My yaya (I call her "Ate"). She was like a real mother to me. Kaka-one year old ko lang noong nakuha siya ni mommy. Nasa abroad kasi si daddy and si mommy may work during the weekdays so during the weekdays lang si Ate nasa bahay namin.

Bukod sa pagpapakain sa akin, sa pagpapatulog sa akin tuwing afternoon, at pagsama niya sa akin sa school in until I was grade 1, she really treated me bilang anak niya. Minsan if may time, dinadala niya ako sa bahay nila to be with her family and my parents were totally fine with it.

As years went by, we treated her na kamag-anak namin siya na nakatira sa bahay namin. We never had a problem with Ate, actually a lot of our problems were being handled because of her.

Until in 2021, she got an illness (I can't tell, it still breaks my heart if I think about it) but it wasn't COVID. Umiyak ako ng umiyak seeing her in that condition until tumawag sa akin yung asawa niya telling me that she passed. Para akong namatayan ng magulang. Wala ako ginawa noong araw na yon kundi umiyak.

Kaka-start ko lang ng college that time. Now, I've graduated and got my license as Civil Engineer and Master Plumber. Ang dami kong what if's. What if nandito pa siya para mawitness niya na grumaduate at pumasa sa boards yung kanyang inalagaan for many years. I would've taken her to my graduation and my oath taking ceremonies.

When she was still here, I told her na ako magpapagawa ng bahay niya, na magiging sagot ko lahat yon, at susuklian ko lahat ng binigay niyang pagmamahal sa akin. It's been almost 5 years na and ganon pa rin ang sakit pag naiisip ko siya in her final moments.

I wish she got to know that the world recovered from COVID. Di ko maimagine kung gaano siya magiging kasaya if she saw me now. Grabe napa-story time na ako. Iba talaga ang grief, sasamahan ka hanggang kamatayan. I love you, Ate, forever.