A Bright Idea, Indeed!

"Whose bright idea is this again?", my officemate asked jokingly as we turned the block for I think the 3rd time looking for the end of the queue so we could fall in line too. The line was for those who want to view tita Cory's casket. Of all the days, we decided to visit the night before her interment. A bright idea indeed!

Around 8pm, we finally found the end of the line, thanks to a martial who directed us where to go! Armed with umbrellas and comfortable sandals, as well as cell phones, cameras and i-pods to amuse ourselves, we waited patiently. To make the wait more enjoyable, some people exchanged jokes. Some sang; some ate their baons. Some got busy with their
mini televisions while others bought snacks and yellow stuffs from the enterprisers. (A lot of people took the opportunity to do business. Some sold yellow umbrellas, hankies, pins, wristbands and ribbons.)

After 2 hours of waiting, hungry and wet from the rain, I started to get pissed. The line was slow and a few times it got disorderly as some people tried to create another line from the middle of the queue. When we turned the block, the single file became four, and no martial nor policeman was in sight to organize us. Grrr!

My friend, Els, who I was chatting with, urged me to go home many times and asked me to just monitor the event from the news but I stubbornly refused. I insisted that I already spent too much time and effort, that it was only a matter of short time before I enter the church, that I was determined to finish it. Somehow, I sensed her frustration from the other end. She knows I could be so stubborn (but thanks, Els. I appreciate your concern. Talking to you made the wait more bearable.). *._.*

We queued for more than 5 hours in the midst of intermittent rain and flood. We were all dripping wet and cold when we finally had the chance to enter the Manila Cathedral.

'She looked different', I thought to myself when I finally had my turn to look at the casket. But tita Cory looked content. Her face still had that look of pleasantness, of kindness and serenity.

We were given just à few seconds to take a glimpse of tita Cory. We formed two lines; one line entered through the side and the other through the front of the church. The lines were orderly. We moved efficiently. We were in and out in no time. Senator Noynoy thanked us and shook our hands as we exited.

It might be something small for the bereaved family to stand there and thank us but for me, their effort to show their gratitude meant a lot. True, we queued for a long time and we got hungry, wet and tired but hey, they did not ask us to do so. They are mourning; they lost a loved one and if they wanted to throw a fit and just refused to see anyone I would have understood. Instead, they were there to show us that our little gesture was noted and appreciated. Food and drinks were offered at the exit area but we were so tired and sleepy to bother. We just wanted to get a cab and go home.

It was for me an unforgettable experience. I didn't go there because Cory was my favorite President (she's not, and I don't have one). I do not know much about what she did and stood for as a President. All I know is that during her term, the nation braved a major earthquake that killed a lot of people, a volcano who erupted and a number of coup attempts. I know that when her term ended, she immediately stepped down and went on with her life as a private citizen. I know that she's a woman admired for her gentleness and faith. She was a wonderful wife and mother.

From her children's testimonies, Cory is a picture of an ideal mother. She's the kind of mother most people want to have. Cory was her children's number one supporter and friend. For everything that Kris went through, a lesser person would have gone berserk, against Kris or against the media who feasted about her faux pas, but not Cory. True to her nature, Cory remained on Kris' side, ever patient and understanding, loving her unconditionally.

"Whose bright idea was this again?" my officemate and I asked each other when we went out of the church. But we decided it doesn't matter. We had the most wonderful experience. As Ninoy said 'the Filipinos are worth dying for', Cory was worth queuing for.