the 3rd anniversary

25/4/2007. I remember that day almost vividly. It was raining, just like today. I was off to school in the wee hours of the morning, going through the routine life of a high school student. It seemed like a pretty normal day, except that, it was the day my grandmother went to rejoin her Maker.

Growing up in a family of 6, i had working parents. Parents who left for work in the morning and returned home towards the evening (fyi, i'm not complainin about that, cuz i fully understand dat my parents had worked real hard to support our family). And the age gap between my siblings and i made our schooling hours different. So for most of the time, my only human companion was my grandmother.

My grandmother was no one extraordinary. She nagged, ALOT in fact. She loved telling long-winded stories. Stories about the Japanese occupation, how my aunts and dad grew up and other stories of the past. stories that kept on coming and made you think they'll NEVER end. She cursed whenever someone accidentally dropped something. she watched soap operas and forgets everything she watched soon after. and best of all, her paranoid and dramatic self would cause me to panic along with her at times. for instance, she'll be the alarm clock who wakes me up by screaming that i'm gonna be late for the 12 o'clock school bus if i don't wake up immediately. but the clock only shows that it's 9am, and yea, she's fully aware of dat.

but it was this very same lady who taught me about life. she took the responsibility of disciplining and looking after me because my parents couldn't be home all the time. she always made sure that my three meals of the day were prepared before i even felt hungry. and it was always that sweet smile on her face that greeted me everytime i came home. and oh, the little knowledge or skill i have about cooking, i got it from her. and ashamed as i am to admit it, she beared with all my rudeness and vents of anger when i turned rebellious in my adolescent years.

it's been 3 years since she left. 3 years. how time flies. the huge emptiness left behind after her death was almost unbearable. but as time progressed, it slowly healed. i may not be perfect nor will i ever be. all i know is that my grandmother played a huge role in shaping me to become who i am today. and i believe that i grew up just fine. should she still be alive, i believe my grandmother would be proud of who i have become. and whatever happens, i would never give up the 16 memorable years i had with her for anything else in this world.