At the Gate

For the past three weeks, we've been attending church all the way in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, because Mom's been wanting to see her sisters and mom more often. I like it there. The church is small, and I met one of my online friends there, which was awesome.

Today, my old kindergarten teacher, T. Mona, came with us, which was really nice. We went to church, then ate in Mang Inasal with two of my cousins. We all love Mang Inasal a lot, and took advantage of the unlimited rice, hehe. Oh, and turon split is 123761827364912730089 times better than banana split.

We visited my lola in Biñan and had merienda there. Even though I was still full from lunch, I couldn't resist having some crackers with a Mexican dip, tikoy hopia, a chocolate popsicle, and a mug of hot tea. I sat outside in what used to be my lolo's garden with my siblings and cousins, and we talked and laughed about different things.  The breeze was lovely, the sun wasn't hot, and I loved the way the trees danced in the wind. I saw a pile of ashes near some trees, and I suddenly remembered my lolo. If he were still alive, he would've swept away the ashes and dumped them in that brick platform in the corner of the garden. He wouldn't have wanted them to be sitting there beside the trees. The ashes gave me an idea for a poem, so I'm glad they were there.

We stopped by the cemetery to visit Lolo's grave, and we all shared something that we remembered about him. My brother talked about how he used to watch him play, and my sister talked about how Lolo would always let Luis win at chess and teach him how to play properly. I shared about Lolo having a seesaw built for me and my cousin and asking what color I wanted the horse's head to be. 

I liked Mom's memory the best. She reminded us of how when we would visit Lolo and Lola when Lolo was still alive, he would always be sitting on the old, wooden bench outside the house, waiting patiently until we got there. He was always the first one we'd see when we'd arrive, just waiting.

Wouldn't it be nice if someday, when it's my turn to be with Jesus, Lolo will be at the gates of heaven, waiting for me?

I'd like that.