The Pain and Joy of Parting

(A short story,a Project in English)

By Regina Juliane S. Vibar - 8 Molave

My grandmother, Soledad, lived with one of her four children in a remote barrio in
Taplacon, in the municipality of Camalig. Her daughter, a single mother, helps her mother in the
household tasks and attends to her only son Kardo a four-year-old loveable boy. She teaches him
the alphabet, rhymes and reads short bed time stories at least thrice a week.
Lola Soledad is happy in the barrio. She has a plantation of corn, vegetable and vast rice
farm which gains her fifty to seventy sacks of rice every harvest time. She goes to the city where her
two other children and give them each rice, vegetables and other crops at least once every month.
When she goes home, she would have with her bags of groceries, some would be given by her
children and some she would buy at a large department store and mall in the city. She would be
fetched up by her daughter who drives a small owner at the town proper so she would not find
difficulty in loading her groceries and other items.
My father, Lola Soledad’s son, is a professor in a nearby university in our city. My mother is
a part-time teacher to college student in Computer Technology. Aside from that she manages a small
computer shop near our residence.
One Saturday morning, my parents decided to visit my grandmother in her barrio. We rode
our old car and along the way we would rest a while because the barrio is a two-hour ride from our
place. We brought water, sandwich and biscuits with chocolates and toys for Kardo.
When we arrived at the barrio, there were many people in the church yard which was just
opposite the house of my grandmother. Along the rode there were “banderitas” and we thought it
was the barrio celebration. My father finally remembered it was indeed the barrio fiesta. It was about
nine years now since my father had not visited his home barrio.
Lola Soledad and Kardo were at the front yard when we stepped out of the car. My auntie
was with their house helper and another aide helping and cooking for the meal on that day. There
was exchange of pleasantries when another car honked. My uncle from Manila just arrived with his
new found wife. After an hour, my auntie and her family came with lots of noise from the two
naughty kids.
That led Lola Soledad to become teary eyed to see all of her children. She said that her
grandfather must be smiling tenderly when he sees us in that state but he was gone ten years ago.
This unexpected reunion was yet the happiest within the bounds of our immediate relatives. We
were also having fun with the members of the families who visited Lola Soledad on that joyous day.
We, the grandchildren had fun swimming in the clear river a kilometer away and enjoyed
watching the sunset on a tree-top near Lola Soledad’s house.
We spent the evening at Lola’s house. We really enjoyed the camaraderie of the extended
family of Lola Soledad. The jokes, the reminiscence, the memorable stories, tearful moments. These
and all happened in one day and one night. But we promised to ourselves, we visit Lola Soledad, at
least once a year, even if it is not during fiesta time.
And, we did and still doing it, specially, now that my Lola Soledad is getting weaker and
older to contain the sweet moments of yesteryears. In time, we will be losing our Lola Soledad and
by then we will grieve but we shall be happy to have made her glad during her last few years.