my mom's cousin died of a heart attack last monday. tito nap was 63. he came to the philippines from guam for his annual vacation. i even kidded him over that weekened over something trivial.
his story is much more in color because everyone thought his other brother, the flamboyant papa doy was going ahead of everyone. papa doy was stricken with colon cancer five years ago. he had his operation in new york and eventually padre pio extended a miracle to him. he was healed until late last year.
when i left the apartment to move back a year ago, i noticed that it was more often that his carinderia was closed. his chef died a few months back and he had to take the cudgels. since i was forever broke and moved out, he had to foot his own bill. what was funny is that the bill was still the same despite him living alone. a tv, a ref and it was a high bill.
so, when i saw him for the first time in 2009, he was lying on his chair and was very weak. he said that he was in pain and the area was on the right side, below the tummy. he said it was so much that if he couldn't bear it, he'd end it. i said, end what????? (now, i see a bottle of melatonin. did he think of an overdose?) then he said it must be the same pain that my mom and their aunt felt as both were cancer victims. my mom never said anything but i knew it was painful as she had high tolerance for pain but when she cringed, i couldn't and i refused to imagine it anymore.
then, last monday, i saw papa doy sitting under the big tree and told him that he had much improved color and i wished for his recovery. then, i went to school with a smile hoping that he would indeed get well. when i got to work, i got a text saying it was his older brother who passed away.
W H A T ??????
it was surreal. i don't know why it crossed my mind -- a similar scenario always happens in movies and radio dramas. argh. but this was real life. this was part of my life.
then, this morning, papa doy vomitted blood and had to be rushed to the nearby hospital.
is it only in my area where the funeral parlors and city hospital are within a 100 meter radius? i had just came from there and he had some tubes attached on both his arms. he was breathing through an oxygen tank. his bp was so low like 80+/60+. they said he might need blood.
if only i didn't have my period, then i could ask if i could qualify. my hypertension is within normal range even if i don't take medicationthe doctors didn't know what was wrong with him. so they have this on the chart:
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i can't write anything. i just got a message that the doctors tried to revive him but it seems futile.
doy santos march 31 1948 - january 15/16 2009
