I found him..

"After a long time, I suddenly felt this longing inside of me.. Something urges me to search for that one particular thing that I have been missing all my life.. "

My mom and I have already had a series of talk about her history with my birth dad -- how it all began and how it suddenly ended. All is past and done. I do not put the blame on either one of them. I believe everything happens for a reason even though the choices that they both have made were right or wrong. I was born and I'm alive. Right now, all that matters to me is to find that missing piece of my life -- my father.

On the first day of last month (June 1), we started to look for him. With the help of a friend, we got a hold of his birth certificate. That was the only time that I knew what his full name was, the place where he was born, and the name of his parents (my grandparents). A tiny hint of hope sparked within me. My heartbeat was racing while I was trying to write down his personal information as it was being dictated through the phone.. Mom was right beside me then, and we started searching for people (with the same last name as mine) on every networking site I have on the internet. Several of them Lomios appeared.. Within the following days, we sent personal messages on each and every one of them, every single one of the messages contained the same question: "Do you know someone or are you related to Jessie Lomio? Son of Rodolfo and Nelia Lomio." A day later, two men from Dubai and USA replied to our message. The first person (Edsol Lomio) said "Yes, I am related to him, we're first degree cousins," while the second one (Emerson Lomio) replied "I think my father knew him, he is my second cousin." Those were the exact words written on my facebook account inbox. Other relevant information were also disclosed as we were exhanging messages. I couldn't believe what I was reading... These people are related to me.. But when I asked if they know where Jessie lives, neither of them had a clue.

More than a week later, mom finally decided to have someone go and search for my dad. Two older couple from Mindoro (Sis Bev's aunt and uncle) traveled all the way from the other end of Mindoro to Naujan just to find Jessie. They had with them all the needed information along with the whole story about me --his long lost daughter. On their way to the small town of Naujan, they accidentally ran into a tricycle driver who happened to be Jessie's childhood bestfriend. That's when they finally told him the reason why they were looking for him.. And he told them what happened to my father.

June 15 at about 10 am, a couple of weeks after we started the search, I woke up from my mom's call while she was at work. "Bonna, I have some bad news.. Mete ne i tatang mu..." Straight to the heart.. Weirdly, I was left breathless in silence. For about a minute, I tried to pick myself up and gathered my strength though my voice is cracking and I was bursting in tears. "Bakit...???"
He died of heart attack almost 4 years ago, according to his bestfriend.. His parents now live in Bae Laguna along with his family... He's got a wife, 2 birth daughters ages 17 and 11, and another adopted daughter.

So he's been dead all this time that we've been looking for him... Why Lord? You didn't even give him the chance to know the truth about him having a daughter.. A vital truth that has been kept to him all his life.. I've waited and dreamed all my life to meet him and now that we finally found him, it all ends up to this? Unbelievable.

Mom and I were still both shaken up by the bad news that we received. Mostly, she feels terrible about the whole thing. Guilt has stricken her so bad because it was her decision long way back when I was born to keep me away from my birth dad.. Only after she knew the Lord that she has decided in her heart to tell my dad the whole truth about me someday if they will be given the chance to meet again. I'm afraid it was already too late...

That same day, around 7 pm, we were trying to call up Jessie's sister who lives in Bae Laguna (We obtained her contact number from the bestfriend). We were both anxious and nervous at the same time while waiting for someone to answer our call.. Then a lady answered the call, just the person we've been meaning to speak with. It was my aunt Jean, my dad's youngest sister. Mom took her time to explain everything to her.. Everything about her and my dad.. and how I came to be.. "Kung meron man maghahanap sakin sa hinaharap, alam ko anak ko yun.." These words were uttered by my dad repeatedly while he was still alive, according to auntie Jean. Tears started flowing down our faces.. The feeling was unexplainable.. My heart was grieving and rejoicing at the same time..

Thank You Lord.. You allowed everything to happen according to your own purpose.. Forgive me for ever doubting or somehow blaming you for what happened to him.. I didn't know you have a bigger plan..