i remember you, dad

its been 8 years since dad passed away. and one of my deepest regrets is that i havent been a good son in his dying years.

for reasons i dont understand, one of my strongest memories was when we took the bus from salug to dipolog. lillian express, no aircon at that time.

i was on an aisle seat, and dad was in another aisle seat at my back. that used to be a 3 to 4 hour trip, what with the roads and stops as passengers come on and get off. bumpy. dusty. hot. smelly. noisy. cramped.

i know i fell asleep (i still do, on most land trips that take longer than 10 minutes) and i remember i woke up after a nasty bump to feel dads hands cradling my head from his seat at the back of mine.

he was doing that all the time that trip.

and he was doing that all my life. silent but reliable support.

i love you, dad.