p a s t o ♛ e j

Musta?"

Got that SMS just now from Bryan (our official text minister! haha). I can't help but reply: "Ang million dollar na tubag kay...? At best! :P" 'Coz i really am. Sometimes stupefied* by my own tanggal-ang-boredom ways, at least--oops! at best pala!--I get to tell myself: I still love life! To be more specific, my unique and original ('di ba pareho ung dalawa?) Rejoice Credo Lagat life! And for those of you who get to be part of it--swerte nu! Hahaha. JK! Bawal ang patola! Okay, I admit, I'm blessed--super blessed--no, super-raised-to-the-nth-power blessed to have all the people surrounding me now. You're all kisses of heaven to me!

Why am I saying all these? Am I leaving? or worst, dying? Eeengk! At best nga ako ngaun! (di nga lang perfect... pero getting there! God's grace naman daw reshapes and perfects us all... galing noh?) So, bakit nga ba halatang-halata ang drama ko? Hmm... Well, last Saturday, we passed by Baranggay Baganihan, Sitio Maharlika, Marilog District. April 25, 2009--exactly one month from the very day our lives (papaps & mamams) spinned--yeah, literally. Check the photos below... or maybe u've gone through it already! Pics always get our attention first thant texts, haha.

Noooo--I didn't cause the exhibition! Well, an hour before it happened, I was maneuvering the wheels... my sixth time to drive, actually... but i got tired... (trying to hide the real reason i was evicted from the driver's seat *wink*)... okay, cge, Papaps said, the road after Kibawi area is a little challenging, so siya muna. When the hour hand was close to make a full revolution, Mams suggested that Paps take a nap, and she'd drive. Paps succumbed. Bajada and a big truck cut over us, Paps (was still awake--di yata maiwan si Mama na sariling magmaneho--kahit 19 years na siyang licensed driver... Licensed without driving kasi! Still refreshing the pages!) said that Mama would exert brake and motion the car to the side... mejo nataranta yata c Mama, ung accelerator ang naapakan niya... Imagine the car running faster (when it shouldn't) at a downhill slope! Paps shouted "Brake! Brake!" daw! Hinabol ni mama... pero too late na, kasi napunta na rin sa side ung car... sobrang nasa side, na sa canal na pala dumadaan si Rah-Rah (pangalan po pala ng sasakyan! haha)... When mom stepped on the brake from a high speed motion... Something amazing happened... Voila! The car turned upside-down!

Mom was shouting daw a battery of I'm-sorry's and Jesus's! Papaps was praying hard, too. Then mom, shouted: Si Rejoice! Check Rejoice! Saan ba kasi ako? Ayun, sa likod... natutulog! Remember the Mark4 story? Jesus was sleeping on a cushion-in a a boat-during a fierce storm! Haha, wala lang, naka-relate lang... Pero di naman ako si Jesus... before I could have said Be Still to the car... Still na rin talaga siya when I opened my eyes... I did feel the turbulence before it ceased, but the only thing I managed to do was close my already-closed eyes (in slumber, diba? mantika matulog, eh) and pray the most heart-felt prayer of confession and repentence in 5seconds. I really thought, it's gonna be heaven the next time I use my eyelids!

3:15pm. March 25, 2009.

A teaser.

A heavenly illustration.

Another kiss from heaven.

All three of us realized we're still so alive, yet trapped inside Rah-Rah's damaged body. Paps immediately broke-open one window and we got out of the car through it. We checked ourselves from injuries--zero! PTL! We were sooo joyful that at best, we're physically A-okay! My dad hugged mama and I... and continued hugging mama while I tried to call Bem and Lai. In the highest level of aftershock, they didn't notice that we were at public's eye. Haha. Hindi sila artistahin. Naturally loving lang--lalo na these years...

So I phoned Lai. Told her the details. She called 911 for us. 911 came. (bilis noh? hndeh, the way i said it lang... they arrived mga 35min after pa).

I saw a spot where I could collect myself together. And I told God: Thank You that You Are Real. He answered, Welcome to Part II. I was about to ask why there's a Part II? But Paps came and said, (tumatawa siya) Doys, same mission. Same vision. We're still gonna do it. Then he asked if I wanted water.

...

Remembering that life-changing moment, I now understand that Part II's are better. I'm at my best while in Part II. Kasama ko kau, eh! Haha... And I said to myself, I'm gonna do better this time... I'm gonna love more... give more... learn more... worship more... smile more... save more... work more... and just do more... for JC-Love and for all He calls me to serve.

:>

take two.