Tribute To My Grandmother (June 5,1925 - July 19,2009) Poem by Mary Joy Lumanog

In my 25 years of my life living in this world
I'm lucky to have a Lola like a precious gold
I know it's hard to me to take it
But I know I'm going to make it...

I wish to remember all these years..
Those years that you still lives..
It's funny how it seems
To remember all those years..

Remember Lola when I was small...
Maybe at that time I was seven..
In that summer with you and Lolo
In a small paradise with a small hut house...
I used to play in a star apple tree...
When I broke my arm and fell in a swing..
You scold at me at that time...
Co'z I'm so careless all the time...

When the house was renovated
Turning it in a house of cement...
You know your grandchildren...
We always there every summer...
You always say how children are so stubborn..
Always getting into trouble...
I know...because were twenty five granchildren you have...
What else can you expect for that...
Having ten children that you've got..
Trying to fit every summer on the small house
That you and Lolo had got...

I always like to stay every summer
On a little paradise I know..
With lots of fruits and mango trees..
I also remember you chase us with your guava stick...
Coz we always climb that 100 year old mango tree
Beside that small house near at sea...

You always wake us up early morning at 6 o'clock
To go help with the farming stuff...
You always say life out in the city...
Is different out in this farm land that we have...
Planting rice and other vegetables..
To make money out in this fruitful land...
You said we had to know the hardship of the premitive kind of life
You once passed...
And were lucky not to experience
and we should have to learn how to live with that...

Lola you remember once I always sneak out
Every afternoon..because you always give us
a little nap...
You always sleep with us with your guava stick above your head...
All we want is to go out and play...
Sneak out and make fun all day...
And then when we go back in
I know your always in the gate...
holding on to your guava stick...
Giving us the reward for all that we made...
You always say..line up folks..
This is what you get...
This little stick can give you regret...

I also remember when one summer
With my other two cousins..
We had gone for a swim....
early morning...
We never thought what time is it...
Just having fun in the beach...
When you all thought we were dead...
Coz we never thought coming back
We just lost our track...
Wadering out in such a lovely place you can ever see...
Co'z noon time comes we didn't came back...
You said how Lolo had pictured out a coffin for three
Coz you thought were out in the centre of the sea..
Drowned and dead you see....
So again another word for a stubborn girl like me...

We always wonder what kind of a Lola are you..
Ever since we really can't remember
A gift coming from you...
Even for Birthdays or Christmas
Your really just snifty-nifty grandma we had...
When we ask you for a penny...
You always gives us a centimo...
What can we buy for a centimo in this time...
Not even for candy in a sari sari store across the road...
We always just laugh telling a joke
Of how we're having a grumpy little grandma like you...

We're so happy when you open a little store beside the house..
We don't need a centimo to ask from you...
But to get some candy in the store when you're not around...
We really just a naughty little grandchildren...you know...
and we just laugh...
Try not to make a noise when you're around...
in the store you guard...
If you did see us..you chase us..and we run hard
and hide under the bed not to meet and greet
your little guava stick...

I also remember how you were worried
when I nearly cut my right hand thumb...
When I cut a wood for dinner in an afternoon..
Just try to impress you...
That I now know how to cook...
You try to put every herbs just to make my wound to heal...
You know the scar is still here...in my thumb
That once I feel numb...
because I thought I would loss my little thumb...

I also remember you always do the carpentry...
Your good at it you know...trying to push the nails with a hammer
Climb out the roof try to fixed and replaced the old made nipa roof
Even in your fragile hands cause of old
but still you can do the damn man work...
Even Lolo just don't care..he just go out and play mahjong..
In crossing with his companions all day and everyday..
He's just trying to make a pong....
You always tell me to fetch him every afternoon...when six strikes...
To tell that it's night..because were still using a candle light...
When the dark comes at night....
Every summer

After my graduation in highschool..
I didn't come there anymore..in the little paradise I know...
For I know I have to go for College...you know...
You just go to the City everytime...
Just to visit us if you have time...

But I remember last year the last summer I had with you...
I have known you even more..
You're not the grumpy little grandma that I used to know...
When I was a little girl you know...
You told me... about your history...
Your life you once had...
How you meet lolo in a dance in the 1940's
How you survived the war...and all that stuff...
You give me advise in life not to go through
the life once you have had...
Life can be experienced once
So live it up...and make a right decisions at once...
For your future hold for success and regrets will screw you
up if you mess...

You also said the last time we've seen each other..
in the airport before I departed..
To take the challenge out in the Country Ireland...
You said all will be alright...
Hope I'll come back before your time comes...
I told you a joke...you'll live ten years more...
Lola you know...But we cried...
I never thought.. it would be the last time I'll see you alive...

I realised you're not the grumpy little grandma
we thought we know..
You just loved us..but you just don't know how to show...
The last time...I ask you why...everything about all those time
But you just smile...that is why...
At least I know the reason why...

We're also getting older you know....
Just you thought life flies go by...
For your time had passed by
It's just kind of crazy thinking all those years....
I won't cry a tear..for I know Lolo and you will meet again...
Up the horizons in the sky...
Just tell Lolo I miss him and I know I'll miss you too...
Im just glad to know you...

Lola I love you!

Dedicated to Nena Lapore

(Note)
Nipa-coconut leaves
lola-grandma
lolo-grandpa