From AmbassadorsPH Prompt Of The Week, May 2024.

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For if we have faith that Jesus died and rose again, so too God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in death through Jesus.

- 1 Thessalonians 4:14

100 days ago, my mother passed away from complications due to her diabetes. Nakalulungkot na 17 years ko lang siyang nakasama at kaka-fifth birthday pa lang nung kapatid kong bunso noong oras na yun. I wished that I could've spent more time with her while she's alive.

It was 9 in the morning, according to my alarm clock on the right side table. I'm heading to the cemetery because it's Mother's Day, I can't wait to talk to her. Huli naming bisita sa kanya ay noong 40 days niya. Noong bumangon ako, the first things I did were eat, take a bath, wear a long white Sunday dress at nagprepare na rin ako ng mga kandila sa church at sa sementeryo.

Pagbaba ko sa kotse doon, hinanap ko kung saan inilibing ang nanay ko, but when I went to her grave... hinukay. As if that wasn't enough to satisfy my curiousity, I even looked six feet underground. Bumukas ang karo at nawawala ang katawan niya. I gulped.

Who in the right mind would take her body now? My eyes are starting to well up with tears. Namumuo ang galit na nararamdaman ko.

I shouldn't feel this way. I immediately calmed down. Sa napansin ko kasi, walang gaanong tao sa simbahan noong nagsindi ako ng kandila doon. At makulimlim pa ang langit these days, just to make up for the prickly weather last month. I'm beginning to believe na nagkakatotoo na nga ang mga prophecy na nabasa ko sa Bible.

A woman with a familiar voice called my name.

"Anak?"

She was standing there, as if she didn't die a hundred days ago... parang kababangon lang niya sa kama. I ran towards her para yakapin siya. Hindi ako makapaniwala.

Sumikip ang dibdib ko habang nagsisimulang tumulo ang mga luha sa mata ko.

"Mama," I cried. "Nabuhay ka na po pala..."

"I heard trumpets and there was shining light. Someone offered a hand for me. That's when I woke up to my open grave."

"Ma, I want to spend the rest of the day with you."

And we walked all over the cemetery with open graves and almost no grass. It all dawned on me...

Parati kong naaalala ang nababanggit sa bible study namin ang araw kung kailan papahirin ng Diyos ang mga luha ng sangkatauhan, dahil wala nang kahit anong pahirap at kamatayan... that the old things have passed away.

~

I opened my eyes again to the dull wall of my room. 

Today was Mother's Day. A hundred days since my mother died of diabetes. I noticed it was cloudy today.

I went downstairs to get food to offer for my mother, since I decided no to go to the cemetery. I lit up a candle and prayed.

I heard trumpets from my left. Agad akong tumingin sa bintana namin at nakakita ako ng liwanag na nagpawasiwas sa kulimlim.

FIN