My Dear Friend Meline

I was wondering this week why I'm not receiving any text from Meline and because I know that she's sick I'm not expecting a daily message from her as she always does. Meline will not pass a day without a text message for me; it's her daily routine - to text inspiring messages to her closest friends. Actually I've been thinking again of her text 3 weeks ago - "Thank you for the friendship that we shared, my life was happy because you've been a part of it, sorry for any shortcoming that I've done as a friend. I will treasure our friendship our friendship even to the next life". It suddenly occurred to me that day that her text message seem like a farewell text, it actually chilled me. Why? Because Meline was diagnosed two years ago that she had a breast cancer, she has undergone series of chemotherapy and it seemed like the treatment had done her good but after a year she's started to lose hair and weight. We didn't know that her doctor honestly told her last October 2007 that her cancer is incurable and has only 6 months to live. She kept it to herself and she maintained a happy outlook in life, her text was always so sweet, endearing and inspiring and sometimes with a light humor. You wouldn't think that she's facing the end of her life then. We were actually planning a lunch or dinner date because it's been a long time since we've seen each other, the only way we're bonded is through mobile phone. I’m a little sad that dinner date was never scheduled.

I learned Meline's condition from DSI, Ma'am Billie knowing that we've been good friends asked one employee there to inform me that Meline passed away already. She learned it from her friend, Meline’s employer in Classic Confections, she didn't stopped working even if she knows that her body is in a bad condition. Meline is really like that, you wouldn't find her sulking and thinking about her problem and sickness, she's a brave girl always. She's taught me a lot in the field where I am now, my course and my job was too far from what my boss assigned me 5 years ago but Meline assisted and trained me in all aspects of Accounting, so after nearly two years of being together in BT&T Accounting Dept. she returned to being fulltime in Classic Confections leaving me with one accounting staff to help me in handling Accounting department. The position was quite far from my education and work experience having taken Computer Engineering in college and handled technical proposal for 10 years. I wasn't prepared and educated for the position but Meline was there for me and now she's gone I can never thank her enough for the friendship, care and time that she's given me. I will miss her name and her daily text in my mobile. I will miss my friend and her caring thoughts but I'm happy that she's not in pain now. May God bless her.