Trudgings

A Life Cut Short

It is sad to note that the world today suffers in violence that when our love ones falls victim to it, the pain turns to anger hoping we could fight back.  My brother has been a victim of such violence.  At age 33 his dreams for a better future were cut short.

In between 10:30 pm to 11pm on the night of 24 March 2009, he was attacked by 5 men with knives and bolos.  Although he knew how to fight, he was caught unaware and was hacked five times on the head and neck fracturing the base of the skull, the lower right jaw, and the neck bone. He sustained two stab wounds on his chest fracturing 2 of his ribs, perforated his lungs and incised the heart. There was also one stab wound on his lower back which fractured his spinal column. All stabs were 13 to 14.5 cm deep.  He could have been saved if only the guard of the nearby hospital had given him a hand.  Instead, the glass door of the emergency room was shut closed.  He was only carried inside when the attackers were gone and his neck severely damaged.

When I received the news I thought that he was only stabbed once but when I arrived at the area and the incident relayed to me, I cried in anguish.  I could not afford to enter the morgue and look at my brother’s dead body.  I waited for him to be dressed up. Looking inside the casket was unbearable; the cuts were still visible even though it had been covered with wax. I longed to touch his body.

In life, he was full of energy, had a good sense of humor. He was a bit misguided and misunderstood by many but to his friends he was loyal and could be counted upon. When we were young he always made me laugh even when I am angry at him. I could not resist when he was asking something, he has charms and draws attention especially to girls. We have the same taste in music – mellow, classics, country, pop and love songs. I surely will always treasure him in my heart. He will be missed a lot! Bye, Ervin D. Jaboli, my brother…

From Bimbo

From Bimbo

Note: Ervin was the youngest among siblings and died a year and 5 months after my father passed away.

Remember

REMEMBER me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann’d:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

(by:Christina Georgina Rossetti)