The lead picture was edited by Canva.
That day, parang biglaan lang, Mama told us na gusto daw niya pumunta sa beach. Sabi niya, “Matagal na ako hindi nakakalanghap ng amoy ng dagat, miss ko na ‘yung alat ng hangin at lasa ng tubig.” Eh syempre, gusto namin ma-fulfill ‘yung wish niya, so agad-agad nagplano kami. Kahit hindi sobrang layo, excited pa rin kaming lahat. Nag-prepare kami ng konting gamit — extra clothes, tuwalya, tsaka snacks pang-meryenda sa biyahe. The weather was nice, hindi masyadong mainit, kaya perfect for a quick beach trip. Pagdating namin doon, kita ko agad yung ngiti sa mukha ni Mama. She was so happy, parang bumalik siya sa kabataan niya. She walked near the shore, tapos inilublob niya yung mga paa niya sa tubig. Sabi niya, “Ahhh, ito yung hinahanap-hanap ko.” Kami naman, nag-enjoy din. The kids played sa buhangin, gumagawa ng maliit na sandcastle. Tapos yung iba, nag-swimming agad kahit medyo malamig pa yung tubig. May mga tao rin sa paligid pero hindi masyadong crowded, kaya relax lang. Mama even sat on a rock near the water, at pinapanood lang niya yung alon. Kita mo talaga na contento siya. After a while, nagswimming din si Mama kahit simple lang, parang lang siyang naglalakad sa mababaw.
She told me na naaalala niya nung bata pa kami sa probinsya, palagi kaming nadadala sa dagat tuwing weekend. Kaya pala she missed it so much — it’s part of her happy memories. Mga ilang oras din kami doon. The kids got tired, kami rin medyo gutom na. So we decided, before umuwi, dumaan muna sa McDonald’s para mag-dinner. Wala nang tanong-tanong, lahat pumayag agad. Alam mo na, McDo is always a safe choice, lalo na pag pagod ka na from swimming. Pagdating namin sa McDonald’s, we looked for a big enough table para magkasama-sama. The smell of fries and burgers agad bumati sa amin. Yung mga bata, tuwang-tuwa kasi favorite nila nuggets at fries. Mama ordered burger with egg, tapos may kape pa siya. My husband went for chicken, at ako naman cheeseburger meal. Drinks? Siyempre, soft drinks for most of us, pero may isang milo din para sa bata. Nakakatawa kasi habang kumakain kami, parang walang sawang nagkukwento si Mama about the beach trip. She kept saying, “Salamat ha, sobrang saya ko ngayon. Ang tagal ko nang hindi nakakatapak ng buhangin.” The kids listened and laughed, lalo na pag nagsh-share siya ng kwento nung bata pa kami at paano kami noon sa dagat.
I looked around the table, tapos naisip ko — ang saya lang makita na magkakasama kami like this. Simple day lang: konting trip sa beach, tapos dinner sa fast food. Pero iba yung saya kapag buo ang pamilya at masaya lahat. After dinner, nag-picture-picture kami sa loob ng McDo. Mama posed with the kids, tapos may group shot din kami. Kahit simple cellphone shots lang, for me, these are memories worth keeping. Kita sa mga mukha namin yung pagod sa biyahe at swimming, pero mas nangingibabaw yung saya. On the way home, tahimik na sa sasakyan kasi halos lahat antok na. Mama was just quietly looking out the window, siguro iniisip pa rin yung beach. Alam ko sa puso niya, na-touch siya na we made time for her request. And for us, it was worth it — seeing her smile and hearing her laugh made the whole trip special. That day reminded me na hindi naman kailangan laging magastos o malayo ang puntahan para maging masaya. Sometimes, granting a simple wish, like going to the beach and having McDonald’s after, can already mean the world to someone you love. I miss my Mother so much, and this way I feel good, looking at photos and writing while remembering all that happened on that day.
