by Sylvette Sabaupan

Smell of hays brought by the breeze
Seem to blend with the church bell ringing
A frog jumped at the far end of the grass
Slowly, I alighted from Naujan PUJ, leisurely,

It was still dusk and my steps are like echoes
A thumping heavy heart with reluctance
Brought me to the steel, now lonely gate
Am expecting a familiar figure to greet me?

Stopping for a moment to be composed
Waiting for the town’s ambiance to seep in,
There, lying at the far end of the living room
Is my grandmom, so peaceful… am I dreaming?

Naujan folks praying, offering comforting words,
Did little to my pensive mood,
Peeping onto my lola’s peaceful face,
“Why didn’t you say your goodbye?”

A thunderous booming voice disturbed my reverie;
A charming lawyer, an aged friendly officer, I suppose,
Half of the overnight, brainstorming on political issues;
Something recognizable in the smile and in the eyes?

Quite suddenly, with a plate of “suman sa lihiya”,
Mom barged into the room, “Pay respect to your lolo,
Can you not remember, he is your Grandmom’s cousin?”
So here’s somebody to take my lola’s place?

The silence is deafening, we run out of words;
“You’re going to be eighty based on the family tree,
Don’t worry, this interview is not televised…”
Could hear clearly what he said “LEKAT?”

***For a person whom I think loves Naujan much because I learned more about my hometown during my lola’s wake June 8, 2012.