Sometimes I think I spot the dead at the mall, coming down the escalator or pushing a cart in the supermarket. Of course it's not them, there's not even a slight resemblance.
He's alive. He's so alive. In you. And me. In these pictures here. How can he be dead? It's so difficult to imagine. It's easier not to think about it. Because it's so sad. I just want him around.
I imagined him sitting somewhere. Sa bato. There in the afterlife. As if he shouldn't be there. Sinundo ko para bumalik kami dito. Kasi parang naligaw lang siya at kailangan ko lang siya sunduin.
Dear Katti, I dreamed about him in July. He went to my house and we listened to the news on the radio. We were so irritated (this happened often) that we decided to go out for ramen. I followed him to his car, but suddenly there was thick ashfall and ran for cover. Nakakainis, kailangan pa ng interpretation 😹
There are people who just occupy space and consume oxygen, but they continue to infest the earth while Leo is gone forever. Umiiyak nako biglang natawa ako dito. This is classic Jessica Zafra.
Kidding aside Ms. Jess, even if I didn't get a chance to meet Leo, with how you described him here, I felt like I knew him from head to foot. Sorry for your loss.
Thank you, Jessica. Your words on grief resonate with what I’m going through, and it’s been the most helpful. ❤️ Sir Leo’s a fantastic teacher and it seems like, he’s even more wonderful as a close friend.
He's alive. He's so alive. In you. And me. In these pictures here. How can he be dead? It's so difficult to imagine. It's easier not to think about it. Because it's so sad. I just want him around.
I imagined him sitting somewhere. Sa bato. There in the afterlife. As if he shouldn't be there. Sinundo ko para bumalik kami dito. Kasi parang naligaw lang siya at kailangan ko lang siya sunduin.
Dear Katti, I dreamed about him in July. He went to my house and we listened to the news on the radio. We were so irritated (this happened often) that we decided to go out for ramen. I followed him to his car, but suddenly there was thick ashfall and ran for cover. Nakakainis, kailangan pa ng interpretation 😹
There are people who just occupy space and consume oxygen, but they continue to infest the earth while Leo is gone forever. Umiiyak nako biglang natawa ako dito. This is classic Jessica Zafra.
Kidding aside Ms. Jess, even if I didn't get a chance to meet Leo, with how you described him here, I felt like I knew him from head to foot. Sorry for your loss.
Thank you, Jessica. Your words on grief resonate with what I’m going through, and it’s been the most helpful. ❤️ Sir Leo’s a fantastic teacher and it seems like, he’s even more wonderful as a close friend.
He was a natural at teaching. In every conversation where I cited new information I had to name my sources 😹
So sorry for your loss.
Stay strong. x
Thanks. Missing you and Ryan and walking around London looking for a pub to watch the Eurovision finals in 😹
Such a heartfelt eulogy. Condolences to you and to Mr. Abaya's other bereaved friends.
Thank you. Hoping for a Leo Abaya retrospective—he once cast my ears for a sculpture.