Going Back Home After More Than Eight Years

It was an unexpected trip last Sunday night. It was a long six hours  along the road going back to our town in Pangasinan.

We have to accompany Mom  in going home because her sister (my aunt) died. Had to be at the wake right after we had dinner at 11pm. Stayed until 3am and my cousins and I had a nice but sad reunion. I haven’t seen some of them for almost a decade.

Mom was hysterical when she saw my aunt’s coffin repeatedly saying, “bakit di mo ako inantay?” (Why did you not wait for me”?).

An uncle twice removed said that we only get to see each other during such happenings.  When you have your own family and relatives live far away from you, it is not always a possibility to see each other regularly.

It was another long trip going back to Manila. Gridlock at NLEX because of the large volume of cars traversing the expressway. When there is  a holiday close  to the weekend, expect those long lines of cars going North and back.