She passed away at dawn today, 3:40am. I was on the last day of my closed retreat at West Wing, Makiling Conference Center. I was able to offer her the mass I heard. The other associate members of Opus Dei I was on retreat with were also able to pray the Responsory for the Dead for her, some of them prayed it with me.

I'm not really close to Lola Kikay (Lola Kiks for shorter). I guess it must be due to the fact that she simply wasn't in very good terms with my father (who was brought up by his maternal grandparents, but that's a whole different story...) So as a child, I can remember harboring very strong feelings of animosity towards her, for this or that reason,, which doesn't matter at all now. I learned to keep most of those feelings inside. Eventually, when I became an adult, I learned to respect her and love her, although I will admit that I never really learned to like her.

I don't have any fond memories of her... It was more civility than warmth when we visited her or she visited us. In the last year or two, she lost touch with reality. Before I left for the retreat last Friday, she was beginning to slip away, and thus calls were made to other members of the immediate family. Yesterday, Aunt Beny arrived from the US and was able to be with her in her last hours. She was also able to receive the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

I have yet to go to the wake, as all arrangements are in my father's hometown of Badian, 4 hours south of Cebu City, where she died. Please pray for the eternal repose of her soul.