Last Christmas Gift of Lolo Isio

He was a good Lolo. Everyone liked him because he was kind and friendly. One day his wife died. His family and friends tried to cheer him up but he was crushed by the loss of Lola Ebya. Later, Lolo Isio changed. He became forgetful, untidy, easily got angry and quarreled with his family including his grandchildren and everyone. The family finally sent him to the Home for the Aged.

December came and the whole family were together and for their Christmas party reunion, except for Lolo Isio. Because of Covid-19, the family business was closed and some family members were jobless. They met to decide what to do. It was a troublesome meeting. They could not agree whether to sell the family house and how to divide the money.

Tiyo Mesio, an old friend of Lolo Isio arrived. He said he visited Isio who asked him to give an envelope on Christmas day to the family. They opened the envelope. There were two bank passbooks and a letter. It read, “Mga anak pasayloa intawon ako kay kanunay ako mangasaba. Gimingaw man gud ako sa pagkawala sa inyong mama. Inyo na ang tanang natigum ko aron malipayon ang inyong pasko.” They opened the bank passbooks which had 2 million pesos in their names. Feeling guilty, they went to the Home for the Aged. They were told that Lolo died an hour before their arrival. The caregivers said the last words of Lolo Isio were, “Pasaylo, pasaylo mga anak.”