Ka Bel and Ka Osang’s 50th
It’s Ka Bel and Ka Osang’s 50th anniversary today. Their Golden, and it’s so terrible that they have to spend it at the Philippine Heart Center where Ka Bel remains detained. They had been looking forward to a celebration with all of their children, granchildren, the rest of the family blood and chosen since last year, long before Ka Bel was arrested.
Every day is like the same for Ka Bel inside the hospital. He gets up in the morning, eats his breakfast, takes his medicine, does his exercises (he’s becoming too much like a butete, he says), reads the newspapers. Then he receives guests, and his doctor who checks up on him and his blood pressure and heart rate ever so often. The rest of the day he reads.
To some people this might seem like the life — a good routine that doesn’t involve stress or much exertion. But this is what Ka Bel’s days are like every day, and have been for the last eight going on nine months.
For someone like Ka Bel who has always been an energetic sort , this schedule, this regimen, is pure torture.
Ka Bel, up to the day he was ‘invited’ by the CIDG to Crame and then illegally arraigned, was always up and about talking and meeting with different people, working hard at his notes and reading materials (briefing papers, bills and resolutions, speeches and statements) , yet at the end of the day still has time to visit ailing friends and comrades; tend to his garden of kamoteng kahoy and corn; play with his younger grandchildren and greatgranchildren and consult with Ka Osang with the problems at the house (busted pipes, the threat of termites, possible weaknesses in the roof or ceiling construction).
He is small but strongly-built man with a high level of energy and a vast propensity for kindness and humor. When Ka Bel laughs, wrinkles form around his eyes, and they are friendly wrinkles that perfectly complement the way he laughs — like a baby being tickled, giggly; and his shoulders bob up and down in tempo with his laughter.
Ka Bel, perhaps unknown to many, is also an emotional man; a person whose feelings are easily touched. He can’t say no to people who ask him for help. His wallet never has any money in it because he gives everything to Ka Osang, and because the money that’s supposed to be his allowance he gives to people who walk up to him and confide their problems — they need money for medicine, for births, for burials, for tuition of their school children, for food, for rent.
There are nights when he can’t sleep (literally), thinking about work and he gets so angry and frustrated because of all the bad things that happen to Filipinos because of the government’s
programs and policies. He has insomnia, and it can get really bad especially after he hears of reports of political killings and the statements of DOJ secretary Raul Gonzales. His blood pressure rises and then everyone gets freaked because he might pop another nerve in his brain.
So today is his 50th wedding anniversary, and he had been so happy thinking about it last year when we first brought the idea up of holding a celebration beyond the simple dinner he was thinking of throwing for Ka Osang.
Now, well, he’s detained, and he’s 73, and he shouldn’t be experiencing all this aggravation and stress and instead be living a more laid-back life. But this is the life he chose, and this is the life he wants, and we should all work hard to help in Ka Bel’s release.
On November 26, Ka Bel’s 11 children, grandchildren, friends, colleagues and staff will be sponsoring a modest gathering for Ka Bel and Ka Osang in Balai Kalinaw in UP Diliman. Ka Bel’s lawyers have filed a motion in the QC courts to allow Ka Bel to leave the Heart Center and join Ka Osang in Balai Kalinaw and accept the well-wishes and expressions of love and concern fom people who have known, looked up to and loved them all these years.
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Been watching DVDs of ‘House’ and the series is so addictive. I try to limit myself to two episodes every other night because I really don’t have much time to waste (the time I do have to waste I spend blogging, gad); but I end up watching three and then Kim asserts his husbandly authority and comradely concern and tells me that I should be working (on real work, or on rackets).
Things I like wasting time on (so it’s really a waste of time in the end)
1. Playing with our doggies
2. Reading new novels
3. Blogging and reading friends’ blogs (There are five blogs I follow regularly, guess whose)
4. Going to the ukay-ukay stores
5.Watching old movies I’ve seen before
6.Sorting out my bowl and plate collection
7.Emailing friends
8. Sitting in a coffee and tea bar talking with friends or simply being with Kim
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Ka Bel likes
1. Boxing
2. Nice and sturdy notebooks with strong backing
3. Heavy duty pens (Parkers are the best)
4. Movies about boxing
5. Books on political economy; histories and biographies of great leaders
Ka Osang likes
1. Stuff for the house
2. Photo albums
3. Cologne
4.Nice slippers
5. Flowers
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Congratulations to Nova and John whose second child Ginger was born last Saturday
Countdown to Nato and Beng’s wedding on the 22nd
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