That's grandpa and grandma, the wonderful people who brought my mom to this world. I have a few treasured memories of my grandparents. They are few because they migrated to the US when I was very young. All the memories I have of them was from the one trip to the US when I was about 7-9 years old and those times when they visited us folks here in the Philippines.
I remember my grandpa's greeting cards that were in Mandarin...which I couldn't understand fully despite my grade school education that included Mandarin classes. I remember grandma making me waffles...I've grown to like waffles because of her. All the gifts they gave me...which were always red envelopes with some dollars in them. I remember grandpa accompanying us at Disney World ...from AM to PM without fuss despite his age. And how my grandparents talk to each other...which I could barely understand because they were speaking in fast Fukien...it was like watching a Chinese movie without subtitles. And on my grandma's last visit, she got to meet my wife again...with a big smile on her face, she expressed how much she liked her and said that my wife was beautiful.
My grandpa (Angkong) already passed away a long time ago, and I'm imagining that he misses my grandma all these years. Grandma (or Amah) was old and hadn't fared well over the past year. Everyone was aware that it was just a matter of time before Amah joined Angkong. She finally took her one way flight to the afterlife on January 9 (January 8 in the US).
Her remains are currently in the US along with most of my mom's siblings and it felt unreal and sad seeing my Amah motionless on her bed over facetime...my last grandparent. Now, the family is coordinating at a busy pace to get my Amah back home here in the Philippines to finally rest her beside my Angkong. But I know that even now, Angkong is there welcoming her to the afterlife with a kiss...together again.
Rest in peace Amah.
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