“We never can truly know what tomorrow will bring” it is said. In the experience of Janet Gonzaga and Humberto Andrade, it could not be more true.
Sunrise. It was on that happy day 27th March that they met. Janet had traveled to Perth from Cebu for an extended holiday at the invitation of her aunt, Carolina. As the drive was quite a way from Mandurah, Humberto had kept Carolina company to pick up Janet at the airport. From the airport, the three went straight to a birthday celebration of Carolina and Janet’s relative in Perth. They exchanged but a few words, but somewhere between photos and karaoke duets, Humberto and Janet had hit it very well indeed on that first night.
Spring. In Mandurah, the days that followed were just as lively. Humberto offered to take and show Janet around town. Instead of driving, they walked. After all, they agreed, walking is a good way to keep fit and see the tourist places at the same time. Their afternoon walks brought them to the marina, the foreshore, and the different parks. Talking along the way, Humberto and Janet got to know more about each other. A spark had developed. Humberto and Janet had literally walked their way into a ‘boyfriend-girlfriend’ relationship, and on April 11th, they made the tag official.
Humberto, a chemical engineer, is originally from Brazil and has been living in Australia for almost 10 years. Recently, he has lost his job due to the slowdown in the mining industry. He had planned to go back to Brazil until the economy got better. But that was now changing. In the ‘old school’ way, Humberto asked aunt Carolina’s permission and blessing to go proceed with the relationship.
The daily walks around the town continued and, while exploring places, they grew closer and developed a strong emotional attachment to one another.
Summer. The mutual feeling of being soulmates and belonging to each other grew stronger everyday. They felt as if they had known each other for years, even though they had just met a few months back.
The couple decided to move forward in their relationship. In early July, they became engaged.
The fact Humberto was without a job did not let this affect his decision to get married. Janet also saw Humberto’s unemployment as a temporary circumstance. The loving couple saw themselves as a new family, together with John Nathan, Janet’s lovable four-year old son back in Cebu. They made plans to bring Nathan to Australia and send him to school here.
Friends in the Filipino community saw how happy Janet and Humberto made each other. They gave the couple their support, helping out in the wedding arrangements. On the 31st of July, Humberto and Janet became husband and wife.
Sunset. After wedding, Janet and Humberto spend a few days on their honeymoon. The couple then traveled together to the Philippines. Humberto planned to stay in the Philippines with Janet for a week before returning back to Australia for a scheduled job interview. Janet’s tourist visa was expiring, and she would not be traveling back to Australia with Humberto.
The plan was to meet their son John Nathan and Janet’s family in Lapu-Lapu, have a wedding celebration in Argao and then go to Panglao, Bohol. They were excited to see John Nathan, and a room at the hotel was booked for the three of them, as they planned to spend quality family time all the week with their four-year-old boy.
The couple arrived in Cebu in the late afternoon of 13th August late afternoon, armed with toys, electronic games, hero attires and a big Mickey Mouse stuffed doll for little Nathan, who loved the Disney character.
After meeting the family, they went to the hotel with their son. Nathan played with some of the toys, put a spiderman t-shirt and watched cartoons on TV. After a couple of hours or so, however, he started crying and was touching the side of his head. Worried, the couple decided to bring him to the hospital to check.
It turned out that earlier that day, at 9am, while playing in an old jeepney in front of the house, John Nathan fell from a height of one meter, injuring the back of his head.
Nathan was admitted at the hospital at 10pm, or eleven hours after the injury. He went into a state of comatose. Scans made at the hospital on admission showed a crack in his skull and internal bleeding in the brain because of the head injury. John Nathan did not recover. He passed away on the 16th of August.
A New Season Begins. Humberto arrived back in Mandurah on 22nd August, leaving Janet in Cebu. Due to job interview he could not stay longer in the Philippines For now, Humberto and Janet will have to be physically far apart, until Humberto is able to bring his wife back to Australia. They are trying to stay strong, supporting each other. that they may overcome the sadness and the grief. Soon, they hope to be together again.
