The Golden Dragon Soars Even Higher! (AKI V-V-MM)

In reference to the title, Aki was born in the flowering month of May (month of the bull), on the 5th day in the year 2000, the year of the Golden Dragon.

Ever wonder what it's like to have a bouncy baby boy in the family, especially after more than a decade of not having any babies around? It was such a glorious day for us. The very first son of my eldest brother, the first grandson of my parents and the first nephew of us sister! Oh how much we would come to love him. From the first cry, we heard upstairs right after he has seen the world from birth, we already knew, our world would revolve around this tiny guy!

Aki with his Mama Baby, youngest brother JohnJohn in her arms, his Papa Boy, standing over Aki's shoulders and younger brother Entot in the middle.

Fast forward to when he was a toddler, he was such a joy to us! He was a darling baby, he seldom cries, plays a lot, eats a lot and loves cuddle too much. He has overflowing fluffy cheeks, a bundle of fats in the extremities, he loves us too much and we love him more.

Then came the time for him to go to school. I and my twin were in high school, we would sometimes skip classes to send him off on his first school day! We were his biggest fan! We would cheer for him all the time and made him cry as well because you know, there is this thing called "gigil", we bit his cheeks a couple of times and hugged him tight right after he cried.

He won the "cutest kid" contest I guess. Look at him proud of his bouncy fluffy cheeks!

He grew up in our ancestral home, my father was his primary caregiver, I and my twin were his helpers, my mother was his first teacher. I remembered having a thought before, that I would gladly give up high school or college just to take care of him. He was a respectful child who loves his daddy and mingkot (he called his lolo and lola as such) with all his heart, he loves his twin tita's too and of course, he loves his family. He was a good kid.

Helping us out in our store. He would never mind the sweat, he was happy, always happy helping us.

Me and Aki

When I and my twin went to college and have to left our mother and father, not a single worry came to our mind. We knew that Aki would take care of them. He was young then around 10 years old but was responsible. He makes lots of friends but he puts his family above all else. He will make his friends wait but never his family. He was then everything in our household. He helped us a lot, protected us. He was also our heart's number one. He was there in every occasion, to every place we've been. He was part of my dreams, our dreams.

I got married, having a kid on my own, I was excited to get back home for one reason. I would like Aki to meet my daughter because I know he would make a great brother. I was not wrong, he loved my Gabby like his own little sister. He was overprotective of her and I was but thankful for having such a wonderful nephew around.

Aki around 11 years old and Gabby around 1 year of age.

Then my family moved to Singapore, every time I called back home all I hear from my parents were how easy it was for them because of Aki, how Aki was a comedian at school, how his teachers liked him because he was respectful and helpful, how his classmates totally adored him because he was kind and was smiling all the time. That made me even proud of him. He had grown to be such a fine young man.

On his 16th birthday, we decided to bring him to Singapore. He was happy and so were we. He even had an itinerary of his own! He especially wanted to see the Merlion.

 

Right after his birthday vacation, we made tons of plans on where to go next. We talked our future over a bottle of Jack Daniels. We were best friends, confidante, had each other's back and each other's shoulders. Our plan never took flight. We had a painful parting.

A few months to his 17th birthday, I received the most dreadful news. He had left us in this world. I was reluctant to believe it. I even bargained with the Lord. HE may cut off my limbs, made me blind, lose all material and little wealth that I have just so HE would give me back my Aki. I never understood why he, so good a soul has left us too early. Maybe, the Lord needed more angels in heaven. He may have seen how good a guy Aki was. Aki may have already proven to the Lord, what every good deed a man cannot so easily be achieved, he has done so in just his short time here on earth. So the Lord welcomed him back to heaven where Aki rightfully belong.

Everything that happened brought us suffering and pain like no equal. To the very last, Aki left us a lesson. Life is too short for us to ponder endlessly what's in it for us. We have to live every day to the fullest, just like what he did when he was still alive. Not a single day he was not seen smiling, not a single day he was not seen living his dreams and not a single day he has not shown love unconditionally.

Here on earth, he has proven how good a man he was. Those nine days of his wake, supports were outpouring, the people paying their last respects were overwhelming. On his last march, his friends and family crowded the church, blocked every road, there were too many of them which showed how much Aki means to them. Not until the end, they have marched with him to his final rest.

Here on earth he already soared high with freedom. He loved life and life loved him back, maybe a little too much that it reclaimed him too soon. But Aki is not gone forever, he will continue to live in our hearts, never dying, never ceasing. The Golden Dragon soars even higher with the Lord, and to our Creator's arms, he will be for all eternity.

JOSEPH RALPH BAIDIANGO PALMA JR.

"AKI"

MAY 05, 2000 -TO BEING A GOOD SON TO OUR FATHER ALMIGHTY AND ETERNAL REST WITH THE FATHER IN HEAVEN

Thank You, Aki, for coming into our lives. You are and always will be our greatest blessing. We will love you until how long eternity holds true.

Papa Boy and Mama Baby. Daddy Lando and Mommy Inday. Johnjohn and Entot. Tita Bonbon, Tito Marlon, Gabby and Tita Yenyen.