It is June 12, 2018 and I am in Manila to
purchase supplies for my school. It is Tuesday, a holiday commemorating Philippine
Independence Day. Since it is rainy the
entire morning, I open my Waze to get the quickest route to my destination, but
inadvertently clicked my Facebook Apps. Lately, I’ve been trying to impose on
myself some internet browsing discipline, opting to open only on designated
intervals, because of my tight schedules. But as soon as my newsfeed came
through, there it is, Geoffrey’s birthday on that day, being announced by a
sprinkling of well wishes from his friends.
Geoffrey Antonio C. Macatol, or Buddy to
friends, is a gentle, amiable guy. He was my upperclass at the Philippine
Military Academy, having once been a cadet of the Class of 1982, he was a year ahead of me.
He lives in the province of Camiguin, a part of northern Mindanao, and a place
I’ve never been to.
We belong to a few common Facebook (FB) groups,
owing to the fact of our being “Bugo-bugos”, or those bugs who, in their youth,
were qualifiers of the prestigious PMA scholarship appointment. Nonetheless,
Buddy struck me as a mild-mannered persona, who did not make his seniority come
to bear on his juniors, as is wont among bugo-bugos who hold tradition close to
their hearts.
Buddy and I have some things in common. We
spend some time advancing our advocacies by creating Facebook Pages that
promote them. For example, he is administrator of the Facebook Page called the “Friends
of Jesus”, which fosters dialog and guidance on spirituality. On the other hand,
I maintain 3 FB Pages for my school - the “Dive Sorsogon”, which promotes love
of the environment; the “Speed Center for Leadership”, which helps send college
students to school; and the “Speed Computer College”, which is a friendly Page
for connecting with present and former students.
On the night after his birthday, June 13, 2018,
I chanced upon Buddy’s post on FB, where he put up a new profile picture. It
was typically him, with a big, happy smile on his face. He captioned it with a verse
quoted from Desiderata, thus: “Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully
surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in
sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are
born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with
yourself.” His citation said it was an “Extract
from Desiderata.”
Although dead-tired and half-awake, I found Buddy’s
quotation very endearing, as it brought back memories of long ago, how we were
trained to memorize long literary pieces under pressure. So in the same thread
that carried his new FB profile picture, I wrote back: “very appropriate quote,
sir, I wish you all that, plus great health, great wealth, and many more
fulfilling years ahead.” I had posted this in the late-hours of June 13, 2018. I
then jumped to bed, but told myself I will be writing my birthday well-wishes
for him on his FB wall the next day.
On June 14, 2018, I woke up early, mindful of
my schedules, and so the day passed by quickly. I did not give it much thought,
but found it quite odd that I did not get a quick emoticon from Buddy, much
less a short, quick reply. Many who know him are accustomed to getting prompt, gracious
replies from him, by way of emoticons, emojis, GIFs, or one-liners. His wit is
infectious, and sometimes I wonder where on earth he is getting all those;
besides the fact that I think his present work engagement is as an IT
professional. I went to bed exhausted from a long day, unable to post my birthday
well-wishes for him on his FB wall.
Early, the next day, June 15, 2018, I was
startled to read on my newsfeed a post on the demise of Buddy, requesting for
prayers for the eternal repose of his soul. After sitting dazed for several
minutes in quiet thought, I messaged my mistah, Mon Averia, former cadet of the
Class of 1983, Philippine Military Academy, for some details. He said he had
none, and learned about it from his newsfeed. I wished Mon well, reminding for
both of us to enjoy our moments.
Meanwhile, my birthday well-wishes for Buddy have
suddenly become irrelevant. In short and simple language, it has become a
day too late due to a supervening event.
On June 12, 2018, Geoffrey Antonio C. Macatol
celebrated his 60th birthday. On June 14, 2018, exactly 60 years and 2 days
since he first saw the light of day, he is dead. I began to think of the wise adage
that in this world, only 2 things are certain: taxes and death.
However irreverent my thoughts are, I began to wonder
how unfair life can get. Here is a good man, who can touch other people’s lives
by his good manners and his sterling graciousness. He certainly touched mine;
although we never saw each other, nor do I know the circumstances of his life.
We endeared our connection by our “Bugo-bugo”
stories, and how we held on to traditions that are sacred to our hearts, in a
way that kept our respect for each other above the level of common lives. I
remember Buddy giving passionate advice on hope and spirituality to members of
his FB Page because he suffered a relationship setback or distress in the past.
But even that, I am not sure of.
Last night, June 15, 2018, 1 day after he
passed on, I lay restless on my bed, wondering what lesson I can learn from Buddy’s
sad and untimely demise. We all tend to ignore giving time to talk or think about
our own mortality. But as surely as taxes, death will come. And when it does,
what will people say about me?
Each one of us has the power to chart our own
journey up to the last day. So I pray, not only for myself, but for us all: for
courage to change, without delay, the things that we still can; and for grace
to accept the things that we can no longer change; and finally, for wisdom to
discern and help those who are less steady in their own journeys.
Do not delay. No one can control his tenure in
this world.
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