I know for a fact that my habit of going to school late is not unusual. But that morning, it was exceptionally unusual, perhaps the most unusual summer day I've ever experienced.
To start off, just like the past days, I left home at around past 8 in the morning. There was no FX taxi in the village's waiting area. Ever since I left the unit, I promised myself not to have my mornings harassed inside the jeepneys anymore, I was going to ride FX's thereon. I wasted time until around 8:25, the time an FX arrived. I knew I'd be late. I was indeed late. Teacher Kaksy had already started lecturing about the CPU.
Something or someone was missing. Of course, my classmate who comes to school at 6 am wasn't there! I immediately looked for her since the tricycle I rode passed by the carpark and I noticed her car wasn't there.
It was I think Tuesday when she told us that a police officer confiscated her license for "beating the red light". Two days after that, although she already had the license, she didn't bring the car. I thought it had something to do with the traffic violation she committed that her elders sanctioned her use of the car.
I wasn't surprised though when she told us about her mom who needed transpo for her hospital check up. We knew her mom has not been feeling well lately. Her nanny has even have to go home and leave her just to keep her mom (who doesn't want to be confined) company...
It felt really bad when I heard the 2nd hand news from a classmate who was with her early that morning. Nobody expected, not even my classmate, that her mom would leave that soon. I was teary-eyed. It was a shock to me. For me, it's a crime to make her sad. And I really do care for her, that's why I am hurt.
During the usual group lunch, there were no jokes told. Well, a there was a little, but none of those silly cracks about our other classmates.
Later that day, after having our lab works checked (and without even starting the proceeding lab), we went to the funeral house. We had to light incense and do the Buddhist "wave" ritual. In more than five years, that was my time again to see a person inside a casket.
We really wanted to reach out and comfor her. I think the five of us who went there... I felt her agony but there's nothing we can do more than that. We could perhaps, still talk about that, after the grieving is over.
With that experience, there's just this one thing I realized that I definitely value - my family. I'd probably go nuts if something like that happens to me. When I heard the news, I cried because I knew that'd be be how I'll feel, placing myself in her situation. I'd be totally devastated. My classmate has lived comfortably even without a father's support (he died before she was born). And I really admire her mom for having raised a family such as theirs.
I wanted to thank God for giving me my family. My experience was nature's way but I hope that it doesn't always take a sad thing like this to happen for us to realize the value of the people around us.
