'Tis a Tears Day...

This early dawn of February 14th, while the rain pours with cold winds and thunders, my sister suddenly received a text message. I already had a feeling of what the message contained. I don’t know what to do though I knew this time would come. I knew that he had to take a rest. I knew that he will leave us. But it slowly digested in my mind.

He had suffered a lot due to his sickness. He had a kidney failure. For that, he can’t walk the normal way. It was hard for him to take a pee and a poo. It was also hard for him to utter the words he wanted to speak. He only eats a little and always complains of his food. He was only allowed to eat fish, either smoked or “tinola”.

He is my father’s brother, the oldest among four siblings while my father is the youngest. He has a wife and a daughter. His daughter is pregnant and goes to work while his wife says she can’t do it alone. That’s why he was transferred last month into our house after having a dialysis. 

Our daily routine rapidly changed when any one of us should look after him. To bathe him, feed him, to cut his nails, to accompany him to the toilet… to take care of him. I understand the fact that his family can’t do these things. But what I don’t understand is when she doesn’t sleep in our house to look after her husband. She only goes there to bring food and his medicines. They rarely talk to him. 

Perhaps there's a reason behind it. Mom said he weren't a good father and a husband. He was always gambling and never had a permanent job. But I think it's not enough reason to neglect him in the last days of his life. They should have used the remaining time to show their love to him. They should have let him enter their house three days before his death. They should have accepted him and forgive him. But they didn't. They closed their doors as well as their hearts.  

And now, his life ended without his family beside him. Now I'm wondering, is he in peace right now? Had he already ask forgiveness for all those things he did in the past to his family? Was he forgiven? 

I hope you're fine now, Uncle. No more sufferings and no more pain there in your journey to heaven... Goodbye.