Accidents do happen...

I woke up earlier than usual that fateful Monday morning of July 18. Gusto kong pumasok ng maaga kasi hindi ako nakapasok last Sunday para mag-OT. I left the house at 7:10am. On my way to the jeepney terminal in J.P. Rizal, I was thinking whether I has kissed my mom goodbye. Usually, bumabalik ako ulit sa bahay to kiss my mom, deadma na kung nakapag-kiss na ako sa kanya earlier. But that day, I did not go back and immediately dismissed the thought. Sumakay na ako ng Ayala route na jeep at bumaba sa may tapat ng Petron gasoline station sa corner ng Buendia at Makati Avenue.



Habang naglalakad ako sa loob ng Petron, papunta sa sakayan ng Buendia-Washington, may dumaan sa harap ko (coming from my right side) na white taxi...syempre pa, at the back on my mind I was thinking na, "aba! Ba't di kaya nagbusina itong mamang ito...muntik na kaya ako masagasaan!"

Next scene: Bigla akong bumangon sa loob ng isang personal car...then I was with two strangers, a lady driving and panicking all at the same time, and a man, looking at me...WHAT HAPPENED? Bakit ako nasa sasakyan na ito? If I remember right, sasakay ako ng jeep papuntang office pero bakit nandito ako? Wala akong maalala na may sinakyan akong car! Tumingin ako sa rear view mirror, gosh! May malaki akong bukol sa noo!!! As in para syang maliit na mukha ng baby!!! Pagtingin ko sa left side ko, dun sa hinigaan ko, maraming dugo...sa seat cover (na kulay cream), sa make-up kit, sa documents dun sa loob ng car...pati sa gray pants ko...Naaksidente ba ako??? I asked the man in front and he answered me: "Miss, nabangga kita sa may Petron kanina, nawalan ng preno yung jeep na minamaneho ko...kumanan ako sa Petron, di kita napansin, nabangga kita, tumilapon ka ng ilang metro, nawalan ng malay kaya dadalhin ka namin sa ospital." I couldn't believe what I heard...immediately, nag-panic ako...paano nangyari na nabangga ako, eh wala naman akong maalala na tumama sa akin? Marami silang tanong, di ko matandaan kung nasagot ko lahat because my mind, too, was racing on some thoughts: Paano ako nabangga? Ano yung unang tumama sa akin nung bumagsak ako? Bakit maraming dugo? Alam na ba ng parents ko? Will I be okay?

A few more minutes at nasa Ospital ng Makati (Malugay street) na ako...The good lady, who introduced herself as Tita Evelyn, asked me kung anong number sa bahay so she can inform my parents...I immediately gave our residential phone number and further instructed her to calmly inform my mom so she won't have a nervous breakdown. After informing my mother, sinamahan nya ako sa xray room para ma-xray yung head ko...tapos, balik na naman kami dun sa Trauma Unit (hospital room for accident victims)...I informed my boss, my immediate superior, Cheng, John, Eryc, Elay and ate Minda through text message and informed them of what happened and where I was. A few more minutes, dumating na si Mama kasama yung neighbor namin na si Mang Alex na may kotse...wala kasi si Papa dahil may pinuntahan na client na magpapagawa ng laboratory gowns…eh si Mama, di marunong sa pasikut-sikot sa Makati...sa takot na maligaw, pinakiusapan si Mang Alex para ihatid sya sa...Makati Med! Eh wala ako dun, kaya pumunta sila sa Ospital ng Makati at dun nga ako nakita. Sa sobrang panic yata ni ina, di na nya na-grasp kung nasaang ospital ako. My mom cried upon seeing me but she wasn't hysterical since nakita naman nya na I'm conscious...syempre pa, alam kong takot sa dugo ang mama ko...I did not allow her to touch the back of my head and I kept on telling her to relax and that I'll be okay.

Pagkatapos, sinaksakan na ako ng anti-tenatus injection...then my dad arrived. My dad was calm, he called for the jeepney driver and asked what happened. Surprisingly, di nagawang magalit ng dad ko sa jeepney driver...ewan ko kung anong nangyari...must be the fact na di naman ako tinakbuhan nung jeepney driver at sya pa ang nagdala sa akin sa hospital. Then, dumating yung operator ng jeep...he promised to shoulder all the expenses in the hospital…mabuti naman. Mga 6,000 din inabout yung expenses...4,000 dun sa hospitalization and 2,000 dun sa anti-tetanus. Sometime later, the results of my head xray and pelvic xray came and both were negative. We requested for a CT scan kaya lang we have to wait for the ambulance to take me to the Ospital Ng Makati (Main) in Pembo, Makati

Around noon, my boss at RCBC came with his wife...siguro, he saw how pathetic my condition was and how poor the services were, he immediately requested my transfer to Makati Medical Center so I can be thoroughly checked. We immediately cancelled the scheduled CT scan and ordered for an ambulance for the transfer...Syempre, natagalan pa bago ako malipat kasi...wala pa daw yung ambulance! So we waited. My officemate Cheng came with the papers from RCBC, the Hospitalization Request and PhilHealth Form. Around 2pm, a nurse approached me and told me "Miss, pwedeng mamaya ko na tahiin yung sugat mo sa likod ng head kasi hindi pa ako nagbe-breakfast eh!" So syempre, kesa naman iba ang matahi nya, pinakain ko muna...wala na akong powers magtaray kaya pinalagpas ko na lang! Around 2:30 natahi yung sugat ko (4 stitches lang naman) and around past 3 o'clock, sakay na ako ng ambulance papuntang Makati Medical Center.

Pagdating sa Makati Med, dun ko lang naramdaman na pasyente pala ako...my bruises on my left leg and pelvic, and my swollen forehead were examined and measured, and my reflexes and eyes were checked. After all the examinations were conducted, I was brought to the Radiology Room to have my CT Scan...all in the span of 30 minutes!!! Around past 4pm, I was already in my private room (Room 436).



The following day, we were informed that my CT Scan result was negative.

I stayed in Makati Medical Center for 2 days and a half. My company, RCBC, shouldered all the expenses.

Thanked God, nothing serious has happened to me. I really consider it a miracle.

Before I forget I would like to thank the following:

...to following people who visited me at Makati Medical Center:

Sir Jun, Ma’am Jenny, Tita Norma, Cheng, Gima, Sir Alex, Elay, Ate Minda, Mike, Marvin, Jan, Ryan, Jing, Dida, Eryc, Angel, Mark, Christopher, Zeus, Vanessa, Sallie, Grace, Trisha, Mhyke, Alaine, Marian, Sir Al, Ma’am Tessa, Ma’am Cris, Tita Lourdes, Ate Minnie, Carol, Mamu, Beth, Gio, Nonoy, Sam, Darline, Joie, John, Cecil, and Sir Jelo.

...to those people who visited me at home:

Erick, Tita Marina, Ynah, Annie, Moimoi, Kim, Kuya Dodie, Mike, Tita Fe, Lani, Juliene, Tita Yoly, Tita Ynez, my choirmates, Lola Tutay, Auntie Malou

...for the mass intentions for my speedy recovery offered by:

Tito Boboy Yap and Tita Josie Quiambao

...for the heart-warming text messages and prayers by:

Derps, Fr. Amper, Junnie, Lorrie Ann, Sheila, Lilibeth, Bogart, Jumbo, Ching, Oweng, Rona, Maribel, Dennis

I really consider myself lucky, I have a great GOD who helped me survived this tragedy, an angel who took the form of a good samaritan (Tita Evelyn), a family who's ever supportive, friends who are there to give their love, prayers, and moral support...

What more can I ask for?

Turmoil

Just when I thought everything's ok...here comes the devil...trying to create turmoil amidst peaceful waters...





So many questions have been popping inside my head as caused by the series of unfortunate events that transpired over the weekend:

- Is there really a "nice way" of saying something bad without "hurting" the person concerned?
- Can a pure intention compensate for a foul approach?
- What does back-bitting really mean?
- Is there a truth behind the cliche: "when it rains, it pours"?
- How long can hatred last?
- Is there such a thing as "selective hatred"?
- Is overacting a crime?
- How does guilt affect a person?
- Can you really forgive without forgetting?
- Is maturity a case to case basis?

These and many more...

I pray that this will be over soon...I know this is just the devil's way of disrupting the peace and harmony within the choir...and the silver lining will definitely appear after the dark clouds...

I trust in the Lord...and I know He will never fail me...

Letting Go

One of the most heart-striking email I ever received...




When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay. Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead. You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over.

Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to ..LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ...LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth...LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you .. LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge .. LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction ... LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents ... LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude...LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better... LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him... LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship....LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed .... LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to... LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for you everyday!!! LET IT GO!!! Get Right or Get Left ... think about it, and then LET IT GO!!! "The Battle is the Lord's!"