by Telly G. Ocampo
The Days of April
Let us talk about some days of April. Let us start with Easter Sunday. According to Bishop Fulton Sheen, Easter did not happen after the transfiguration, but it happened after the crucifixion – in the deepest and darkest moment of the night.
Now, we can’t anymore imagine spending Easter Sunday the way we used to in the days of yore. What with the year of the Covid, of the lockdown, and of the quarantine. We are beset with the Covid surge, and the different Covid variants: Hongkong variant, Braxilian variant, African variant. We are threatened with the fear of transmission which is no longer coming from the APOR and/or the SLI, but from the LOCAL BOHOLANO RESIDENT.
Transmission is going local when vaccination started rolling out recently. We don’t anymore choose the kind of vaccine presented to us: sinovac, astra zeneca, pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, moderna, sputnik, etc…… But delivery of vaccines has become so near and yet so far.
Let us talk of the sad days of April: This is about the news of good friends leaving us forever to go back to the great beyond. One is Boy Clarencio Lim and another is Joseph Borja Piquero. Boy Clarencio Lim was Pa Boy to the siblings of Ma Tang – Loreta Trabajo Lim, his wife. Ma Tang went ahead of Pa Boy to forever. So they composed the pair: Pa Boy and Ma Tang. Boy Clarencio was “chabs” to my husband Roger. But he and Ma tang became close to us because Boy Clarencio was also a very close friend of my cousin – the late Judge Antonio “Tony” Oppus-Uy. In our present abode in Taguihon, we always saw each other at Lel’s Perch in her theme parties for her very close circle of friends. I became part of the circle since Lel, Lailita Pamaran Klainatorn, is a close cousin of my husband Roger from the Pamarans of Basilan and Cavite. Covid has geographically separated us now but not in spirit for we are all in our group chat, the dreamers.
Joseph Borja Piquero, on the other hand, belongs to the College of the Holy Spirit (formerly St. Joseph College) batch of 1958 and 1962 . This was the time when St. Joseph College was not yet in a coed status. Joseph spent his elementary days at St. Joseph College, and every get together of the high school batch, he was always there. There was never a dull moment with Joseph. He easily was able to quip a joke. And finding one was next to his skin. There was no stress to the man, for laughter is best medicine. He had two children all professionals: a doctor and a lawyer.
Nowadays, there is no proper way to say “goodbye”. We just see the announcement of the death of a person when a lighted candle is posted on the facebook wall of a relative. As we seniors now and are in the winter of our lives, we were looking forward to the days of getting together again to savour the precious and limited times left for us. But Covid denied us all of these chances.
Let us now talk about the “dead” and “lazy” days of April. I am referring to those days that I feel bored. What are we going to do to erase the boredom of staying at home? I have many things for me. My garden may not be as lush and green, so it seems plants need my presence, too. I don’t buy expensive plants and flowers. I really seldom buy these expensive and precious belongings. My begonias are from my dear friend Dalene and Zenaida with my Portolaka from Marsing. The sundang-sundang, server are planted anywhere for they are of low maintenance plants and are good for interior decorating. These plants I have around my house. There’s also the Vietnam Rose from Frieda. She wanted it separated from Marsings Porto Laca. When we were in Tacloban, my co-teacher, Prof. Faustino Villamayor planted Portolaca in my garden. That’s why I’m very familiar with the plant. It comes now in different hues. And they should be displayed in full sunlight.
Let us also talk about days of celebration in April. I am writing this article today, Tuesday, April 20. And today is the 51st birthday of my eldest daughter Estela. Birthdays for us are private affairs. Simba ra gyud kay mao gyud nay gusto sa among Lola Danday. Ug dunay manok bisaya nga gilaming, paga lutoon gyud. . . . . By the way, 80 is a milestone. So we had a grand celebration for my husband on his 80th birth anniversary. This was a sort of thanksgiving, too. He survived a stage 3 kind of cancer without chemotherapy. We opted for alternative medicine. He had his operation in 2013 just before the earthquake. We chose for quality of life for whatever remaining years given to him.
Another very dear friend has been diagnosed with the big c. I hope and pray she would opt for alternative medicine and spend whatever time is left here in the old hometown rather than a constant visit to the hospital.
Hoping for April to end so swiftly for us to feel the blossoms of sweet smelling flowers in May. Let us talk about the accomplishments done in the days of April. Finally the crocheted round table top I made for Estela is finished. It’s just me doing it while viewing telenobelas: from “Probinsiyano” to “Paalam na Walang Hanggan.” It is an accomplishment to finish all the episodes and enjoy the flow of the story. Now there are new telenovelas. One is entitled “BRO”. Another one is “Init sa Magdamag”. With these two new tv plays, I expect to accomplish the crocheting job I have for my son’s birthday. Or, this may also be good for Christmas together with our youngest daughter Irene’s birthday. It is an accomplishment on their part to have become plantito and plantita during the pandemic. It is also an accomplishment for them to be drinking ternate tea from the vine they have planted in their place right now using the seeds they have brought from our Taguihon home. Estela even has her free range chicken with her children and husband, Raymond baking their own bread. I used to bake cakes and bread when they were growing up.
Roger Ocampo and the author
Roger Ocampo, the Love of my Life who recently celebrated his 80th birthday
Our “anak-anak” (the bigger one) and “apo-apo”