By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
A beautiful life
I’ve seen on FB former Congressman Edgar M. Chatto tending to their rice fields and visiting pig houses on the farm. What a beautiful way of spending his retirement and his private life. This is a refreshing treat to himself and to his family after spending four decades in public office. We must be fb friends for I always see his post most mornings.
The Abarcar sisters, Gemma and Cora, are global citizens. They travel around the world. Our friendship started when my Cebu Zontian friends established a Zonta club in Bohol. The Zonta Bohol group was shortlived but our friendship has become stronger and wider through the years. Napadpad man sila sa laing mga dapit sa kalibutan apan ang among pagkabugkos anaa gihapon.
Gemma and Cora are cousins of Dr. Babie Camacho and the late board member sister of Dr. Babie. (Pls understand that I’m now 79 years old and the name escapes my mind.) Cora stayed with me in my Blue Apartelle for 3 years. Their beautiful house in Loon was levelled to the ground by the earthquake of 2013. Her 3 children are residing in Europe and Singapore and have their family home in London since her late husband was British.
She was with me during the pandemic with two deaths in between, my husband and my brother. She was also with me when typhoon Odette ravaged our dear Bohol. When Odette lashed it’s fury, it was the 40th day of my husband’s passing. My children and my grandchildren were all in Bohol at that time, otherwise, without them, the havoc would just have been experienced by Cora and me. Our household helpers all went home seeking security in their respective homes. God in his perfect time listens to or pleas.
Early this year, Cora transferred to her beautiful house in Panglao. But as of this writing, she is visiting her children in Europe and Singapore. Gemma the elder sister, will be leaving to stay in her beautiful home in Dauis. Home for her is Maryland with her daughter and grandchildren and her husband Rene. Their house in Loon is equally beautiful but Loon for their age is far from the city.
Anytime this week they will transfer to their new home. They are family to me and their going away will leave a void in our hearts.
When Cora left, I told her to just leave quietly and not on a one time big time basis. I have been to her beautiful home in Libaong. Truly, her place is a slice of paradise in Panglao. Sometime this week, Gemma and Rene will leave, too, with her companion. But this time, I’m conditioning myself.
This is not goodbye but we will just be visiting each other and do the twist in September at Lel’s perch as if we are seventeen.
