Phone patch with mama

I was with my mom last night on the phone. She called up to say hello.

After exchanging updates (actually it's mostly I who ask questions. Over the past months of being away from them I realized that my query would be always in this order: family, lola's health, relatives, folks in the neighborhood and our dogs), she dwelt more in detailing her condition after her operation last month. One of her kidneys had to be removed. Hearing her animated voice, she seemed to be adjusting well, comparing of course with her voice when I spoke with her while she was in the hospital.

She's back to her usual dynamic self.

This consoled me.

The sweet aftertaste of my conversation with her last night is sort of lingering; maybe because I was able to share with her some personal concerns without much defenses.

And then, she asked me that haunting question again which she asked me last month "Are you really happy?"

I assured her that I am. The sound she produced on the other line told me that she believed me.

And then, she finally told me, "You know, 'Chin, when I pray to the Lord, I always tell him that when you're no longer happy there [in the seminary], I ask him to just return you back to me."

This melted my heart a hundred times.