Just a mere five days after her 92nd Birthday, my Grandmother, Lola Meding, passed away. At such a ripe old age, she would get compliments from everyone who marvels at how strong and alert she still was, compared to her frail contemporaries. More often than not, she would just laugh her funny little chuckle (Oh-hmm-hmm) and beam with a half-proud “Thank you”.
Now that she has moved on, it’s probably best to share her secret to longevity with the rest of the world. In fact, this is so secret that she probably didn’t even know about it herself. But, as most everyone who knew her would agree, this secret sustained her throughout her glorious and wonderful life – Lola Meding loved to tickle Ivory.
She specially loved to run her fingers down two main kinds of Ivory: The Mahjong tiles and the Piano keys.
Playing Mahjong was Lola Meding’s forte. She had the grace of a Jedi Master when she’d touch the tiles. Just like any Mahjong expert, she did not even have to see the face of her tile to know what it was. She would just feel it with the tips of her fingers, very much like a Braille specialist, then keep or throw the tile depending on her strategy, all within 5 seconds. When shuffling the mahjong tiles and building her wall, she would go into some kind of a meditative trance, most probably to prepare herself and her strategy for the next game. Maybe out of respect or fear, none of her children nor us, her grandchildren, could beat her in mahjong. She considered playing with her amigas at the Casino Espanol her perfect form of entertainment, raving about it wherever she is in the world. In fact, she always looked forward to it---she’d be dressed and ready to go a good hour before her mahjong session starts. She would always dress her best during these thrice weekly “tournaments” at the Casino Espanol because she knew she’d win handily over them most of the time.
Playing mahjong gave Lola Meding her relaxing daily exercise, and this also kept her brain alert and sharp. It was her expertise in this Chinese table game, and her wizardry on the piano keys that sustained Lola throughout the challenges in her life.
Lola Meding had the power of the Pied Piper when she’d be on the Piano. Her musical charm could soothe frayed nerves and calm anybody down. When she plays her favorite tunes, the whole house would literally be drawn to her. We would come up from the basement or down from the second floor just to listen to her tickling the keyboard with songs such as “The Music Box Dancer”, “Romanza de Amor” or Cebuano classics such as “Rosas Pandan” and “Usahay”. Waking up to Lola’s piano playing ensured a perfect day for us! She played the piano with the skill of a virtuoso and her music brought everyone together in peace.
Above all, Lola Meding’s secret to her wonderful life was catalyzed by a very powerful ingredient. She loved all of us, her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, and she did so very much. That’s why it was very easy for us to love her back. Whether she’s here in Cebu, or with us in Manila, or with my cousins in New Jersey, she was always generous with her affection and always ready with her trademark greeting, “Halloo”, tickling our fancy like she would the mahjong tiles and the piano keys!
But no matter how well cared for, keyboards and tiles discolor and weather. Pianos lose their tune, and one can only play mahjong in so many games or alais, as how she would benchmark her games. In the end, the player must call it a day, but not without the satisfaction of a grand performance.
We have long been heaping praises at Lola Meding for her love and for everything she has done for us---her patience, her sacrifices, her funny little chuckle, her little quirks, her stories, her leche flan, her sweet tooth which we willingly shared, the cute little dresses she’d sew for the girls in the family, her faith and her legacy. Now, through these eulogies, we give her a standing ovation for her grand performance in life. Today, her concert hall is filled to the rafters with loving relatives, friends and strangers she has given the satisfaction of knowing her, whether for 92 years or just 5 seconds. Now, we proudly say to her, “Bravo, bravo, bravo, Lola Meding!”
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