A Miraculous Day Judith D. Galleros   © Copyright 2019 by Judith D. Galleros

“Mrs. Galleros…Judith….Ma’am…Ma’am Judith….Galleros…words I heard as I drifted myself into consciousness. “ “You collapsed!” one of the voices exclaimed! “How are you feeling at this moment dear?” another voice interrogated. 

Limbs trembling, I said, “Please call my husband.” Then a male teacher grabbed my arm to pull me up, but I begged, “I need some garments.” I had it vaguely understood how I wetted myself. My weary thoughts tried to recall what happened before the fatal incident.

It was the day where teachers had their annual physical examination. I had a good adrenaline drive as I woke up at 4 a.m. Home chores were casually done in preparation for the children’s early attendance in their respective schools. After an hour of ironing, packing food for the kids, and washing the dishes , I shortly took a shower , and got ready for a 15-minute ride heading to the city hospital. It was a fine day. The cool breeze gently touched my skin as I was enjoying the motorcycle and jeepney adventures.

In the lobby of J.R. Borja Hospital, I was beckoned to be inside a lab area for the blood extraction and urine test. I was savouring happy moments with colleagues who despite of the profession, were noisy and inquisitive….played in almost similar with their children in school. In a room where a strict attendant asked simple but in depth personal queries, I gave confidential information. Right then, I found myself kept busy taking off our upper garments for the x-ray. It was the last routine to do the whole lab coverage.

We were into different factions as friendship, departments invited as to belong to. A group of English fellows I went with as we put ourselves taking time a fine breakfast over hot cocoa with chicken and rice. But I preferred a large pineapple juice to cool down the day’s heavy heat. The most talkative of the trio, asked permission to accompany her to a personal transaction in a public office. It was a 15-minute not-so-boring wait. Then a call for personal freedom separated our ways in the middle of the city. My mind urged me to get into a window shopping so I hopped in two prominent malls and satisfied myself asking prices, selecting items, gazing up neon colored blouses, fancy jewelries, well-designed bags…aluminum kitchen utensils and the all-time favorite crystal glasses...then a last minute fitting of doll shoes. What a busy hour of going to and fro allured by the tempting ambiance of sale displays!

Exhausted at 10:45 a.m. I filled my thirsty self with again…..a large pineapple with a cheezy burger and regular fries in a food chain a mother could not help a hungry child but followed his cravings. All alone, as I mechanized the food, I perceived a number of dreams I sanctioned to God for some realizations. I envisioned my two daughters of how they would become in the future, catching up their own passion and culture. I smiled a bit as I remember my special son on his sweet blink atop a line “tutu” (I love you) as he waved goodbye to me this morning. Most of all, I sensed my 85 year-old mother living old life a long, long way in the province.

By 11:a.m., I reached the SPED classroom and I was greeted by Mrs. Neri with a warm welcome. This teacher had not just sharing her expertise to me but also the goodness more than a friendship could define. She had been considered a second mother the time we crossed our ways for the sake of our advocacy in bringing the good side of the persons with disability. We both had our share of love and pain, ups and downs, discouragement and victory in raising our pwd kids….mine, a sweet loving boy with down syndrome, hers, a witty man with polio.

“Mom”, as we dubbed each other, “may I rest for a while, I felt heavy-weighted all over.” 

“Go help yourself as I’ll prefer hot veggie soup for lunch.” 

So I rested in a long bench in the reading corner. I lay still with close eyes but I was all awake. Never went even an expected nap from being not feeling well.

“Mom, it’s already past twelve, it’s time for the biometric.” she reminded me. With numbness on both fists and the left side of my head, I rose and walked with her. On our way, she said happily, right after the login/out, I cooked a variety of veggies freshly picked from our backyard garden tossed on fried fish. What a nutritious lunch we would have! I managed to traverse the admin building by a hundred meters without a cap or an umbrella on a strong sunny noon. Going upstairs was another mile to consider. Be in line and wait for a turn to use the biometric was fun while exchanging good deeds with everyone in the campus. I got off my thumb from the laser, then I grabbed a pen to reflect my time on the attendance sheet, as I nodded down my head, dizziness engulped my being into total darkness….slumber into nothingness for 5 minutes. Then the rest was a miracle.

(I had hypertension attack with 240/110 blood pressure. Praise God for the gift of life. jdg)