Tell me Tang, are you in heaven?

Thirty five years ago, you were full of life. You showed happiness collecting books about your favorite sports – basketball. Eventually you became one of the most sought after coach for every liga ng barangay in those days. Your favorite basketball team? Jaworski’s team(s) – YCO, Meralco, Toyota, La Tondena. Remember the simple happiness you felt eating your favorite karyoka (a street food made of glutinous rice shaped like balls, deep fried, then rolled in sugar) and preparing your signature spaghetti with meatballs and hamburger sandwich? But tell me Tang, are you in heaven now? Do you still prepare your specialties up there?

Tell me Tang, are you in heaven?

Twenty five years ago you were not afraid of life. You ate the best food in China Town. You can name the ingredients used by just tasting the food. You used to tag us (my sister and I) along to educate our tongue on different types of food – American and Asian. But tell me Tang, are you in heaven now? Were you able to finish trying European food?

Tell me Tang, are you in heaven?

Fifteen years ago you discovered your clock was ticking so fast. You had it coming but you chose not to pay attention to it. You seldom made appointments with the doctor. You were more afraid of the dos and don’ts rather than the damage it would do to our finances. You continued living your life the way you lived it thirty five years ago. But tell me Tang, are you in heaven now? Is there such thing like element of time in heaven?

Tell me Tang, are you in heaven?

Four years ago on June 11, you joined the innumerable caravan. You succumb not because you ran out of breath but you ran out of good cells in your blood. You were crushed by our God physically to become perfect. You emerged victorious from the rubbles of diabetes complications and said good-bye peacefully in your sleep. But tell me Tang, are you in heaven now? Do you still feel the pain of dialysis, blood transfusion, and mild strokes? I know you are in heaven now. A place where peace is eternal. You may have died physically but death set you free. As what the bible said in the book of

Job 3:17 - "There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest”