Amici de Don Bosco

Yesterday, we felt sad for Tony's loss. His father died and we don't know what happened yet. Boyette was kind enough to inform me through text message of the sad news. We agreed to visit the wake later today. This was the reason why we need to eat our lunch at Amici though, we have had one the previous week. Amici is located inside the compound where the Don Bosco Church is located and we have to buy a mass card for Tony's father.

The group was almost complete today except for Gentley who skipped lunch to check the progress of his car's repair at Honda. Me, Maidette, Mimi, Chay and Rene were together with Jimmy driving the car to Don Bosco.

I ordered Tangigue steak for lunch. I was not excited to get a pizza because the Sunday before, I had a bad experience where the pizza I ordered came in too late. The fish steak was peppered with crunchy, browned garlic in olive oil. It tasted so good, the lemon zest has taken out the fishy smell altogether. I always like the Amici as anytime I felt like eating a rice meal, they do have it in their menu. Or, if I felt like eating some good ole pasta or pizza, they do have an extensive listing. Not to be forgotten is the assortment of gelato flavors and cakes that tastes decent and really cheap.

We picked out the Mass Card from the church office. You see, in the Philippines, it has been customary that you gave the love ones of the dead, a perpetual prayer card for the eternal repose of the soul.

We agreed to leave at 4:30 pm and journey towards Loyola Memorial Park where the wake for Tony's father was arranged. Eric came to join our group while Gentley stayed in the office to finish some deliverables. Jimmy drove us to Marikina as we meander in the Marikina river banks. It was my first time to see the River Banks and the mall beside it. The park in the river bank was clean and green, with bike lanes, skating rink and lots of park benches to sit on. I also get to see the mall with lots of shops selling the famous Marikina shoes and the once Guinness Book holder of the world's largest leather shoes. I thought the extra large shoes were clumsy looking and plain ugly. Though, I have to credit the designer of that shoe for selecting the more conventional bostonian design because of its universal appealand recognition.

We reached the memorial park and Holy Trinity Chapel in the middle of the cemetery. I felt quizzy being surrounded by thousands of graves and stately mousoleums. The utter emptiness and silence of the place made numb and speechless. I thought, it must be sacrilegious to even shout, laugh or carelessly step on someones resting place.

We immediately saw Jocelle after our second pass on the chapel. Tony meet us in the corridor of the triangular edifice. I didn't feel right inside the chapel. First, I know I was supposed to see a dead body somewhere in the room. However, the shape of the room reminded me of the pagan past where rituals and human sacrifices would have been performed in the presence of hooded individuals chanting in unison. In the middle of the room was a mable table that resembled like an altar. Had there been a spot light on the apex of the room, I could be run straight away really scared and breathless. These strange visions were compounded by rows and rows of crepts where human remains of powdered bones and flesh were intered. It was eerie, cold, and totally a scary place to be alone.

Tony talked about his father's fight with the big C. We were quite surprised that the remains of his father had been cremated already. He also talked about the family's last moments with his father before the coma.

We said our goodbyes and bought flowers at the entrance of the memorial park. Jimmy drove us back to Makati until it drizzled a little. I had to ask Jimmy to drive me home as its my carless day and with the weather getting bad, my probability of getting a cab at this time was getting slimmer.