Too Little Too Late ( A Narrative)

I wrote this almost two years ago. I actually found this on my so-called "Flashy Trash", just a junk full of my works since I was 7. I wrote this for my grandparents :)

     Have you ever felt guilty upon not grabbing an opportunity just hanging in your eyes for a very long time? Was there a time when you are just too late to bring everything back to normal and to transform your mistakes into wise and appropriate actions and decisions? We all have fallen to the traps of temptations. Because of these temptations, we tend to forget about the more important things and duties we should portray and give time to. We instead prioritize our own interests first and become unaware that the time is running,thus, the time we are to use for portraying more important duties are being wasted. There are mistakes that we can still correct but unfortunately, there are also mistakes that we cannot transform into appropriate actions because it is already too late.

A Glimpse of Her Heart

    My grandparents are one of the most important persons in my life. They have been present in every important event in my life. They are always ready to lend their ears when I have problems and also have given me pieces of advice that truly encouraged me to move forward and aim high. My grandmother is a teacher in the Filipino subject. She served in the public school near our house in Cavite for twenty seven years. Because of her dedication in teaching and her ambition to help students excel in their academic lives, she has been an inspiration to her students. She was very much close to all her students maybe because of her motherly approach in teaching. Outside the classrooms, she is a very helpful neighbor, mother, and grandmother to all of her grandchildren. She has given us everything we asked for and have portrayed her role as a grandparent in the best way she could. I remember the time wherein my older sister wanted mangoes. My grandmother then asked her if she wants to go the market and buy some. My sister hesitated but my grandmother insisted and woke up my grandfather who was so tired the whole day for he is working in the church. My grandmother then told my grandpa to buy two kilos of mangoes. She then asked my grandmother is it is enough. She was such a generous and loving person. 

 

The Story Left Untold

     It was the second day of January in the year 2008. What a sunny afternoon it was. I was in the house of my grandparents in Gen.Trias, Cavite. The whole community in our place seem to have lost their voices because the noise I used to hear in our community was now in silent mode. The sudden silence was due to the news that my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Up to this day(January 2, 2008), she has been battling with the deadly disease for more than a year now. I roamed around the whole house because I was trying to find something to do so that I would not waste my time just watching television. I suddenly was hit by a cold wind that led me to look at my grandmother who was lying on her bed and is in so much pain because of the war happening inside her body. I realized that I have not been able to communicate with her a lot.  It is because of the fact that our family moved to Quezon City early 2007. We only get to visit our relatives in the province twice a month. Looking back through each of the day in my Christmas vacations, I have noticed that I truly have been wasting my time on watching T.V and all other unimportant and usual things. I knew that it was the right time to enter her room, chat with her and tell her all about my new school and all the things that has been keeping me busy. I knew that in a way it would somewhat heal the pain she was feeling. She meant the world to us that is why she does not want us to worry much about her and continually hid the pain in front of us. While I was thinking if this, I saw my cousins playing outside. Nevertheless, I pushed through with my plan. I entered the room where she was resting and sat near where she laid. I started massaging her legs and started to talk about how I was coping with my new school. Suddenly, my cousin who was playing badminton with my younger sister, then called me and asked if I could go where they were only for a while. Before leaving the room and heading where they were playing, I first told my grandmother that I will just be outside and promised to return to continue my stories. She then nodded and told me not to worry about her and to just enjoy the last day of my Christmas vacation. So I went and watched their game. My cousin then asked my sister to rest and to lend me her racquet so he could show me how though it is to beat him. At first, I was hesitant because I was thinking of my grandma and the smile and sparkle in her eyes while I was telling her my experiences and dreams.  I was about to deny my cousin a game but suddenly a thought came to my head that I can tell the rest of my stories later because it was still early and we'll head back to Quezon City at nine in the evening. Being a competitive person, I decided to play but just one game, consisting of 15 points against my ever excited and also competitive cousin. His words; "I thought you were the best" hit me and energize my once hesitant soul. So there we were, crazily hitting the poor shuttlecock.    

The Mistake

     I was having so much fun playing with my cousin that I became unaware of the time. My promise of one game turned into 8 long and hardly-contested games. I won via a nail biter; winning 5 of the 8 games.  I then decided to go back and chat again with my eager grandma. While, I was walking and passing by each tree and door knob, I felt guilt and disappointment. How did I let such thing happen? It was like a feeling on an actor, choosing a t.v series over a extravagant and once in a lifetime movie. Why did I let her wait for nothing.  Finally, I opened the door of her room, I saw her reading a book and looking at our pictures. I started to get all teary-eyed. I felt useless, my photo made her smile, what more could my actions and a personal interaction give her. I told her that I was very sorry for making her wait.  I then continued on with my story but just after merely 5 minutes, we heard a knock. I somewhat froze and asked myself if it was what I hoped never to happen. I was right, my tired-looking father stopped my story. It stopped the words form flowing. It made her smiles disappear and an opportunity gone. I could not say a word for I know how much it will hurt and make her sad. I was so frustrated in myself. There I was crying in our car. What will these tears do, nothing! After just five days, I felt the worst feeling, I felt like i was drowning. She gave up the fight :(

Realizations

     The truth is life is unpredictable! I don't have any bad feelings toward God. I actually just looked at the bright side. My grandmother died trusting and serving God all her life and her best friend was right; she never deserved the pain and thus, she needed rest. I just want to tell this story to make everyone see how much our grandparents and how many people care about us. I want everyone to cherish them and to be grateful for the time given by God for us to spend with them. Let's just shower our loved ones with love and care because as I've said, we do not know when they'll go. Let's treat them to a life worth- remembering for when they are about to go, they have experienced a life worth-living and the best life they could ever have.