Ang Pasanin ni Romulo

OCTOBER 21, 2019
FRONT ROW
ANG PASANIN NI ROMULO

Nagsimula ang lahat sa simpleng sipon. Isang karpintero si Romulo Pilapil, 56, nakatira sa Barangay Airport, Ormoc. Minsan habang nagtatrabaho ay nakasinghot daw siya ng alikabok galing sa kahoy. Pagkatapos noon ay dahan-dahan nang namaga ang isang bahagi ng kaniyang ilong, at kumalat sa mukha. Nang hindi na gumana ang gamot mula sa mga doktor, pinayuhan na siyang magpaopera. Hindi pa natutukoy ang sanhi nito.

Hindi man mayaman, simple at payak ang pamumuhay ng pamilya ni Romulo dati. Isa siyang karpintero at nangunguha ng tuba dati, at sapat na ito para mapag-aral ang kaniyang mga anak. Pero dahan-dahang naubos ang mga pag-aari ni Romulo sa pagpapagamot. Dahil kapos sa pambayad, hindi niya pa rin nagawang magpa-opera. Ngayon, tuluyan nang lumobo ang kaniyang mukha. Hindi na siya makakita nang dahil sa pamamaga ng takip ng kaniyang mga mata. Tuluyad na ring nagdidilim ang kaniyang pananaw sa buhay. Sa tindi ng sakit at hirap ng kondisyon, nawawalan na rin siya ng pag-asa.

ROMULO'S BURDEN

It started with a simple case of colds. Romulo Pilapil, 56 and a resident of Barangay Airport in Ormoc, was a carpenter. One day he was making a wooden table when he accidentally inhaled dust particles from the wood. After months of sinusitis, parts of his face slowly started to swell. When the medicines given by doctors didn’t work, he was advised to get an operation. No one could tell him what his exact condition was.

Though they family was not rich, Romulo earned enough as a carpenter and from harvesting coconut wine to send his children to school. But his properties and material possessions slowly started to dwindle away due to the rising costs of hospital visits. Ultimately, due to lack of finances, they still could not get his operation done. 

Nowadays his entire face is swollen. He also cannot see anymore because his swollen eyelids have covered his eyes. His outlook in life has grown dim. Because of the pain and discomfort, he is losing all hope.