To My Dearest Father,

I wrote this for the world to know that I had a great father. He was the wind beneath my wings, my inspiration. Let me tell you the story of his success and failure. He didn’t finished grade school but he traveled almost around the world. He was a sailor…a cargo ship electrician…. He was only thirteen when he left home….He only had with him was his determination, his dreams and his promises. He slept on the side walk streets of Manila, worked as a helper in a construction site, a cigarette vendor and even sell sampaguita, in his early age. He can’t count how many times his life was put in danger and how many times he survived. But he never gave up…He hold on to his dreams and promises that he would never go back with nothing. Until one day he met this man he became his teacher, mentor,a friend a father to him. And the story of his success starts here, he became a sailor and traveled in different part of the world. And he decided to go back home, and face what he had left before…..And fell in love with a young lady. Half of his age,(my mom)….I don’t know if they live happily…..my father never told me about their story…I grew up seeing them arguing…Until one day they decided to live in a separate house, my father lived alone, but I often visit him. He keeps on telling me…”love what you have today because you may never know when it lasts”…..I know that he was not happy of what happens ….Until one day he told me the truth about his health…..he had cancer……I know he tried to fix the broken pieces….I don’t know with my mom she can’t stand living with my father….After his operation he was brought back to his home town…He often calls me…asking me when I’d  be coming home…Until one day I received a call telling me that my father had “passed away”……for a moment I felt that my world  had stopped, I can’t speak I don’t know what I felt that moment. On our way home I kept on telling my self that my cousin was just kidding me…that my father was there waiting for us with a big smile on his face and ready to gave us a big hug….but when we got there….i can’t accept the truth that yes he was there but with out the big smile and I can’t hug him anymore. He was lying inside that “big white box” I cried and cried…..When I saw his room I felt that the last six months of his life was lonely…..I saw the lonely man sitting on a rocking chair with a lonely eyes…waiting for his family to come home…and wishing that he would bring his family back together…..but I know it will never be….he was gone and I can’t accept it…Now I have so many regrets….Now I know that there’s so many things I haven’t told him…i never came home….when he wishes too. I’ve never been there when he needed a daughter beside him…I never told him how much I love him…I know that I have to accept that his gone…his happy were ever he is….I hope and pray that he is within GOD’S loving arms….I will treasure the moments when I’m with him and the lessons that I’ve learned from him….I will never forget you “Tatay”….Goodbye……. And I l Love You…