It was with profound sorrowthat, in the early hours of this morning, Myrna and I had a telephone call from her cousin's daughter, Myla - who's a nurse living in Hartlepool - informing us that her mom had passed away in the Philippines ... after being admitted to hospital following the onset of breathing difficulties on Tuesday afternoon.
Naturally, we were stunned!All the more so, because Manang Exal had been like a second mother to my wife following the premature deaths of Myrna's own parents many years ago. Indeed, it had been Manang - herself a former Head of Domestic Science at a High School in Davao del Norte Province, Mindanao - who had been instrumental in orchestrating Myrna's teaching career in the first instance.
Although 83 years of age, Manang had had the good fortune to enjoy robust health for the greater part of her [reasonably] long life - aside from suffering a slight stroke prior to retiral from teaching in the mid 1990s ... and it was she - with the help of a housemaid - who'd been responsible for the care of her ailing husband, Manoy Rafael (Myrna's cousin) during his recent illness.
It had apparently been during the course of a visit to Tagum Old City Hall in order to conduct some business relating to her pension that Manang began to feel unwell on Tuesday past. Accompanied by her housemaid, she'd climbed to the top floor of the old building - there being no elevator available - and shortly after leaving complained of extreme breathlessness. Alas, her condition deteriorated, and she then ended up in ICU at a local hospital where she later died in the presence of her husband, younger daughter, Jennifer and her grand-daughter, Vanessa.
Whilst aware that I'm "rambling on" a bit with this sad tale,in some strange way, it's helpful to "write" about it. Throughout the duration of both my trips to the Phils (3 months on the second occasion) Myrna & I stayed with the old couple whom I became very fond of and they, in turn, kept asking - through their regular contact with Myla - when Myrna and Arthur would be returning.
Alas ...... whenever that might be, one thing's for sure ... it can never quite be the same again!
Quote Reply
Originally Posted by marksroomspain
.. I am also very conscious of the fact that you and 
... she's normally such a placid person.
this thread of mine hasn't caused painful memories to come flooding back to you.
