost everywhere is something very odd, or even scary. However, that’s how the locals earn for a living in this place ─ either of molding clays and making beautiful post and vases, or selling coffins.

From lamenting at the foot of a lovely peak, then roaming around the busy business district at the roadside that sells decorations both for the dead and the living, my weekend gave me a totally worthwhile trip. A tiring yet so educational escapade that was!

Posted in: itchy feet,Luzon