I used to call my Dad by his first name, “Egay.” It’s something I picked up from my Mom. At times, I was called out by some people who thought I was being disrespectful by addressing him that way. But for as long as I can remember, I called my father “Egay,” and he was fine with it.
Exciting, adventurous and especially hilarious, my Dad was like a best friend to me. We would go out and eat at JT’s Manukan, explore Chinatown and Divisoria, watch movies, and do many things together.
I would even join him on some mundane errand, like picking up mail or fetching my sister at school. He loved me very much, and I loved him, too.
As a cameraman for GMA’s documentary show “i-Witness,” he traveled to different shoot locations near and far. I would sometimes throw tantrums whenever he left the house for a shoot, begging him not to leave.
He could not always take me along, so I was left at home, waiting for him to return.
Sometimes he would be gone for weeks, but when he came back, oh boy, he would literally have bags full of food and pasalubong!
He also brought home some wacky things, like an idol and a wind chime, and other quirky and peculiar objects. I would be greeted by so much when he got home — with love, joy and, maybe, food.
He was also a filmmaker like lolo, his father. We have a lot of his work saved in hundreds of CDs, VHS tapes, film reels, cassettes, etc. He’d go to extreme lengths just to capture something on film.
I remember that he owned a gas mask, because he once covered a protest rally where tear gas was used. He even came home one night smelling rotten and nasty, because his team had to crawl and shoot scenes inside the sewers (yes, those large underground concrete drainage pipes)!
He was very devoted to his work. As “i-Witness” documented fascinating places or peculiar people, my dad would always find a way to incorporate comedy into it, suggesting some crazy idea or involving himself with the people. He became my perfect role model—brilliant, passionate, agile, adventurous and daring.
One day, when he came home from work, he was cheery as always, but he looked slightly weak. He lay in bed and took some medicine. He could not get out of bed for the next couple of days.
From that point on, things started going downhill. Days passed by, then weeks, then months. He was often tired, but he persisted in traveling and doing chores.
Mom told him to just rest in bed and refrain from driving, traveling, or bringing me and my sister to school, etc.
But he wouldn’t stop; he was so selfless, and insisted on traveling with me to different places. He loved me so much so he persisted, despite having become easily tired.
Nov. 21, 2012, is a date my Mom will never forget. She told me they were driving home from a friend’s party when my Dad asked her, “Who are you?”
She thought he was joking and told him to stop. But he kept asking, “Who are you? Why are you here?”
They drove straight to the hospital.
My Dad was diagnosed with hepatitis C, a disease that attacks the liver, like hepatitis A and B. Upon contraction, there would be very minimal symptoms. It continues this way for a few years.
But after some time, the disease will begin manifesting symptoms and later on develop into liver cancer — which was exactly what my Dad eventually had.
He was hospitalized for a while. When he came home, he stayed mostly in bed. He grew increasingly tired and weak, and became very thin and yellow-skinned; he needed to be cared for every day.
I went into my parents’ room one day, and he looked at me and said, “This is a very handsome young boy! Whose son is this?”
I was confused, and my Mom, on the verge of crying, told him that I was his son.
When he slept, I did not know if he was going to wake up. When he smiled at me, I did not know if he was smiling at his son, or if he was smiling at just any kid.
Jan. 30, 2013. It all happened so fast. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.
That’s when my life slowed down. I was always left in the house. I found diversion in using the computer, watching videos, playing games, searching random stuff online. Our family started to struggle financially, so my Mom had to work even harder, leaving her with less time to bond and interact with me and my sister.
She was gone most of the time, because her job as a journalist required her to be out in the field. She took on long night shifts or job assignments abroad for days. Yet, as a single parent, she managed to keep us afloat.
As we could no longer afford my former school’s tuition, I was transferred to the more affordable JASMS-QC, which I am happy to say is a very good school.
I met new people, learned new things, and went on with my student life.
But my Dad’s absence made a huge impact on me. Without his support, his enthusiasm, his joy, his charisma, his passion; our trips in the van to Divisoria, Baguio and Puerto Galera; his funny jokes, his kisses, his love, I became sad and lonely.
I started to lose motivation. Without him, I was lost and confused about many things. After that, I started to procrastinate and slack off, and I sometimes got depressed.
But now I try to resist these tendencies, keeping in mind that Egay wouldn’t want that. He wants me to be smart, successful, passionate and happy. I know I have so much potential, and he wants me to maximize that. I know that if I strive for success, he’d be very proud of me.
Thank you, Egay, for believing in me and for being the best Dad in the world.
I must also thank my amazing Mom for striving to keep me and my sister happy, for loving us, and for working doubly hard so she can provide for us. Sometimes I neglect her efforts, sometimes we have fights, and sometimes I ignore her.
But I want to let her know that deep down in my heart, I love her very much, even if I’m not good at showing it. I wouldn’t be here today without her. And know what? Egay would be very proud of her, too.
I thank Howie Severino for being an amazing colleague to my Dad. Their “i-Witness” documentary, “Cameraman,” a tribute to my Dad, gave me an insight on how creative and passionate he was from someone else’s perspective. It’s been uploaded on YouTube, and it’s something I watch whenever miss him.
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Jose Himalaya C. Navarro, 13, likes playing the piano a lot. He is a Grade 7 student at the Jose Abad Santos Memorial School (JASMS) Quezon City.