That Creepy 2013 Year - End

by

Ric F. Maulion

(5^th Day of My 500 Words thirty one January Days Challenge.) Have you ever experienced the chill what to do when you’re caught what it would be like confirming if an unknown dead person is  a friend when you discover actually not. Right in a morgue!

            Suspense, cold palm, goose bumps, what have you were all  the feelings  engulfing me as willing hostage when I negotiated the road with my bike towards nearby Funeraria parlor for very special mission – verification of dead person’s identity suspected to be a friend. This as Gerry Ucat, jolly member of the group heard the public service announcement over the radio. Is he the one  or  not? Well, the story has it  that an unknown jogger at Greenhills Cemetery was found dead early that morning started it all. The still unknown body was taken directly at local parlor and was  subject for legal claim. But so far no family or relatives have showed up yet to claim the dead body for good and descent burial.

What could be a tragic consequence indeed if  concerned unclaimed body was a member of Knight of Columbus we tried but failed to serenade as he did not return home since last night, the nasty thought playing around. But might have already returned home and probably complied his regular early habit of jogging around Green hills cemetery, the thought further engrossing in my mind. This as I suspected most likely to be the one as I have not seen him too among  participants attending Rizal’s Day that morning despite earlier promise to be with the 4^th Degree regular members honoring the 117^th birthday of our country’s National Hero.

            But thanks as he was not. The connection did not just worked out.  “Happy of your concern brady but sorry to inform you that actually my family name of Cruzes are famous of having more than nine lives!” he revealed in jest as I went to see him after my third visit from the morgue. Well, I actually made three rounds of visit. The second when I brought with me Brady Henry Pizaña, President of Terryhills Homeowners Association to help me identify the subject. Third is when I brought with me a digicam and planned it to have his picture posted in FB to facilitate claim from concerned family or relatives. The subject was however already identified the other night through the public service announcement over the radio. Finally nice feeling there felt, probably natural result when you go extra mile helping people not known to you. The once unknown dead body now found by his family would now I think truly  resting  in peace.

            I have actually several experience just to have a feel of  it how morgue works and cadavers look like. Can’t believe that morgue is not far butcher house – cadavers butchered like any animals at will bellies protruding from stomach here and skull sawed and put back in place the case of several  prisoners caught and ordered shoot-to-kill from jail break. Fresh dead bodies hauled from pick up for refrigeration and bodies stiffed taken out for recognition from refrigerator like compartments, dead bodies loitering around. All these have been an ugly site associated with morgue. But that was way back then in College.

 The latest experience I had with dead bodies dumped all over that crowded formalin scented morgue  visited was just the latest of it all. And how could I ever forget video uploaded by a friend entitled “Slaughter House” showing embalmers slicing all those faces, skins and all that from cadavers as simple as counting one, two, three all for days work. Hmm I should end my entry here as life should go on for 2014.