Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Subject: 21st Century Literature from The Subject Teacher: Ms. Jearica Ico
It was a beautiful morning of Sunday, September 4, 2022. Everyone in the family had not
recovered still from the previous night's party. Seeing my family members' happy faces made me
believe that the entire day would be lovely. After brunch, my father decided to watch a movie, so
we all sat in front of the TV, excited. While we were watching, I caught a glimpse of my
grandmother, who was also watching from her rocking chair. Because of her old age, she was
already incapable of doing things alone, so when my mother suggested that I assist her in taking
While I was bathing her, I asked her if she still remembered me. She had already
forgotten everything due to her dementia, which is why she always said no whenever I asked her.
My grandmother had also developed the habit of thanking me for everything I did for her; hence,
during that time in the bathroom, my grandma continued to say how grateful she was to me.
Hearing her say those things made me emotional; however, as I continued bathing her, she began
to act possessed. The tension increased even more when she started to have seizures. Then I
heard her say in Pangasinan, "Ag yo ak aalaen!" which in English means, "Please do not take me
away!" I had no idea what was happening to my grandmother, so I rushed her out of the
bathroom. When I thought my grandmother was already fine, she had another seizure and passed
out. I started crying because I was worried about what had happened to her. My father arrived to
assist and carried my unconscious grandmother to her bed. We attempted to wake her up, but she
didn't. She continued sleeping like Aurora in Sleeping Beauty for five days before passing away
on September 9, 2022.
Looking back on what happened in the bathroom, I suddenly understood why she said
those words. It appeared as if there was someone who was about to pick her up during that time,
but my grandma resisted and said, "Please do not take me away!" That "someone" there waited a
few days for my grandmother to bid farewell to all of her family members and relatives while
sleeping on the bed first, before taking her away from us. As the only person who witnessed
what happened to my grandmother firsthand, I am left with mixed emotions and questions about
why it had to happen that way. However, one thing I am certain of is that my grandmother left
this world full of gratitude and love for everyone, especially for me.