lomi not sick

I had called up at my parents' house in Bulacan. My kids were staying there for the weekend. Narcing, Lomi's yaya who has been with him since he was 7 months old, answered the phone. "Ay, may sakit si Lomi. Nilalagnat, may ubo at ayaw kumain." If you know Lomi, it takes a lot for him to lose his appetite. So this really sounded serious to me. Lomi has asthma and he has been in hospital five or six times for frightening exacerbations. In each of these, he became well acquainted with the IV needles and he has never really forgotten. So though he himself knows that he is sick, he will deny it like no other. Lomi would insist on taking medication and then say, "Lomi drink medicine. Lomi not sick, Lomi not sick." And true enough, he took the phone from his Ate and was telling me over and over, "Mama Donna, Lomi not sick! Lomi not sick!" My Ate Dina put the phone on speaker and said, "Lomi is sick e. Did Lomi drink medicine?" To which Lomi said, "Lomi drink medicine. Lomi not sick. Lomi not sick."

I remember one time though when he was quite sick and not eating, he seemed to be withering away in front of my eyes.
"Lomi, are you sick?"
"Mama Donna, Lomi sick."
"If Lomi does not eat, Lomi will get tusok and suero." And this was met with the most ear piercing wail.
"No, no. Lomi no tusok! Lomi no tusok!"
Being a doctor's house, believe it or not, our shelves were stocked with IV fluids and IV needles and Lomi knew where they were.
Remarkably maybe he knew himself that he was getting weak, he took out the stuff and said between sobs and wails, "Lomi, tusok." Pointing to a vein easily seen on his right hand. Though he was protesting, he allowed me to start the IV albeit while being restrained by his papa and Narcing.
This memory brings tears to my eyes.

As I am countless of miles away, I can only pray that Lomi, Maxine, Nikki and Jun always remain in good health. I hope next time I talk to them he will be well. Ingat kayo lagi ha.