Recurring Visions, Bebot’s Last Moments
These past few days, the aftermath of The Sulpicio Disaster, I have had some recurring images go through my mind, during work, in the mornings, and even in my nightmare-laden slumbers. That of the last moment of cousin Bebot.
Bebot was a sturdy figure, around 5′6″ in height, we call him “instik”, which means chinese, because he was a great percentage of Chinese blood, and because he was the most Chinese looking of all of my cousins.
The pain and anguish that I am feeling is basically the sentiments of what my whole family is feeling right now, but pales in comparison to his mom (my aunt), and the two other ladies of his life, his wife and daughter.
But as I said, these images have been haunting me, especially in the last few hours. As Bebot sent his last text message, when the fierceness of Typhoon Frank started overwhelming the ship, my calm demeanor of a cousin may have started to worry as the ship started to rock violently. The lights may have gone out. the engine as reported also gave way. In the dark atmosphere of strong winds, combined with high waves, and strong rains, people may have started to scream, and in my nightmares he starts to frantically go about in any direction, and then he hears the Abandon Ship.
The ship started to capsize only minutes after, I wonder if he jumped overboard, or was he inside too deep that he got trapped.
I know he was an experienced seaman, the moment things were a bit shaky, I am sure he secured a life vest. I am fairly certain that he may have taken his chance in the waters, as there may have been no time to get into a lifeboat. But I just do not know. And the waves were violent, high, and unpredictable. Coupled with strong winds, and an overwhelming typhoon, it must have been a daunting environment to be in.
I talked to Bebot’s wife a few minutes ago, and she was still praying, as I have been, that Bebot will be one of the survivors. I still have hope, but I am just too realistic of a person to hope without knowing that maybe my cousin just didn’t make it.
But this is the extent of my visions or nightmares, that of Bebot just running around. Either my mind won’t let me think of the worst that could have happened next, or just wants to spare me of the gruesome reality, but I always wake up with a still no-ending vision of what could have been Bebot’s last moments.
tags: (none)
dear nick,
i’m sure wherever is your cousin bebot right now, GOD is with him. as a good man as you have said he is i am sure he did everything he could to save and help others and himself. as an experienced seaman, i am sure he did what he is supposed to do to overcome the fears that was brought by the wrath of typhoon frank. nevertheless, i am with you and bebot’s family in praying and hoping that after this event something good will happen. as many have said, if God closes the door he opens a window.
God Bless us all!
dear nick,
I know how your cousin’s wife is feeling right now..you see, my husband of 5 mos. is also a passenger of the mv princess of the stars. He was my bestfriend but it was only by January that we decided to get married. He was in manila for his pre-departure seminar and decided to go back home to cebu to spend some time with his parents before heading overseas..he too was a seaman. The morning of the tragedy he called my cellphone but i missed the call because i was working the graveyard shift in a nursing home here in NY. So he texted me to say that he wanted to hear my voice and that he missed me. He probably didn’t want me to worry because he didn’t mention that there was trouble or that the storm was getting worse. Maybe he didn’t have time to jump because one survivor said that he was helping most of the passengers with their life vests..one student who he helped was also saved. The thing that breaks my heart is that I couldn’t imagine what he must have been feeling during his last hours, that I wasn’t there to comfort him and that we weren’t together long enough. I was angry because the crew wasn’t dispatched to helped the passengers, or that nobody warned them earlier so that everybody would have time to get to the top and put on their life vests. We are still looking for his body..he was only 25.
@Jessamine,
As sad as I am about Bebot, my heart also goes out to you and the family of your husband.. 5 months is a short time..
*************
Such is the true test of a man, when faced with such circumstances, that he still had time to help everyone else.. I admire your husband all the more for the acts of courage in his last moments.. We can only pray now that at least you find his body, so that there is proper closure.. We found Bebot’s body a few days ago, and it was only a little comfort..
************
please do update me on this, I am truly with you in this. 25 is such a young age, I’m teary eyed as I respond to your comment, it really breaks my heart.. we can only hope for justice..
************
If you wish to write an open letter regarding your husband, I can always post it here on tingog.com or over at FilipinoVoices.com, to let people realize that 800 is not just a number, there are faces, and lives behind those numbers, of which your husband is just one of the hundreds..
***********
Jessamine, I will pray for you and your family, as well as for your husband..