Goodbye Edward and Ericka

"In the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit," the priest solemnly said as he and the crowd performed the sign of the cross.

"Amen!" they replied together.

It was already the third night of the wake. As Michelle faithfully recorded the funeral mass from her camera, I was standing solemnly alongside a grieving Ella together with her family and friends.

The tragic loss of a loved one was nothing new for the three of us. Michelle had lost her beloved father Mychal in the same fashion as Ella's parents, and we also mourned the loss of a child prodigy in Cynthia.

But on that moonlit night, mourning two individuals at the same time was never easy to deal with.

As Mass continued on, Ella stood up and sprayed holy water on the closed coffin of both Edward and Ericka. She was still in tears, unable to deal with the sadness and despair that enveloped her heart.

Ella's relatives followed suit in dropping the holy water. Then her friends stood up and took turns spraying it to her deceased parents.

The Mass ended at around 8:00 p.m. After dinner was served at the funeral home, the crowd gradually dissipated.

Meanwhile, Michelle and I remained along with our parents to offer some support for Ella.

The following morning, pallbearers began loading the remains of both Edward and Ericka for the long trip to Cavite. The mourners and their vehicles promptly lined up alongside the two funeral cars and prepared for the ride south.

An hour later, we arrived at a prominent church in Cavite for the funeral Mass. The pallbearers slowly carried the two coffins and placed them near the altar while the mourners followed suit.

As Mass wore on, Ella stood up and walked solemnly towards the platform to offer her eulogy.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Ella promptly opened. "Today was supposed to be a joyous day for me. Instead, someone had to play a cruel trick against me."

Throughout the eulogy, Ella addressed her deep and intense feelings with her parents. She mentioned how supportive and encouraging both Edward and Ericka were in providing proper education and passionately pursuing her lifelong dream as a dancer.

Ella admirably described Edward as an 'ultimate goofball' and a 'loose cannon', his profound sense of humor positively influencing her happy-go-lucky personality. As for Ericka, she affectionately dubbed her mother a 'graceful swan' and a 'rightful charmer', unique qualities that endeared to her gleaming image.

Upon bringing up the senseless accident that claimed the lives of her parents, Ella began sobbing. She tearfully said, "My life will never be the same again without Edward and Ericka. Now I am all alone and with nowhere else to go."

Ella concluded with this final, emotional statement.

"My mother and father will never be replaced," she said. "Ericka and Edward, I'm going to miss you so much."

The eulogy took around nine minutes to complete. After that, Ella returned to her seat and continued crying.

Ella's relatives also took turns in delivering their personal eulogies. When Mass came to a close, pallbearers carried the coffins back inside the car and slowly drove their way to the cemetery.

While Karina and Charissa traveled by car, Michelle and I walked alongside Ella in following the convoy of mourners. It was an hour-long walk to the cemetery, and by the time we reached the intended destination, our bodies were sweating from the heat of the sun.

The humidity was so unbearable a few mourners fainted from exhaustion. Luckily, Michelle, Ella and I were well-hydrated for the trip.

Pallbearers placed the coffins near a pair of open graves. Family and friends took turns spraying holy water on the remains of both Edward and Ericka.

When it was Ella's turn to bless her parents, she wept anew. After that, she uttered one final message to both Edward and Ericka.

"Goodbye mother and father," Ella tearfully addressed. "Thank you for the opportunity to live out my dreams. I'll miss you so much."

Edward and Ericka were gradually lowered to the ground and finally laid to rest. Ella and her friends and family openly shed tears as they took one final look at Ella's parents.

As dirt began filling in on their graves, Michelle and I accompanied her for one final visit.

"Now I know how it felt to lose a member of a family," Ella looked back at the horrible tragedy. "It's not going to be easy dealing with all the pain that I experienced this week."

"Ella, even I had to deal with this too," Michelle related on her own experience. "My father Mychal was also killed in a car accident, but that was when we were still young."

Michelle's eyes began leaking a few tears as she continued speaking.

"Both of us were in the same boat," Michelle tenderly said. "But for you, it was difficult accepting the fate that befall both of your parents. And I'm devastated by it."

"Then again, death is an inevitable part of life," I promptly joined in the conversation. "We'll never know what will happen to all of us. Whether it's through natural means or by tragic circumstances, somewhere down the road we must accept the fate that God gave us."

"Eventually, we must accept harsh reality," Michelle concluded. "It will be uneasy to deal with, but we must move on."

Michelle, Ella and I tearfully embraced near the grave site while Karina and Charissa called us out. After Ella bid Edward and Ericka one final farewell, we drove back to Manila uncertain of what to do with her.

Karina cordially invited us for lunch at her humble home. On the dinner table, as maids served some pot roast and chicken salad, Ella willingly accepted her offer of financial support.

"Thank you for this gracious request," she nodded politely towards Karina. "Don't worry, I promise to be a doting adopted daughter to both of you."

After lunch, Michelle immediately went to work in constructing the video project. With a little help from her closest friends, she was able to carry out the assignment in seven hours.

By that point, dinner was being served and our stomachs were grumbling. As Michelle, Ella and I hurriedly went down the dining room, Karina and Charissa came out with some cheerful music piping on the speakers.

It was the song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin that was being played on the vinyl player. This was Karina's poignant reminder that no matter the circumstance, the best thing we could do is to stay positive.

Once dinner came to a close, Charissa and I promptly decided to return to our home. Before we left, Ella walked in to graciously offer some final thoughts.

"Christine, thank you so much for all the valuable help," Ella humbly said. "It's not that easy to lose a loved one, but life will always go on for us. See you soon then."

"You too," I smilingly replied. "Take care."

As Ella stayed at Michelle's home for the weekend, Charissa and I drove back to the condominium exhausted but relieved. The four days mourning Ella's parents were undoubtedly a difficult period for us, but in the end, it was worth all the unconditional support we gave to her.