Reunion with my colleagues

No, this isn't entirely the happy kind of meet up of friends. We went out our way this afternoon to visit our former colleague, mrs. C to pay our last respects. My son asked me to say kumusta/hi to her former Math teacher na lang daw. 

There was a mix up earlier regarding the time that we need to meet. Dapat 7pm naging 5:30. Initially, I don't like to drive during rush hour. Ayaw ko makisabay sa working populace pati na rin sa mga walang habas magpatakbo na mga driver ng motorbikes. But I want to see everyone. The last time was late November last year. Surprisingly, I didn't experience any build up in traffic along the way. I was at the meeting place in thirty minutes from our home which would normally take forty-five minutes to an hour. Medyo na-miss ko yata mag-drive, napabilis. Anyway, we decided to have an early dinner at Le Ching Banawe before heading to the wake. Naging baliktad nauna yung pagpag. I became nostalgic. I told them twenty three years ago, I used to frequent the place because I made 'lihi' of their beef brisket and hakaw there. Riding a jeepney, I would drop by after school to have my merienda before I go home. We had a great time updating each other coupled with chismax over Yangchow rice, hakaw, Siopao, seafood siomai, tofu etc. Out of six, four are still actively teaching, two are still with the former school where we all met, the other two in public schools, and the last two including me chose to have an early retirement in our 40's. Mrs. P chose to pay for the food. Blowout daw niya. Thank you po.

We left at 7:30pm. At the wake, we met her children. She died of cancer of the cervix pala at 68. She was in remission na but parang bumalik ang cancer cells. Parang sa sobrang kasiyahan daw medyo na overlook yung state of health nya because she went back to her usual ways. We knew her as someone that loves to be with her friends because his children are based in Australia na and his hubby is always on work assignment in other parts of the country. Kaya may time siya to have coffee and even go on trips with her barkada. Nothing wrong with that. At least she really lived a full life. 

We didn't stay long. We went on our separate ways at 8:30 pm. We initially want to go to the mall but it was almost closed na pala. I just dropped by 7/11 to buy Gardenia bread for breakfast. Pagpag na rin yun di ba?