Remembering Karina on Nov. 1 and 7

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

Last November 1, our family observed the 44th death anniversary of my sister Karina, who at age 11 drowned off the Bonuan beach in Dagupan City in 1963 at high noon, and 6 days shy of her birthday.

It was a day in my life that will forever be etched in my mind. (Accounts of that day and succeeding days were recorded by Fr. Arsenio Jesena, S.J.  in a book he published titled “Karina and Ermin.”)

November 1, 1963 was the day I learned and understood what death is all about, and what losing a loved-one in the family can mean to its members.

Also, unknown to many perhaps, I am living my “second life” today  for I, too, could have died   that day were it not for my timely rescue by fisherfolk in the area.

Our family hosted guests to a picnic by the beach that day. Upon arrival, Karina and one of the guests ran to wade by the shore. As I sat under a hut watching out for them, I suddenly saw her waving and shouting frantically in my direction. I rushed to them believing I could simply pull them in as they were quickly being swept away by huge waves (and as I later felt myself, a strong undertow from beneath). I was wrong. It was too late when I found myself caught in the same predicament. I didn’t know how to swim then and I was 15.

A few minutes later and pushed out by some 50 meters from the shore, I saw my sister floating with her face down, and I knew then she had left us. In a matter of seconds, I felt I was going to suffer the same fate as I began to have a difficult time staying afloat on my back with the noon sun blinding me.

Suddenly everything was still and quiet. I began to pray aloud.

Somehow, I was calm though I knew I was going under in a matter of seconds. And as I began to sink, a strong arm came out from nowhere and pulled my head up from under. A God-sent fisherman who paddled his way through on a small banca from the shore got to me in time.

Some 10 minutes later, the limp and lifeless body of my sister Karina was brought in by other fishermen who fished her out of the beach water.

It was days later when the family recalled what she intimated to her friend – “THE BEST DAY TO DIE WOULD BE ON THE FIRST DAY OF NOVEMBER, BECAUSE IT IS FIRST FRIDAY AND ALSO ALL SAINTS’ DAY AND THE NEXT DAY IS THE FIRST SATURDAY?”

Then, I found out that she had written the following piece weeks before she died:

“THE DAY WHEN I DIED. IT WAS NOVEMBER FIRST WHEN I WAS SUFFERING WITH ACHES. TWELVE O’CLOCK STRUCK AND NO WORD CAME OUT FROM MY MOUTH. I FELL INTO THE HANDS OF MY MOTHER WHO WAS WATCHING ME FOR THE WHOLE NIGHT WITHOUT ANY SLEEP. SHE KNOWS I AM DEAD AND SHE CALLED FOR MY SISTERS AND BROTHER. MY SCHOOL WAS INNOCENT ABOUT MY DEATH UNTIL THE PHONE RANG AND ANNOUNCED MY DEATH. I KNOW IT WAS A BIG SHOCK FOR THEM.”

Then, we saw the calendar where she drew a circle around November 7 (her birthday) and wrote: “DO NOT FORGET KARINA.” 

How can we forget?

***

Fr. Jesena, whom the family never met and just heard about Karina’s life and death, came to Dagupan in 1964 and sought our family to know more about her. He had the opportunity to interview my father who at 42, was totally devastated by Karina’s demise. (My father was reunited with Karina, our youngest, on May 20, 1966 when he was shot in his editorial office). 

His journal of Karina and my father detailing more about their lives together is now part of his book “Yayee”. (It can now also be read in full in Punch’s Online version (http://punch.dagupan.com).

Karina’s ashes are now interred at the family estate in Mt. Zion in Dagupan City.

***

Last Wednesday, Oct. 31, I sent a text to Archbishop Oscar Cruz, asking him to please include Karina in his prayers on November 1 on the occasion of her death anniversary.  And the good archbishop promptly replied: “Karina is in heaven. I am praying to her instead for you and me.” 

To which I texted back: “I hope you can say the same thing about me when my time is up.” I was fishing for a soul-booster line.

But being the frank and non-patronizing man of the cloth that he is, he merely quipped: “We will have to wait. Ha! But Karina is A-OK!”

I guess that means I will need everyone’s prayer for a long time when my turn comes. Ugh.

So may I now plead: Please don’t forget me too. I’m in deep trouble. Help!

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/punchline/
Readers may reach columnist at punch.sunday@gmail.com . For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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