ON my last day in the hospital, my father's side of the family showed up. It's my first time meeting them at kahit malaki ang presidential suite ng La Guardia Hospital ay sumikip ito sa presens'ya nila. Kuya Danton's family is here as well as Lola Adel. Meeting the living matriarch of Dela Garza was nerve-racking. She was like a queen -- who moves with grace sa kabila ng katandaan nito. She would be what? Early eighties? Mid-eighties?
Pero nang haplusin n'ya ang aking pisngi at pumatak ang luha n'ya ay natanto kong isa s'yang ina.
"KA. . . it's. . . it's so glad to finally see you in flesh, apo," sunod sunod ang patak ng luha n'ya kaya napaiyak na rin ako. Ramdam na ramdam ko kasi ang pananabik n'ya sa akin. Finally, she has a connection with her youngest son. Bunso n'ya si Papa at ako
