The Excited Call

My father died on the 23rd of July, 2007, a few minutes before 2 am, a day after my niece's 14th birthday celebration. He had too much, too many alcohol in his system considering the event that came to pass and maybe his kidney failed. I really don't know. Our mother found him inside the comfort room, laying as if sleeping. The doctor (they took him to the hospital though they knew it's already too late) said my father had a massive stroke (stoppage of blood flow to brain). It's so hard for us losing him. We were talking on the phone, he's very jolly especially when he's talking with the kids, just hours ago. The next time the phone rang, it's the devastating news!

Then, a week or two after his funeral, my wife's washing the dirty clothes with our youngest son beside her. I'm just watching them from the inside of our house when my wife said to our son, "Hey, there's a call for you." My son sprung up and run to the house (and here's what he told me he did when he went to the house), went upstairs, went to my parents' room, saw my mother reading a book and then went down back to his mother. Although I'm watching them, I really don't know what's going on. When he came back, he asked my wife, "Mom, did you heard that, too?" They looked at each other, amazed. Then my wife came to me and told me what just had happened.

First, they heard my father's calling "Jajan! Jajan!" (My son's name is Jojon but my father used to call him Jajan, particularly when they're playing.) The second time they heard the call, just seconds after the first, that's when I saw and heard her saying to my son that he should go and have a look.

So, I looked at my son, he doesn't seem to be afraid nor my wife, they seem to be alright. They even looked more relieved or something. They said the voice was my father's, sounded excited like he's playing or when he's about to give something to his grandson.

I, too, felt pleased when they told me that. They were both excited, as I said, looked happy and were not afraid. I told my siblings and other sons the incident and they, too, relaxed. Maybe it's really my father, trying to tell us that everything is okay and he's fine. Maybe a sign from above (mimicking my father) so that we may not feel too bad about him passing away without saying goodbye. I don't know.

I believe in spirits but my faith prohibits me to believe that dead people can come back and interact with the living. (What about my other experience seeing an acquaintance who died in the morning without my knowledge? That's another story.) But, maybe, God sometimes give an exemption because, as we all know, He's merciful. Maybe He felt pity on us and gave us a sign that my father is with Him.