Waiting for His Homecoming

Being alone is a fate worse than death.

Yes, a day of not seeing someone may be a torturing experience, but one wonders aloud, how does it feel not to see a loved one for a year, not knowing where to find the person you’re missing, and all that’s left are memories of what used to be. It has been years now, two, to be exact, and everything is still unclear. For Jonas’s family, it was a year when seemingly time stood still, a year when tomorrow was no better than yesterday, that every waking day, one is hoping against hope that somehow Jonas will be waiting for them down the kitchen, drinking his favorite liquor, and from Pantera’s immaculate words of wisdom, “unscarred by trials”.

BY JUAN ANGELO A. HONGO
Bulatlat

Being alone is a fate worse than death.

Yes, a day of not seeing someone may be a torturing experience, but one wonders aloud, how does it feel not to see a loved one for a year, not knowing where to find the person you’re missing, and all that’s left are memories of what used to be. It has been years now, two, to be exact, and everything is still unclear. For Jonas’s family, it was a year when seemingly time stood still, a year when tomorrow was no better than yesterday, that every waking day, one is hoping against hope that somehow Jonas will be waiting for them down the kitchen, drinking his favorite liquor, and from Pantera’s immaculate words of wisdom, “unscarred by trials”.

A quick recall

Four armed men and a woman dragged Jonas Burgos, a farmer activist, on April 28, 2007 while having lunch in a restaurant in a crowded mall in Quezon City, in broad daylight.

According to JL, his brother was set to meet with two of his friends, one is an activist, the other, a rebel returnee.

Dapat pala may ka-meeting siya dun, tatlo sila dapat na magkikita, yung isa, nawawala din hanggang ngayon. Yung hindi lang nawawala sa kanila, rebel returnee siya, at nagrereport din siya every now and then sa 56th Infantry Battalion,” narrates JL.

Jonas didn’t come home the day after, giving worries to the family. But, according to JL, he already had a hunch that his brother was abducted by the military, but it wasn’t confirmed until two days later, May 1, when they received a call from someone claiming that he saw someone who looked like Jonas being abducted in Ever Commonwealth.

Nagpapresscon kami nung May 1, nung May 1 din, dahil nakita sa tv ang nanay ko, may tumawag na isang informant na hindi nagpakilala, na merong kamukha si Jonas na dinukot sa Ever Commonwealth, naisip namin, baka siya yun. So tumakbo kami ng Ever, nakausap yung guard, naconfirmed na si Jonas nga yun. Nauna kami sa pulis mag-imbestiga. Bago malaman ng pulis na nasa Ever, kami, alam na namin na sa Ever siya dinukot,” related JL.

The mystery behind the sudden disappearance of Jonas saw a brink of light come May 4 2007, when the plate number of the vehicle used during the abduction of Jonas was traced and was found to be in the custody of the 56th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

From that point, they knew they were up for a battle with one of the most powerful forces in the country. But that didn’t stain the faith of Jonas’s family. What they did was to unite as a family, and fight this battle with only one goal in mind, to have Jonas back in their life.

The ‘playful’ Kuya Jay

Being the third in a brood of five, Jonas, or Kuya Jay, as how his siblings call him, grew up to be the most mischievous among them. He always sneaked out of their house and climb the tree behind their home. According to JL, Kuya Jay is his idol, so whatever his kuya does, he always followed.

“Mahilig tumakas sa bahay, kita mo nasa taas ng puno, so dahil ako yung younger, ginagaya ko yan, sinusundan ko kung nasan siya. Pero dahil mas bata ako, pinagtatabuyan ako. Dun ka na, wag ka rito!” (He always escaped from the house and you would find him up the tree. Because I was younger I always imitated and followed him wherever he went. But he would always tell me to go someplace else.) JL narrated.

Even JL wasn’t spared from his kuya’s mischievousness. Yes, they are brothers, but they became more of best friends. And as what other best friends do, they share crazy experiences with each other, and one of them took place while they were in college, in an empty lot near their house.

One time, meron kasing bakanteng lote, so madalas dun din kami tumatambay… May mga batong malalaki dun sa likod ng bahay, dun kami umuupo, so ako nakatayo run, kase nililinis namin. Si Jonas nasa likod, hinila niya yung shorts ko, ganun siya kasalbahe, kase nung time na yun salbahe ka talaga! Nasa labas to ng bahay ha!” (One time, there was an empty lot behind our house so we spent a lot of time there. Once we were cleaning it and my back was turned towards Jonas. Suddenly he pulled my shorts down. I told him he was so naughty, why did he do it to me outside where people could see us.) recounted JL.

JL also had his share of his Kuya Jay’s love for ‘strolling’. One time, according to JL, his kuya (older brother) invited him and his friends to go out, but it turned out to be a road trip they will never forget.

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