My visit to Sagay.

I am home now....I thought I have prepared myself for this, but seeing my dad in his present state was devastating, I just can't conceal my tears!

My dad never weighed more than 140 pounds, with a medium body frame. No big muscles, but he wasn't skinny either. Today, he is little more than skin and bones. My dad love to debate. He always find reason to talk against someone's idea even if its mundane. He would always butt-in to every conversation and give his two-cents worth of prognosis to every situation. But today, he is quiet, not because he'd lost the desire, but because he was losing the strength. The man in this frail body was changing and no matter how hard he tried the cancer is winning. I am broken hearted that I can't do a thing about it - no one can.

Iam glad I came home today. I sat at his bedside, just the two of us in his room for about an hour. I was holding his frail hands and caressing it while he tried desperately to talk, even when he is terribly short of breath... the distance and the long absence just seemed to vanished. I'm here again, and he is happy.

I had a smooth plane ride, and the bus trip is pretty cool. I took an air conditioned bus in going to my hometown from Bacolod City. Looking out of the window, I take in as much of the scenery as I could - I can see lush expanse of greenery as far as my eyes can reach - you see, Negros Island is the sugar capital of the Philippines, hence it is covered with miles and miles of sugar cane field.

Watching the scene unfolding before my eyes, I cannot help but drift back my mind to the memories of my childhood, where I would run in the open field chasing after a butterfly or a dragonfly... intermittently, we would pass by a city or a town and I see people going about leisurely with their business..it is so unlike the people here in Manila where everyone is intensely in a hurry.

However, I would have enjoyed the trip more have I not had the urge to pee..hahaha. I had coffee and water in the plane, and just as the bus had started to move, I felt a pang in my gall bladder. So aside from watching the view from the bus window, I was also thinking how wonderful it would be to cover behind the plantation and relieve myself, ha ha ha!

After four cities, I was already feeling extremely uncomfortable. It felt like a very long trip, and I would glance at the driver every now and then, hoping he would pressed on the accelerator more. Unfortunately however, he seemed to love the slow pace while I squirm and writhe in my seat..!

Phew, now I have learned my lesson - do not have liquid when going on a long trip...ha ha ha