Pumanaw na sa edad na 81 noong Sunday, July 19, dahil sa prostate cancer ang ama ni Arnell Ignacio na si Edgardo Chua Ignacio.
Pagbabahagi ni Arnell sa ilang unforgettable moment niya with his father, “I got my first car from my dad.
I also got a tight hug whenever I had fever as he whispered, ‘Lipat mo kay daddy sakit ha, si daddy na lang may sakit.’
“I barely understood then what he said. Dad got cancer.He bravely grab all its deadly fangs with his life. Sabi niya kasi, ‘Si daddy na lang may sakit wag na kayo. I finally understood what he meant as he breathed his last.”
Few days pagkatapos ma-cremate ang labi ng ama ay doon naramdaman ng actor-hos ang labis na pagka-miss dito.
“Yung ‘left’ madali intindihin e, and in fact i was prepared for that. Well, I thought I was until I realized that what I prepared for was the that he will leave anytime… But I missed its tandem in reality — that he isn’t coming back after he leaves. He isn’t. That s the pain that implodes endlessly each time i get to face that part of the new reality,” bulala ni Arnel na host noon ng programang LABOR Of Love sa DZMM.
Dugtong pa niya, “He isn’t coming back. He won’t be answering his phone anymore, he won’t be opening the gate smiling kahit biglaan ako dumating sa kanila nang alanganing oras. Wala na ring mag-aalala kapag may inaaway ako sa FB. Wala na akong ibibili ng hamon. Wala nang magsasabi na, ‘Ano na naman itong kotse mo malakas sa gas yan.’
“Wala nang tatawag para itanong kung talaga bang nanalo siya sa raffle na natanggap niya lang sa text. Wala na ring makukulit yung mga payat na nagbebenta ng microwave na kay mahal-mahal na ikot nang ikot sa Robinsons.
“He isn’t coming back. He isnt. Strangely the tendency to look for him sets in. A flickering moment welcoming the illogical. Ayoko naman siyang mag- Jestoni Alarcon (ng pelikulang Huwag Mong Buhayin Ang Bangkay), and even the ceremony in the columbarium seems unconvincing. Almost like it failed to prove reality beyond my senseless reasonable doubt.”
Inamin din ni Arnell na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa niya iniiyakan ang pagkawala ng ama.
“Haven’t cried yet. Kung taping lang ito madali lang, eh. Dali lang magbuo ng katotohanang hindi totoo.”
“Don t worry dad I can and I will handle this. Tuloy ko lang mga bilin mo. You’ll be proud of me. Kuwento mo sa langit. Love you daddy,” emosyonal na pahayag ni Arnell.
