To Willy

When I was a kid, I used to write letters to my dad for his birthday and every Fathers' Day. I really didn't have any idea if he read any of my letters back then because for one, I didn't have the girl balls to hand it to him personally and secondly, my dad had a problem with his eyesight and I had teeny-tiny handwriting. But one night, while he was throwing this big ass party for his birthday (for those who didn't know, my dad used to celebrate his birthday like Christmas) and I was pretending in one corner to be innocent of the blue stationery he found resting on top of his office table, he called my attention. He was holding a glass goblet half full of brandy with three ice cubes with his left hand. He smiled down at me and said, "I thank God for giving me a dad like you." My eyes widened in surprise as my dad quoted my exact words written in a piece of blue Bugs Bunny stationery. I hugged him around his waist and I felt his right hand against my back. I don't remember my dad saying anything then. We just hugged and after that, I ran to play with my cousins outside and eat some more.

Now that I think of it, I never really told my dad that I loved him until that fateful day that I never thought would be the last time I would ever see him breathing. It was the night before he passed. I told him, "God loves you, Dad. Lumaban ka." With blank eyes struggling to recognize the face in front of him, my dad said, "Ikaw? Mahal mo ba ako?" Despite the sickness already impairing his memory, I knew then that my dad recognized me as his eldest daughter. Tears fell and then I was able to choke out the words that I never told him. "Mahal kita, Dad. Mahal na mahal. Please wag kang susuko. Lumaban ka. Mahal na mahal ka namin." Aside from that being my first time to tell my dad I loved him, that was also the first time I ever saw him cry. That moment branded itself hot in my brain tissues. That's my most painful memory.

Today is my dad's seventh Fathers' Day in heaven with the greatest father of all. I miss him dearly but just knowing that he's in a better place now, free of suffering and pain, is enough for me to live on.

As a tribute to the first man in my life, I'd like to share ten random facts about him. Some of these facts came from my mother's stories of him during their boyfriend-girlfriend days and the others from one of the inuman sessions I had with him and personal encounters. Enjoy reading!

10 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THE GREATEST DAD IN THE WHOLE WIDE UNIVERSE, WILFREDO HERNANDEZ CASTRO

1. He got his first date with my mom with a deck of playing cards. (If you want the full story, see my mom! Haha!)
2. He once attended one of his classes in college right after getting soaked in the pouring rain. His professor did tell him to go home so he won't get sick but he refused.
3. In the words of my mom, he was the most mental father-to-be in the world. My mom takes one step out of the house and it's a long argument about endangering the life of his first kid.
4. He used to attend his classes in college wearing a white, long-sleeved polo shirt and carrying only a newspaper, pen and calculator. On his first day, his classmates actually thought he was their professor.
5. He played golf with Mike Enriquez (and he used to make jokes about how big his nose is in person).
6. When he was a kid, he used eye drops (to make his eyes look red) to fool our grandfather into thinking that he took his afternoon nap. And so, he'd be rewarded with Royal Tru-Orange.
7. He spent one night in jail. (Again, for the full story, see my mom! Haha!)
8. His favorite cartoon was Courage, The Cowardly Dog. I once saw him watching it and he was definitely nuts about it. He even put a TV set in his office just to watch it when it goes on air.
9. He used to eat mayonnaise out of the container with his fingers when he's wasted.
10. He won a lot of academic arguments with his professors that one of them actually asked for a consult every time an important point is made in class. "Am I talking right, Mr. Castro?" his professor would say and he would just nod and answer, "Carry on." if there was nothing to point out. (THIS IS MY FAVORITE FACT ABOUT MY DAD! HE WAS SUCH A BADASS STUDENT!)

Dad, even if we're realms apart now, I want you to know that I'd be forever grateful for having a father like you. Thank you for all that you've done for me, for all of us. Thank you for the encouragement and inspiration. As you've once told me that I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul, know that I will never give up. I will be somebody someday and I will make you proud. I love you, Dad. I miss you. Till we meet again.

To all the dads out there, Happy Fathers' Day! You are your kids' heroes!