A Remembrance

“Que sera, sera… Whatever will be, will be… The future’s not ours to see… Que sera, sera…”

A familiar, sentimental voice smoothly drifted in the air–once again, she could hear her father singing that song.

Even in his seventy’s, he was cheerful and sprightly. During the day, he would work tirelessly for his family in his tiny shoe and clothing store, which he built by himself. At night, he enjoyed talking with people over a bottle of beer and some cheap finger foods. Despite the smoky-grey strands that were peeking out of his hair and the time-chiseled, wrinkled folds that were weighing down on his skin, there remained the bubbly luster in his eyes that told of an incredible journey–of joyous laughter, warm smiles, and sheer affection.

His sunny grin always had this unparalleled brilliance to it that others couldn’t help but mirror. Even when things got rough in life, he would always handle them with an optimistic attitude. One time, a particularly strong storm struck, and he had no choice but to close up his small shop for the rest of the day. Instead of sulking over it, however, he went out, sat down, and watched the rain pelt hard, his smile a stark contrast to the gloomy weather. Together with her mother, he talked and laughed the day away, not minding the harsh winds or the biting cold.

The way he told his stories was like how an old, wise man would. Beneath the lighthearted tone with which he conveyed them, his words always carried weight and substance. It would be an act of folly to neglect them. As he liked to say, 'Papunta ka pa lang, pabalik na ako,' which meant they were still about to go to where he had already been. He knew many sorts of ways of life, having been raised without his real family and forced to fend for himself at an early age. It would be wrong to say that it could only be nothing but a miracle that he made it to where he was; he did it with his own strength and willpower as well.

A hardworking man with a bright personality, often telling corny dad jokes that would get his children groaning and singing songs that he had grown old together with–ever since she was a kid, that’s how she saw her father.

He had what they would call an evergreen soul, timeless and never-changing. But just like what his favorite song says, no one is certain of what will come and befall someone. In a world full of the unknown, only time can lead to an answer. The future is not for anybody to see, and so is the fate of this diligent and ebullient man. As time passed by, that saccharine music that used to flow out of his mouth like a finely tuned instrument had slowly become poignant and heart-wrenching.

It was the night of the 23rd of July of the year 2020.

A blanket of darkness had covered the sky, and the entire house was preparing to go to bed until it suddenly happened. She found her father’s once vibrant eyes clouded with a clamor of emotions that she still couldn’t fully decipher up to this day, try as she might. He looked at her without saying a word, his body stiff, unmoving, and cold. Even then, his misty eyes told her of an unforgettable journey–of nostalgic laughter, memorable smiles, and undying affection.

And it was then that she realized just how harsh and dreadful the meaning of her dearest father’s favorite song could be.