Dolores

She is my grandmother, in the Javier side.

She is not the affectionate type of grandmother. No embrace and holding hands routine needed for her to let you know she loves you. But she is ultimately thoughtful in a “kulang-na-lang-subuan-ka-niya-ng-niluto-niyang-ulam-kahit-busog-ka” kind of manner. She never forgets to gift everybody on their birthdays, may party man o wala may makakarating na regalo syo. She even apologizes when its days late, that’s how she really is. Very sweet. She is also as entertaining as any Talk Show would be in a boring monday morning.  Just to listen to her “couple” issues with lolo and how she whispers to you funny little anecdotes about people in the family. On the otherhand, she can also lash out at her daughters/sons with some thorny words just to let her issues out. Lola has her way of showing how she feels, and for that she is definitely unique and not your gentle, sweet old lady “stereotype” as ordinarily depicted.

I really, really believe I take after her with being opinionated, “smart alecky” and with that all-too familiar deprecating sense of humor, labelling people (new or old acquaintance, esp. newly-introduced boyfriends) fondly with nicknames of “not-so-pretty” celebrities names. It soooo me! (hahaha)

The Javiers has gotten used to her (sometimes) tough kind of love. But the temper, that can only be old age catching up on her and beyond her control. Despite all odds, Lola Loleng (by her friends) stays a loyal and “masilbi” na wife, a hands-on mother to seven (yes seven!) children, grandmother to all of us cousins and great grandmother to a brood of lovely and makukulit na apo sa tuhod.

She may look more frail now compared to her feisty demeanor of years back. Lola slipped in the kitchen and hurt her spinal column so bad, she had to undergo an almost 6-hour operation to place a metal disk along his lower spinal. She spent a few days in ICU and the whole family braced themselves for the worst. Esp. my poor Lolo who was extra worried. But God is good and kept her safe. The doctors was astounded with how strong her body was in reaction to that operation and that it was almost miraculous. The excruciating process has just begun though. She stayed in the hospital for months, can’t move freely and worse had an upper-body brace by the time the doctors released her. She had to be bathed, fed and told not to move for the first few weeks. Therapy ensued at home and family members took turns to care for her.

At present, she is now free of those braces and back to her red lipstick pormas that I sorely missed when she was sick. It was great seeing her last Christmas looking good as ever in her newly-dyed short hair and trademark red pucker. I kissed and hugged her excitedly. She simply gushes with that impish smile again and whispers to me, “Nakita mo na si Miss Tapia?”

Loleng strikes again! Kaloka haha.

“Happy 85th birthday Lola!”

We Love you!

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