Enry Marcos Garcia Biography (July 27, 1988 - October 21, 2013) by Reuben Esteban Some say life is short...but how short? Others say life is long...but how long? 25 years is short...” These are three symbolic lines coming from Ginea Garcia, one among the four Garcia siblings. It was a sunny day, yesterday in Tarlac where the hometown of the Garcia family resides. Everyone was doing her own routine work. Ginea, the second born, is already a mother of one. Melissa, or the more popularly known as Meme, is a mother of two. Both are full time and hands-on moms. Ginea lives just about a kilometer away from her family’s house. Meme with her own family takes care of their house together with him. On the other side of the earth, it was foggy, mostly cloudy, where Renilla, or Lala, the firstborn, has been working for more than a decade now for the love of her family. She followed the footsteps of her parents in order to help her family to somehow become better off in life. It was originally Mrs. Esther Garcia, the mother, who went to Italy in the early/late 90’s leaving her family back in Tarlac with a heavy heart for her children’s better welfare. Some years later, Mr. Josepino ‘Rene’ Garcia, the father, joined her in fulfilling their children’s dreams and ambition in life. The parents have sacrificed many years of not being together in one place as what most parents do to give better life to their daughters and sons. They have been a family filled with compassion and understanding. They have surpassed many years of being apart but their hearts beat for each other. Enry, the last born, but the first one to depart...in the midst of them. Enry, Henry, Inri, Enz, Enzo, Echo, Diegz or Jigz, Diego. These were among the many names of this young man who stood the test of times. As a child, he was really playful. He loved frolicking anywhere with his friends. Because of his excessive frivolousness, at an early age, he had to survive 17 stitches on his left/right arm. He fell into a ditch or a canal in front of a relative’s house that made his bones misaligned. Despite this early tragic feat for him, he lived a normal life like every young boy in the village of San Jose. He had brought happiness among his friends and closest kins. His life was simply— simple. Since his family has been a believer of the God Almighty, he had known God as a child. He grew up with his 3 elder sisters in the church or safe to say, he was a church kid. He found his love for music in his childhood years. Since his 3 sisters have been inclined into music, he embraced the idea that one day he could also be a musician. As early as 9 or 10 or 11, he was seen with enormous fondness into music. He put into mind that he could and would also be a musician one day. He persevered. Afterwhich, he succeeded in pursuing the same ministry in the church which also meant he completed the Garcia siblings to have led the youth through music and singing. San Jose Bethel Church became his first stage in molding his God’s given talent in music. But it did not stop in music. He was given more responsibility in the church because of his passion to what he had believed in. He had become one of the trusted youth leaders in the church, in certain organizations, and in some institutions. He was an epitome of a youth leader filled with care, love and dedication to his chosen craft. Up to his last exhortation last Friday in the midst of his peers in the church, for some reasons this even became an outright premonition of his passing when he uttered in incognizance the phrase, ‘This could be my last sermon.’ And he hit bull’s eye. Meanwhile, Lala, Ginea, and Meme had been achievers scholastically which had probably led him at some points to get even with them. He excelled in his elementary days. His classmates in primary could attest to his diligence as a pupil of San Jose Elementary. After graduation, he went to Mayantoc Highschool. There, he proved that he could not only be a good student but a good example to his schoolmates. With his learned and acquired skill in leadership, he inspired many students to pursue not only academic but also non-printed or non-bookish excellence. Soon after, he took up Nursing in CLDH. Who could ever forget Enry in his snowlike white shirt suit with hanging green ID on his neck and a black box with stethoscope and other medical stuff on it? He might have thought, if my elder sisters could make it in university then why couldn’t I? Yet it was not about that challenge but it could have been the idea to prove to himself that he could start to earn more self-esteem and self-worth when he could finish a least a degree in college. He had his fair shares of struggles as a student but he did not quit, instead, he pushed through until he reaped the fruit of his labors. After some tedious years of burning the midnight oil in university, he was proclaimed as a legitimate graduate of Nursing not to mention also the fact that he was unconsciously following the tradition of the Garcia clan to have had at least one Nursing graduate in their family. Enry was a symbol of persistence among students who would like to follow their dreams. As a friend, he never had ceased to be a spark of hope and inspiration to others. He was like an ‘old man’ who gave words of encouragement when someone needed one or some. He was this young man who consistently advising his friends what were the right things to do whether in life or in love. He was a true friend to many. He was a genuine friend to almost everybody he had known in his lifetime. As a brother, he tried to become a distinct male figure at home especially when his father went abroad to build their future. He was truly respected not because he was the only guy sibling but with his non-thwarted principles of pursuing the truths in every facet of life. He was often misunderstood as a stubborn guy, but he only insisted his rights as a man and a human. He was also a magnificent uncle to Bernice Anne, Chaste Alpha, Yousseff Elijah and his other nieces and nephews both in the Marcoses and in the Garcias. As a son, he had never ceased loving his mother and father. He never failed them in every aspect of life. He might have not been a perfect son, but Mrs. Esther Garcia and Mr. Rene Garcia’s unconditional love for him is beyond transcendental. He was a true measure of a man. The day has come. It was after the stormy season in La Union where he met his destiny while celebrating the birthday of his long-time girlfriend, Melanie, on a beach in Luna. The waves were high. The waters went sly. Sadly, he wasn’t able to stand the towering tides this time. As the sun set on that day, he closed his eyes and went into deep slumber. Meme recounted, ‘Last Saturday I asked him if when he would gonna come back home and he said maybe by Tuesday and truly he has gone…home, this day. What a sad day, I can’t stop my tears. During his multiple accidents and misfortunes, I did not ever scold him because my reason was ‘what would I gonna do’, they happened! I had just kept my mouth zipped. But now my heart is aching and it’s breaking into pieces. We know we need to accept it but it’s not easy!!!’ There was a picture taken from him wearing a Superman shirt before all the incident happened. He jocularly exclaimed in vernacular, ‘Agtayabakon, mapanakon!’ which means in English, ‘I’m gonna fly. I’m gonna leave now!’ 25 years is really short. He could have been a well-practicing nurse, or a father to his own family, or an OFW with his sisters and parents in Italy or maybe with his relatives abroad, or he could have been somebody else more than these. The family’s pain must have been so excruciating as it has started lingering on. He was a tragic loss with a poignant end. Cherish all your memories with him from his Apongs house to their bamboo-sheaved house up to their current house. People have been expressing their laments and it is difficult to draw a picture of how much sorrowful is the family now. But as Ginea posted in her Facebook account, ‘life is from Him.’ We hope and pray that God will show us and our family a significant spark of hope and consolation until we keep his remains. The Bible has written in Ecclesiates 3: 1-8: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Finally, a prayer was written for the bereaved family whom he has left behind: God, soothe the family’s bruised heart. Give the strength to accept the things that are in front of them now. Cuddle them with the warmth of Your unfailing love and unceasing care. Let every tear that flows down from their eyes be a temporary comfort to their plagued soul. Use them to empower their grieving loved ones. Ease the pain that has reached their inmost being. Soothe their sorrow, and please take away their bitterness, Lord. Amen
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 03:45:20 +0000
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