by Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
Octopussy
I remember those times of James Bond movies. Those were the days in my college years in the 60s: GoldfingerThunderball, From Russia With Love. But among the James bond stars, I love Sean Connery the most. Later on in his life, he was knighted by the queen of England.
Why did I choose Octopussy? My recollection is quite hazy now, but what was imprinted in my mind was a criminal syndicate whose head could not be captured and determined. James Bond was the crime agent supposedly taksed to identify the head of the syndicate. It was a jigsaw puzzle for Mr. Bond, only to find out in the end that the person who contacted him to do the intelligence work, was the head of the syndicate.
The search is like Mr. Bond looking for the tentacles of the crime syndicate that led him to travelling to different parts of the world with her lady companion who is an intelligence expert, too. At times, the agents chosen by the head, turned out to be a counterspy.
Like the octopus, Mr. Bond encountered all kinds of ordeal, and most often, there were almost at the expense of his life. Since he was the vida (lead star), it was already in our mind that Mr. Bond will come out alive and victorious in the end.
Looking at the current issues in our land – pogo, drugs, human trafficking, graft and corruption, etc. – we can find a parallel status in Octopussy. Now, we find some of the tentacles in glaring scenes, and we think crimes are solved; only to find out that the scene is muddled by the ink of the octopus. As soon as the water gets clear, the crimes are forgotten only to surface some time later in the political landscape.
My family is very saddened by the sudden passing of Rey Paman, the brother of Roy. These two brothers are driving a piaggio, my version of our “BMW”. These two brothers bring my grandchildren to school and, of course, chaperoned by their mother. Most often, they take turns in driving for me when i feel fancy free going around town just so i can have my social contacts with my friends: going to church, and at times going to the market looking for veggies.
Rey died so suddenly last Sunday morning. The reason? Nagkilawin ug kogita, a version of the octopus. Ayaw gyud mo kaon ug kogita ug gabii. Mobukad diay ang kogita sulod sa tina-I (inside your intestine). He had stomach pain around eleven in the evening and he expired 3:00 o’clock early dawn. He died in Dagohoy, the place of his wife. Rey is childless but he supports the family of his brother Sonny, who is physically incapacitated due to brain tumor.
To the family of the deceased, we extend our family’s heartfelt condolences. We are very grateful to you and Roy for your kind service and loyalty. Sail on my friend, and rest in peace in the Lord’s loving embrace.
