THE farewell letter

To the Tolledo family,

This letter is not to give thanks nor to extend apologies.  This is neither a letter of insult or whatever.  I have written this letter in Tagalog so that it will not be tainted with misinterpreted understanding.

Here are JP’s stuff that were left with me.  I deemed it rightful to return these to you since these were his things he once lent me.

I’d like to let you know, from this day onwards, I am excluding you from the totality of people I have met and known throughout my life.  Only JP will remain alive in the minds of me and my family and relatives who cared for him.

Everything that I, along with my family experienced from you and your doings are enough.  We don’t want to experience anything more of it.

I no longer have anything to do with you, neither do you have anything more to do with me.  I hope that this way, I will achieve the peace that was taken away from me by JP’s passing away and the trouble you have caused to me within my community, church, work and family.  I may have heard many negative rumors against me, I have disregarded these and lifted these up to God.

Goodbye.  I hope that you truly achieve real happiness throughout time.

Maricris Nonato

Sa pamilya Tolledo,

Ang sulat na ito ay hindi para magpasalamat o humingi ng paumanhin.  Hindi rin ito sulat para manumbat o kung anuman.  Ang sulat na ito ay tinagalog ko na lamang para hindi mabahiran ng anumang maling pang uunawa.

Narito ang mga natitirang mga kagamitan ni JP sa akin.  Minarapat ko na itong isauli sa inyo dahil ito ay mga gamit lamang na naipahiram niya nang minsan.

Nais kong iparating sa inyo, buhat sa araw na isinusulat ko ito, ay iniaalis ko na kayo sa talaan ng mga taong nakilala ko at kinikilala ko.  Tanging si JP na lamang ang matitirang buhay sa aking alaala at sa alaala ng pamilya at kamag anak kong nagmalasakit sa kanya.

Sapat na ang mga pangyayaring minsan nang dinanas ko at ng pamilya ko mula sa inyo kasama ng ibang kamag anakan ninyo–maganda man ito o masama.  Hindi na namin nais pa itong madagdagan.

Wala na akong kinalaman sa inyo, at wala na rin kayong kinalaman sa akin.  Nawa ay sa ganitong paraan, makamtan ko naman ang katahimikang pinawi ng pagkawala ni JP at nang mga abalang nasanhi ninyo sa aking komunidad, simbahan, trabaho at pamilya.  Marami man akong narinig na paninirang puri, ipinagsawalang bahala at ipinagpasa Diyos ko na ito.

Paalam.  Nawa ay mapasainyo ang tunay na kaligayahan sa lahat ng panahon.

Maricris Nonato