Our brain stores information, events and memories about relationships and other aspects of life, good or bad, happy and sad, and anything in between.
Just recently, a tv commercial has triggered my memory bank to release about one chapter in my life, college days and with particularly one person, Don.
I’ve heard the news from my good friend Lani. Don is missing. The ship that would bring him and his students home after an event at Sta. Cruz, Laguna, caught on fire. The ship was at the waters near Mindoro.
Family, relatives and friends and people from other agencies soared the neighboring seas to find him and other missing passengers, thinking that they drifted away while on water.
Around two in the morning, while at work, I smelled smoke. Twice. I ask around if they smell it too. But they did not. I brush it off but it hungs in my mind until after my shift ended. While preparing to end the day for my next shift I saw a glimpse of a CNN news about a ship that was caught on fire, a Superferry. I heard the news, but I brushed it off. After hearing the news, I was invited to a colleague’s room and while there, I received the news. My knees literally turned like a jelly. I could not grasp the extent of it, what registers in my mind during that time was that Don is missing after the ship was caught on fire. I ran back to the tv room at the ground floor, hoping I could see the news.
The search took almost two weeks. Though far, I joined the vigil. I lighted candle to help Don find his way home. Lani kept me updated, with bad news as the search took longer. Little did they know, that they were still inside the ship, died in suffocation.
The search ended. Don indeed found his way home, a hero but lifeless. He saved peoples lives, his students.
The funeral, as told to me, has gathered a huge crowd. Words of how good a person, son and brother and polite he was spread around like wildfire. I, too, agree with it. His family, relatives, colleagues, students, neighbors, and friends grieved. I grieved and promise to visit his grave one day, yet I haven’t done it. But I know I will be able to, soon.
I’ve seen him before, he would have a singing number during university events, though I did not take notice of who the singer is. It was during a Kaamulan presentation practice that I was able to be near him and around the same area at a closer perspective. We don’t talk, but we begin to have common friends. It was during the event, while waiting for our turn to perform, where everyone shared a good laugh as we cramped to fit in the camera that we begin to nod at each other. It started that way, we then became friends and a little more than that, for me maybe. I begun having attractions towards him, though it did not prosper.
I was in Manila for my internship at NCMH at Mandaluyong City when I saw him at MRT Ortigas station. We are on queue to board while he was going out. I called out his name and he saw me. I waved and so does he as he continue his way.
Little did I knew, that after few years, I would realize that it was actually the first time I saw him after he left the campus and my last.