I was born in a province of Surigao del Norte, Philippines, where people used to lived a very simple life, ordinary living that sometimes luck to sustain everyday life is hard to find.
Tough circumstances are very common in our place due to lack of resources. Most people prefer to plant crops, rice, coconut as their leisure hours. Farming is one way of living and many are not getting enough education and pursue any bachelors degree during that time. Nevertheless, my parents struggle enough to find a living and lived a descent life in order to send seven children to school and finish our education. I'm the eldest.
Since our community has few occupants, all people knows each other well and mostly blood related from the same ancestors.
My story begin during my high school days in my province. My one and only best friend “Norma” who happened to be my classmate since grade school (almost a sister to me) who had died on that year, unusual events happened on that particular date.
Earlier before she died, I noticed the big wound in her toenail wrapped with bandage. I asked her what happened but she just nodded and answered she was stricken with rusty galvanized iron. Until one day she was absent from our class and the teacher told us she ‘s in fever. For almost two weeks since I’ve seen her, I haven’t received any news from her or whatsoever.
Being her best friend I was so worried about her and got a news from her mother that she was so ill because of tetanus disease (severe bacteria caused by her wound) at that time.
They belong to a very poor family, that's why they can't afford to bring her to the hospital. Instead, they put medicinal plants to her wounds to lessen the pain, Norma’s mother narrated.
One day when I got home from school, my mother told me to buy sugar in our community store. Usually, I pass through a shortcut at the back of the grocery store. It was already 6:00 pm almost dark snatch and all of the sudden, I did not expect to see her along my way. And then we had a little talk all about what happened.
Before we’ve separate ways, I sensed her very depressed look and bid goodbye that I don't understand my fearful feeling for something that struck me inside.
When I got home, my mother told me that Norma was already dead and got the news a while ago from Norma's aunt who happened to passed by our house. I was really shocked that moment because I just talked to her on my way to the community grocery. I've told my mother about the incident and she said it is impossible due to the fact that Norma was dead in the morning of that day.
I don't understand my feelings that day but I am really sure that I met her that late afternoon.
Until now, I could not understand how did that happened. But I believe, as her best friend, she bid goodbye to me for the last time.