Russian Requiem (Book 2 of RR Trilogy)

Requiem #28

Napatunganga na lamang ako sa pinto ng banyo. What would I do to ease his pain? Can I have half of it? If only I could, I surely would.

But I couldn't. We have separate feelings of pain right now, and his is much deeper.

Aminin ko man o hindi, nahihirapan na ako bilang asawa niya. These past few days, madalas ko nang maramdaman ang kawalan ng pag-asa. Madalas ay hindi ko alam ang gagawin upang makatulong sa kanya o upang protektahan ang pamilyang ito. I guess in the end, I was never really born to face this kind of life, huh?

Four caskets arrived at our mansion at 6 PM. Imbes na mag-dinner, ginugol namin ang umpisa ng gabi sa pag-asikaso sa burol. Lahat kami'y nagsuot ng itim upang bigyang-diin ang hindi namin pagtanggap sa pagkamatay ng mga taong ito.

Upon seeing dad's casket, Clay started crying profusely. Napakasakit makita na umiiyak ang mga anak ko. Carie started crying when Clay ran towards dad's casket and tried to peek at his face. He was shouting his grandpapa's name while crying so loud. Lahat ng tao ay napatingin sa gawi niya. They looked at my son with sympathy. Parang nakikita ko si Clade sa kanya. Parehong pareho kung paano magluksa.

Clade had to go to him and carried him, so he would see dad's face properly. Napayakap na lamang si Clay sa leeg ng ama at doon umiyak nang umiyak matapos makita ang kanyang lolo sa loob ng kabaong. Carie approached them while crying too. Binuhat din ni Clade sa kabilang braso si Carie. I watched as the three of them cried together while looking at Albert Schartner's casket.

Ela and kuya went beside me to comfort me. We almost couldn't get through the night because the emotion si already pouring kahit na kauumpisa pa lamang.

Napakaraming security ang nagkalat sa paligid ng mansion, mula sa labas hanggang sa kasuluk-sulukan ng aming kabahayan. Alek and the others are very alert with the people coming in and out for the wake.

This wake will only last for three days and then we will fly dad's casket to Russia, so he could be burried with Clade's family in there. We think that he would like it if he was laid in peace beside his best friends. Isa pa ay sa Russia rin ang himlayan ng kanyang mga magulang. While the other caskets will be cremated and be put in a peaceful columbarium.

Dahil tatlong araw lang ang itatagal nito, agad na nagsidatingan ngayong gabi ang maraming bisita. Mostly are dad's acquaintances, business partners, his companies' officials, as well as the IMC officials.

Clade and I got busy in entertaining the people we know. Ang mga anak naman namin ay nasa pangangalaga ni Ela at kuya habang abala kami. I still can't forget how they broke down crying after they saw their grandpapa's casket. They never thought that this event would be their loving grandfather's wake. They are too young to experience a loss.

"My condolences," sabi ni Direk Reyes, kasama ang ibang matataas na tao ng IMC. "Hindi ko man masyadong nakasalamuha si Mr. Schartner, alam ko pa rin kung gaano siya kabuting tao."

"Salamat, direk." Walang gana kong sagot.