Dog stories: Of losing and healing

Vincent shows the place where Budoy came to his rescue.

Vincent’s family didn’t expect that he would want to hold a dog again after he lost his best friend Budoy during Typhoon Haiyan (read story here http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/campaigns/55248-heroesofhaiyan-different-breed-hero).

“I sat beside him, speechless. He was just with me before the typhoon. I survived. He didn’t,” Vincent said a year ago.

Budoy, his dog best friend for six years, drowned after saving Vincent and his mother from the crashing waves of Haiyan.  

For the first four months after Budoy's death, he distanced himself from any pet.  But he was found again - this time, by another dog.

He named him Juan, taken from one of the country’s famous TV shows, Juan dela Cruz.

“Because like Juan deal Cruz, he is a fighter and he is a survivor,” says Vincent.  He still is a man of few words but when he’s with his new-found friend, you see a different side of him.  

Juan is one of the family’s dogs and was only 4-month old when Haiyan struck.  Three days after the typhoon, the family found him in one of the fallen trees - afraid and wouldn’t want to go down.  For days, Juan seemed like a mad dog so the family was left with no choice but to keep him tied up.

“Vincent would just pass by him and Juan would just keep barking.  It was a surprise when one day, we saw Vincent pacifying the dog’s cry,” explains Emily, Vincent's mother.

The connection was instant.  It was as if Vincent was all that Juan needed to calm down.  When Vincent whistles, one can see the special bond between the two. When he raises his hand, Juan would reach for it.  When he sits down, Juan’s head automatically lands on Vincent’s lap.   Today, Juan is free to roam around the village.

I can't believe a year has passed.  The last time I saw Vincent was November 2013.  I got the chance to visit him again this week to hand him the Haiyan commemorative book which includes his story with Budoy.  He kept looking at the page, perhaps remembering his first dog best friend.

“Vincent still doesn’t talk much about Budoy but we are grateful that we can now see him playing with Juan,” says Emily. 

I was never a dog lover and I don’t think I can explain how Vincent feels.  One thing I am sure of though. His friendship with Juan is helping both of them heal from the scars of Haiyan.

And Budoy, wherever he is, will always be a reminder of a dog's love and loyalty.

Kwento at pagtatagpo

Posible kaya?  Hindi ko rin alam pero gusto kong maniwala na posible nga.  Na may tamang panahon.  Na may nakalaang pagkakataon.  Sana ramdam mo rin. Sana naririnig mo rin.  Ituloy natin ang kwento.  Dugtungan natin ang pahina. At sa pagkakataong mahirapan tayong humanap ng tamang salita, magiging sapat ang katahimikan at maging ang kawalan ay durugtong sa ating nasimulan.

Narito lang ako - hanggang sa ating pagtatagpo.

Homesick

Photo from Google Image

Alam mo yung pakiramdam na lahat ng kalsada ay patungo sa kung saan maliban lang sa iyong tahanan? Nakaka-miss din kung minsan. Kahit naman kasi mapadpad ka sa napakagandang lugar, hahanap-hanapin mo pa rin ang pamilyar na daan kung saan naroon ang lahat ng tao at bagay na iyong kinalakhan.

What's worse than lack of love?

While poverty is a sad reality, is there anything more painful than dealing with the emptiness of the heart?

Erlinda, 68, was all smiles when the team arrived to check the ongoing construction of her house, which World Vision provided for. She was at her usual self – bubbly, energetic and full of life.

Seated with her left foot up, her chin rested on her knee and her hands almost hugging her whole body, there was no hint of loneliness in Erlinda. There was a certain glow in her eyes – an inner strength that radiates from her choice to be happy despite the circumstances she was in.

Everyone knew how her makeshift house, located quite a distance from her neighbors, easily leaks during the rainy season. But with all the smiles she can summon, she showed herself strong. Even when she talked about her experience during Yolanda (Haiyan), she laughed a lot. Erlinda’s demeanor only changed when she was asked about her new house.

A grandmother’s pain

“I never expected to have a house like this. I am used to having nothing but myself,” she said suppressing her tears. Erlinda shared that her two children were both killed years ago and that her husband already passed away. Her daughters-in-law took her grandchildren, whom she considered her only source of happiness. She was told they would need to study in another place.

“I saw them once and I invited them in my house. They promised they'd be back. I always look forward to that day. I am excited to see this house not because I will have a good space for myself but because I can hopefully offer a good place for my grandchildren," she said.

"When they hear about my new house, I am sure they will come and visit.”

Of mending and new-found friendship

When she started crying, a loud shout in between the sound of hammers came in: “Stop crying, you will no longer be beautiful. Don’t worry, I admire you!”

The joke came from Jerry. He is one of the carpenters training under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and will soon take the Carpentry National Certification (NCII) assessment. He also received shelter tools and materials.

When she heard him, Erlinda laughed. When she started to walk around her future house, Jerry shared her story.

“Her story is not new to our village. Everyone heard of how both her children were killed and how she's been living alone since then. But it’s only when we started working on her house that I came to know her better," Jerry said.

He added: "She talks and laughs a lot now. It's understandable because it’s only now that she has people around her to talk to. She's no longer just a story and I admire her strength. She deserves to be happy.”

Erlinda found not just a house but a company with all the carpenters working to help her. To Jerry, he found not just an opportunity for training or a job but he found deeper respect for a woman, a mother and a grandmother whom he got to know better.

“It is my first time to see her breakdown in tears and in the few days that we were here, I felt like I am his son who wants her heartache to stop. I want to thank World Vision on her behalf for the shelter.”

The support that World Vision and other organizations provide to Yolanda (Haiyan) survivors are more than just assistance. The story of Erlinda and Jerry shows it paves the way to finding a family, a friend and a refuge in time of adversity. Erlinda’s story went beyond a house being constructed to a story of two souls finding friendship and hope.