A Sad Christmas Memory

The last time and the only time I can recall that my grandfather went to Philippines was more than 15 years ago. Although he never particularly said something to this effect, he did seem to like it here very much. Every day I would see him reading one Buddhist book with a sunset as the cover art. It was in Japanese, as Taiwaneses who grew up in the Depression era were all very fluent with Nihonggo. My gramps and I would also play card games, even if I knew I was just being boring to him most of the time. Sometimes, when we’re so bored, we would go outside and mingle with Filipinos. There were obviously great language barriers between my gramps and those Filipinos - my gramps did not speak Tagalog - but they did have fun even if it was mostly a result from watching each other’s culture with curiosity.

The most memorable day of those times was when my gramps and I celebrated our birthdays together. It was the only time I ever ate ice cream cake.

Now, come the season when ices, or snows, are the common sight in the less tropical part of the world, my grandpa passed away. It was on December 24, 2008. I am not the kind of person who minces word about mortality; I know life ends. I know there is no such thing as being with the person I love for eternity. I was also already prepared to hear this news, perhaps more than when I heard my mother side’s grandpa passed away, and when I heard my father’s side grandma - hence, this one’s wife - passed away. Still, it’s been really hard for me. There’s nothing that makes me more depressed than to think that my dad does not have any living parents anymore, and it always break my heart to see him sad.

I can only wish that my gramps will rest in peace, and have a great afterlife. I’m going back to Taiwan to pay him posthumous respect next January.