My blog is about my personal experiences in life, happenings and family stuffs. I’m a motorcycle rider, that would definitely be on my blog. I'm fond of sharing informative and lesson-filled emails, new things I learned from the net, gadgets, games and more. I post present problems concerning our nation and the world, with some personal insights. And finally, I write because of God and I’ll always honor Him. Yahweh bless.
The first few days before Christmas I didn't feel well, I had to be absent for work just to let myself recuperate and even if I wanted to go to work, I just couldn't... I mean my body won't allow me. I thought I was going to spend my Christmas in misery... but I really thank the Lord that during His birthday, He had given me enough to enjoy the day with my family.
But Christmas is more for the kids... how I felt their excitement and anticipation for the season. Especially the opening of the gifts and the goodies and sweets. How I loved their innocence and the simplicity of their satisfaction... how I loved seeing the joy in their eyes in receiving and opening gifts. I guess I just miss feeling the same way about Christmas... I missed the child in me.
We spent our Christmas simply and the karaoke came into action during moments when everything came to a halt... remember we are in Davao and there's no firecrackers or fireworks here... it has been banned for quite a sometime now. Though it might not be as I remembered before as a child, a Christmas blast where everyone spent lots of bucks for papers filled with black powder that made your eyes blinded with light and made you deaf for a couple of minutes... hahaha. But hey, good riddance, my wife had never recalled disastrous firecracker related accident in her work since it was banned a couple of years ago. That's good enough for me... but still, I missed the noise... huhuhu.
Well, after all these, I can't help but feel humbled of how He has been so generous to my family. I feel so blessed that I have my wife and my two adorable kids., I call them my three Alas(3 Aces). I cannot think of a more perfect gift than having my three A's with me. I thank Thee for priceless blessings such as them. Happy Birthday dear Jesus!
When Damon arrived in the US, the first thing he did was dial Stephanie’s number. Still it was out of coverage area. Halos hindi nya na mabilang kung ilang beses nyang tinawagan si Stephanie. Parating unattended ang kanyang telepono. Wala rin sya sa bahay nila or sa Hospital. He felt irritated...how stubborn can this woman get.
Damon’s calls were all refused, sa hospital, sa bahay, even her personal number was already changed. The flowers he sent her were all returned. Damon couldn’t connect this situation to what transpired that night at Marco Polo Hotel.
He stayed for two weeks to make sure that his brother recovered well from the accident. Thank God Alfred was able to go home in fair condition.
Now, he has to come up with a plan. Think Damon. If you can’t talk to her to tell her that you love her and want to marry her and that you are not married like what she’s thinking, then how the f*Ck will she know all that! When all your calls are refused! Nag aalburuto nang utak ni Damon.
Then a person popped on his mind... Maybe her best friend can help. After that unfortunate incident with Jamie at Marco Polo, he made a background check. He found out everything he had to know about him. He felt guilty for punching Stephanie’s best friend because of jealousy.
Tuason Medical Center, Davao City
Steph was assigned at the emergency room for a twenty for hour shift. As a surgery doctor, she was the one to receive all vehicular accident patients.
It was a very benign hour when the 911 ambulance echoed and stopped at the emergency room entrance. A man was brought to the treatment room.
Steph went straight to the treatment room to assess the patient but she was shocked to see who it was.
“Damon?!.. Look at me... Damon!”
The man wasn’t responding. Panic struck her. She was a doctor and she shouldn’t feel this way. But this situation is different. Her memories of him on the hospital bed came back to her. Oh God help me!. She felt like she didn’t know what to do first. There was blood all over his face and chest.
“I need someone to take his vital signs! Nurse! Please call Dr.Mendez to assist me, hurry up please”. She couldn’t control her tears from falling.
“Damon! Please open your eyes!” She checked for his pupils, thank God it wasn’t dilated.
“Please don’t die... Don’t leave me! Where is Dr. Mendez?!” Napasigaw na ito.
Steph was holding his hand... She kissed it, didn’t care about what other staff might think. She touched his face... he still had a good pulse. But she still couldn’t tell where his other injuries were except for the head which she is sure of since an elastic bandage was wrapped on it and he was unconscious when he arrived.
“Nurse, his blood pressure?” she wanted to make sure.
“His BP is already 40 palpatory, doc.”
“I’ll start an IV, please prepare Dopamine... and I need a cardiac monitor please. No Damon, wag kang ganyan... sweetheart, it’s me Stephanie, wake up please.” Halos idikit na ni Steph ang mukha nya kay Damon.
“Damon, I love you. Don’t leave me please.” Napahagulgul na ito.
Nanginginig ang mga kamay ni Stephanie habang naghahanap ng ugat ni Damon for IV access, when Dr. Jake Mendez arrived.
“Steph, let me take over.” Pagkalma ni Dr. Mendez sa kanya.
“No, I don’t want to leave him... Jake, he needs to live, he is my life.” Sabay yakap nito kay Damon habang umiiyak.
Steph froze when Damon wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
“I love you more sweetheart” pagkumpirma nito.
“What?” Umangat si Steph at tumingin kay Damon.
Nginitian sya ng pagkatamis-tamis ni Damon. “I love you too sweetheart.”
Natulala si Steph... nag ayos ng tayo at lumabas ng treatment room. Habang tumatakbo ito palayo ng emergency room ay sinalubong sya ni Jamie.
“Steph! Wait up!”
“Jamie! Thank God you’re here... I think I’m going crazy.”
“Sshhh... I know, but that’s the only plan we could think para lang umamin ka.”
“We? What do you mean we? No, you’re my best friend at nakikonchaba ka sa kanya? How could you?”
“I wanted to help the two of you Steph, you both deserve to be happy.”
Both stopped talking when the paging system started to talk. It was Damon on the microphone.
“Stephanie, wherever you are, I want you to know that I love you very much and I want to make it clear that I AM NOT MARRIED... I am a single man who is in deep love with you and want to spend the rest of his life with you...Please marry me Dr. Sephanie Tuazon.
She cried in disbelief of what Damon said. She hugged Jamie.
“Is it true?” All along, he wasn’t really married? But who’s Megan? And Abbie?”
“Megan is my brother’s wife and Abbie is my niece.” Sagot ni Damon na nasa likuran niya.
Lumingon si Stephanie na umiiyak parin.
“I’ll leave you two to talk” Singit ni Jamie.
“Thank you, Jam.” Nakipagkamay si Damon kay Jam..
Lumapit si Damon sa kanya. Hinawakan ang mga kamay nya at hinalikan pareho.
“I hate you.” Mahinang bigkas ni Steph habang nakatingin sa kanilang mga kamay.
“I love you” Sagot ni Damon.
“I really hate you.” Inulit ni Steph.
“I love you all the more.” Panay ang halik ni Damon sa kanyang mga kamay. Sabay luhod sa kanyang harapan.
“Dr. Queen Stephanie Rodriguez Tuason? I promise not to do that again and be a loving husband and father to you and our kids. I promise to love you and take care of you as long as I live... Will you marry me?” Pagkatapos ay binuksan ni Damon ang isang small black box na naglalaman ng pink diamond in a platinum ring.
Muling pumatak ang mga luha ni Steph at lumuhod rin sa harap ni Damon.
“Like I said, I’m all yours Damon... Yes I will marry you.”
Mahigpit silang nagyakapan. They stayed like that for minutes. Thanks to Jamie who made sure na wala munang magagawi sa parteng iyon ng hospital.
On that same day, Damon and Stephanie got married in a small chapel at Tuazon Medical Center. Saksi ang lahat ng mga kasama nyang doctor at nurses and Stephanie’s Family of course.
Syempre, their grand wedding will follow soon, dahil hindi makakapayag si Senyora Carmella na walang engrandeng kasal na magaganap para sa kanyang unica hija at para makadalo narin ang pamilya ni Damon.
After the grand wedding, they had their honeymoon at a private beach resort in the Carribean..
“I can’t believe I’m Mrs. Stephanie Samuel now.” She made a sigh while looking at the sunrise.
“I never dreamt for my dream to come true, but you are the living proof of it, come here sweetheart.”
They kissed and hugged while the sun slowly rose.
“I love you Damon.”
“Hhmmm...You are my life sweetheart. Kaya wag na wag ka nang mawawalang muli, mangako ka, I love you too.”
There's just a lot of things going on, mom's preparing her all time favorite and masterpiece, macaroni salad. The kids are busy singing their favorite songs in the videoke! I can't help but be excited as well...
Christmas is just hours away, everybody is busy doing just about anything! busy yet happy, as evidenced by their laughters...
Relaxing... "hanep"...(LOL)
There are carolers from time to time... households are already busy preparing for the grand event, cleaning houses, fixing things and cooking food maybe for the noche buena... some are still on the move, maybe for the last day shoppings or groceries... well, everyone seems to be busy minding their own business right now.
Well, for us... the gifts are all wrapped and placed under our tree... and the kids are already very excited to open them, but we told them they need to wait a few more hours and sleep tonight, so by midnight they'll finally open their Christmas presents...
... when it comes to the food for the noche buena, they are already cooked or half cooked, just to make it easy to prepare and just to steam it a little bit as the clock strikes 12 midnight... soft drinks are already chilled in the ref... and meats are already tenderized and marinated...
... the house had been cleaned as it is nice to celebrate the season with a pleasant surroundings... good aura... my wife keeps on reminding me not to let the children mess up the room us she's still going to work (bummer, but whats great is, she'll be able to join us to celebrate Christmas...) and I'll be left with the kids (lol)...
Me, though I'm still not yet 100% recovered from being sick which started a few days ago, I'm just glad that I'm well enough to celebrate Christmas with my family and friends. Considering there are those who sadly can't and more, hardly have any... brought by the recent calamity that hit our country... seems I don't have the slightest reason to complain... rather be thankful of how blessed I am in a lot of ways.
Everything is pretty set, Christmas spirit is everywhere. I guess, the only thing that's missing are the traditional fireworks since it is banned in our city to avoid accidents. Well, whether there are fireworks or none, It's still a happy and sweet Christmas for everyone! Cheers! Yahweh bless.
My daughter had a week long excitement just to be in the cupcake decoration contest held recently at an establishment here in Davao City. On the site she and her classmates were delighted by the various cupcake decors, there were chocolate syrup and bits, icings and marshmallows to name a few. They were supposed to compete with other schools but maybe due to the bad weather that day, it turned out that they would have to challenge each others ability instead.
During the competition proper, the artistic side of my daughter surfaced. She always had been fascinated in mixing up things and creating accessories like necklaces and bracelets. She decorated the three cupcakes given to her wonderfully and chose the best one for the competition.
As the program progressed to the announcement of winners, her name wasn't called but I was so proud of her that she acted maturely like being a true sport. She told me that maybe her work wasn't good enough as that of the winners... yet I told her, that might what the judges saw, but for me there is only one winner and that is her.. and she told me that I can only say that because I'm her father.
Her marvelous creation..
Yah well, maybe I'm biased alright... but I just can't hide how proud I am... knowing she did a great job... gave her best shot... showed her creativity... played it fair and best of all, did it by herself. My daughter's artistic side. Yahweh bless.
I remembered back in my elementary and high school days... “Recognition
Day” was a very pleasant day... and so was this day... only, instead of
receiving ribbons for good academic performance... we received a simple but
very significant handshake from our upperclassmen... as recognition that we
basically surpassed our plebehood and take part of our place as 4th classmen
of the cadet corps... expected to perform delegated tasks without or with
minimal supervision... and show excellence in the performance of the given
tasks as what was expected of a PMA cadet.
Let me just use a metaphor... Recognition or the handshake is like a spark of
light from our very dark plebehood days...
September 16, 1995 – we started our day feeling weird and somewhat
uneasy... everything seemed so quiet. We
had an unfamiliar morning mess with our upperclassmen... unfamiliar, in a sense
that we were no longer doing some of the things we usually do... the SOP’s...
the “chinning-in”, the “head-ups”, and no more shouting. After, we returned to our barracks... and we
were no longer told to double time. And
inside barracks... trotting was no longer made; it’s the first time we walked
the hallway to our quarters.
And after some finishing touches for the open house... a barracks
inspection was made... then we heard the commotion we all were looking forward
to... our families finally arrived... just seeing them was enough already for
me. That day, I felt how proud they were
seeing me standing tall in my full dress uniform. And honestly, I felt proud too to myself
conquering my plebehood days... until now.
Then came the most anticipated part, the recognition
ceremony... the event started as any of our “pass-in-review” parades except
that here our upperclassmen separated from the formation... by then we marched
and created an octagon formation symbolizing the 8 companies of the cadet
corps...
... And came our upperclassmen, it was one of the joyous
moments of our cadet life... and almost all of them gave us their handshake
that day... even by the those I least expected... except for these 2
extraordinary yearlings who might be thinking they were much better than anyone
in the corps (LOL). Come to think of it,
if I’d be the one giving them my handshake... I might also be hesitant... considering
their performance as should be mentors... (just kidding, of course I would have
had gladly did a handshake with them, if not, then I’m no different from them).
Then, we spent some quality time with our family. We toured around some famous places in Baguio
City. Unlike what everyone thinks, even
PMA is in Baguio, as most cadets; I didn’t have the privilege to go to those
places, if my family haven't visited me... hahaha. We did have a hectic schedule and if we were
given a privilege to go to the city proper, it would be just enough to do our
business there.
At the end of the day, I gave all praises and
thanks to the One who kept me safe and away from harm... the One whom I talked
to when I felt like quitting... and the One who never failed to give me my
needed strength and confidence... Yahweh and His Son, Jesus Christ.
