Her departure for Hongkong was scheduled earlier than expected. Months before their wedding, before Andy (not his real name) proposed to marry her, Monica, (not her real name) had applied for a job in Hongkong.  It was a few years back since Andy got a teaching job at Philippine Exploration High within the mining camp and all they could afford was a civil wedding

They first met at a party hosted by a friend while both were in their senior highs. Upon graduation and being from different schools more than a hundred miles afar, they had congratulated each other through correspondence. Courtship flourished throughout their college days and like any other typical Filipinos in love wasn’t spared from intrigues. Andy would see Monica in Baguio City where she studied to solve any flaw and proof of how much they loved each other, nothing had stood between them.

It was a painstaking moment, the day at the airport before Monica was to embark the plane. Though barely two months together, she had to finish a two year contract abroad with a promising pay. With the worsening economic crisis in the country, the persistent inflation and high unemployment rate, it was their chance  so to lay a brighter foundation for their future family.

Six months seemed like six years to Andy with his beloved more than eight hundred miles away. They would chat by long distance phone every week and through letters shared their feelings of homesickness to each other. Andy made it a habit to play tennis for about an hour right after work while Monica would watch TV to get updates of the news from the Philippines.

On Monday, July 16, 1990, 4:26 PM, local Philippine time, Luzon was struck by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killing an estimated 1,621 people mostly from Central Luzon and the Cordillera. Major roads were closed and on the third day, from Philex Mines, Andy hiked about twelve miles through a mountain trail to visit his grandfather where two of his younger brothers and sister were staying at Kennon Road. Casually jolly and thoughtful, he brought along chocolates for his younger siblings. He stayed for a few days only for he was to teach again that week. Five days later, news reached Kennon Road that he died of heart failure. His Aunt and sister went to Philex Mines to confirm the news as the road was then opened.

Andy was to be taken to Camp 3, Kennon Road but the roads were still closed with a storm hitting the area at that time. By a long route from Philex Mines to Baguio City and through Naguilian Road, his remains were taken by a company utility vehicle to Twin Peaks then carried through the road that the earthquake had damaged. Twenty people volunteered to take turns carrying the coffin over steep and slippery route while the storm was raging.

His father and mother and three older brothers, having been notified by radio arrived on the third day at Camp Three. From Nueva Viscaya which was one hundred miles away, they hiked the devastated Dalton Pass Road took a bus from Carmen to Twin Peaks then hiked again to Camp Three.

Monica arrived at Camp three on the sixth day. Taking the harder route from Camp Six under the rainy weather, she collapsed at the site of the coffin. She was taken to a room, changed from her drenched clothes and when revived, she could hardly speak. She just held on to the box looked at Andy’s face with tears unstoppable from her eyes. It was then that everyone there, started to cry, including me…

That night was her longest night as she kept vigil; their last night together for tomorrow, Andy was to be laid to rest.