Stories of survival and hope
THIRTY-FOUR days after that fateful Friday night on Sept. 2, Dennis Larrida finally had the courage to go home to a house that is empty -except for a few framed photographs and some toys that remind him of his wife and son.
His family has told him not go home yet until he fully recovers from the death of his wife, Melanie Faith, and their son, 12-year-old Josh. They were among the 15 people who were killed at the Roxas Night market explosion that also wounded 69 others.
On Wednesday, Dennis decided to return home. He cleaned the house, arranged the photographs, and reminisced the memories he had with his wife and son.
"I am finally home now," said the 45-yearold Dennis who was also wounded in the bombing.
Before this, Dennis met with the other survivors of the blast and the families of those who died. The
meeting was for them to share their stories and listen to the stories of how others are coping with the loss of their loved ones.
"Despite what happened, I realized that there are a lot of reasons to be thankful for," he said. "This could be difficult. I maybe alone, but there is no other way but to move on."
Acceptance
IT was past 10 in the evening when Ericson Nacario and his wife, Emelita, arrived at the night market along Roxas Street.
Life at the night market was just starting to peak at that time. People milled about the street, under patches of smoke that wafted from the food stalls on one side of the busy road.
The couple approached a group of therapists. Ericson, 37, wanted to have a massage. He sat on a plastic chair, relaxed, and prepared for a back massage. CIO (For full story visit www.sunstar.com. ph/davao/)