Think about it
In Memoriam
By Jun Velasco
THE text message we received late Monday evening simply said, “Julius Vinluan passed away just now.”
Before we could make a move, before we could react, more text messages and calls from high school classmates, friends and personal acquaintances followed like a torrent of nervous news.
One realized, all of a sudden, that life — this thing that drives us like crazy every day— could reach a point in our consciousness when good night really becomes good bye, just like the familiar song, and that there’s nothing we can do about it. Except probably to remember and reconstruct things past, indulge in some reflection on how we have dealt with ourselves all these times.
We thought we last got a glimpse of Julius, who was our regular seat-mate in all our high school years, at some eatery at Nepo Mall, maybe a couple of months back. We saw him with his dear Amy, but there was no time for a chat due in part to this fast pace of life we have been mercilessly heir to by dint of priorities we hardly have any control in life’s ups and downs and peculiar twists and turns.
Hours before the text message our wits off, like lightning, we had just paid a visit each to two other friends, not so intimately known as Julius, but kindred souls just the same. They are — or were — as they have now joined the company of the departed — Mama Domingo Fernandez, 76, our neighbor in the subdivision, and another lakay, Mama Herculano Ramos, 80, father of our co-worker (in the subdivision) Siegfred, public relations officer of our ass’n. We lamented Siegfred’s absence during the induction with Mayor Al Fernandez as guest of honor.
And so, when we received three text messages and two calls informing us about a former classmate’s death, our mind flew in a whirl having been ”soaked” earlier in the absurd sense of life sine life is one we’d devoutly wish but have no control of with the inevitable’s arrival.
Brod Dante’s reaction to the Julius news was, “Why are they dying early? I grieve over a happy guy.”
Looking back to the breezy days of old city high, Julius was the epitome of elan vital. His was eternal mirth, and during his heydays as medical detail man, he’d show off his zest for health, enjoying many of us less energetic to do some pep-giving exercises such as jumping and declaring “I am feeling better and bettrer.” We have loved that portrait of Julius as Perfect Health incanate and fact is, he always enters our mind whenever we do our calisthenics, up to now.
He was teaching us how to be healthy, agile, strong, alert at all times. How come he would leave everyone in a huff, as if to say he was just making faces while goading us to be erect, prop the head up, swing the arms widely and wildly and grin from ear to ear.
It is this paradox of life that we think of Julius short life, his endless jokes and funny stories, and so we ask ourselves, why do we have to live when we have to die? The question begs us to turn to God because He alone has the answer.
We can only know with the heart because we are all parts of the main. Let’s pray for his soul and eternal rest. So long Julius, till we meet again!
(Readers may reach columnist at junmv@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/think-about-it/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)
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