"But, grandpa!" the ten-year-old protested.
"Jeremiah, please, apo."
He was angry as he forced himself to hold his grandfather's hanging catheter bag. Then he saw the woman on the clinic's bed. She was gasping for air.
More than thirty minutes later, she was breathing normally.
"Maraming salamat, dok," the husband was thankful and crying. "Akala ko talaga kanina, mamamatay na ang asawa ko. Di ko po kakayanin. Lalo na ng mga bata."
Jeremiah noticed that the woman's husband was barefoot. His feet were muddy and his clothes were soiled, as if from farm work. They're from the province afterall.
The man took a crumpled one hundred peso bill from his pocket.
"Pasensya na ho, doc. Eto lang po ang meron kami," he was embarrassed. "Pag maka-ani kami ng bigas sa susunod na buwan, magdadala ako ng dalawang sako dito."
His grandpa gave a faint smile.
"Gusto ko sanang bigyan kayo ng sampung sako. Kaso, di po kasi kami ang may-ari ng lupa. Tatlong sako lang po ang mapupunta sa amin sa susunod na ani. Kung gusto niyo po, magtatrabaho ako sa inyo ng walang bayad kada Linggo."
The doctor touched the man's shoulder and returned the violet paper.
"Keep it. Mas kailangan yan ng pamilya mo, Pedro. Di mo na ako kailangan bayaran. May nagbayad na."
"Po?"
"Yung nasa itaas."
The man hugged his grandpa.
As a child, all Jeremiah wanted to become was to be as great as his grandpa --- a doctor, a healer, a magician. At that young age, he had nothing but love for his grandpa.
That's why, he was devastated when he found out that the old man had stage III cancer. How could God punish such a good man?
The reason why he protested earlier was because he wanted his lolo to just rest. Pero, kahit terminally ill na, he was still helping patients.
Hindi niya maintindihan. But mas lalo niyang di maintindihan when his lolo passed away. The pain was too much. If there was a God, shouldn't He have let him stay with them longer? Shouldn't He have healed him?
"Don't blame God, anak", his mom consoled him. "Your lolo is no longer in pain now. And God has a new angel."
"God doesn't need more angels. He has a lot na, ma. I need lolo here. Please? Dito nalang siya as my angel, please?"
Jeremiah hugged his grandpa's casket.
"Lolo, please wake up. Please... Wag ka nang umalis...Wag mo akong iwan..."
YOU ARE READING
Broken Vessels
EspiritualWho were you before you got yourself broken? Where were you going before you got lost? Where was that beautiful smile before it was replaced with tears? Is there really a rainbow after the rain? Is there an end to pain and misery? If there is, would...
