My Cousin Ben Lopez

His Mom, the late Imang Kika was my Dad's sister. They're some of the few of our relatives who resided in Manila. I guess when his Mom got married to Uncle Ando - who's from Manila, they started living there. So all my cousins on that side of the family grew up and lived in Manila. I can still remember when I was really young, Imang Kika took a couple of her grand kids (brothers Gary and Rene) and stayed with us in the barrio for a few days during summer. It was so amazing to me that these little kids are able to speak Tagalog, a strange language that I could only hear from the transistor radio soap operas. When the youth in the barrio organized a dance, Cong Ben was invited to be a dance contest judge. And my brother Cong Orling used to introduce him, "And now all the way from Manila to judge our contest, Mr. Ben Lopez!"

In 2005 when Cong Ben and his wife Ate Nora were in the US visiting their daughters Liza and Lei, he was diagnosed with liver cancer. A little over a week ago, he passed away, he's in his late 60's. Not too young, yet not old enough. May he rest in peace.

Last Friday, Cong Orling, Cong Naring and I went to pay our respects.