Edna Reynoso Anton, lover of life, defier of death

I am writing to Blossom Dearie’s 1958 version of the song “They Say It’s Spring” while birds on a wing tweet their Tuesday song. I am thinking of the time writer-jazz singer Gou de Jesus and I accompanied restaurateur Edna Reynoso Anton to buy a karaoke at SM Baguio’s appliance center for home use. Once the machine was installed at her house, we took turns singing. Gou’s and my scores were in the 90s. (That was back when I wasn’t a croaking soprano yet.) When Edna’s turn came, the help got so alarmed by the sounds she was making. Maybe they thought that something was amiss—they came running to the sala from every corner of the house to check if everything was fine. Everything was fine; it was just Edna singing her heart out. Never mind if her scores were in the 50s. Continue to sing she did! The Edna approach to song must’ve been how she approached life, even her death. She passed away peacefully on March 9 after a long struggle with cancer. A priest gave her the last anointing while surrounded by family and love in her home, not in a hospital (that last detail gave me a source of relief). Her struggle lasted more than 10 years in my calculation. She lived up to her prediction at a Baguio Country Club breakfast when she announced to everyone present that she was leaving for treatment abroad and would even outlast some of the people present. And she did. While some of her contemporaries died one after the other, Edna just went on and on like the Eveready battery, attending birthday lunches (I saw her at either Des Bautista or his Auring’s birthday celebrations at Rose Bowl), masses (she heard soprano Myramae T. Meneses sing “Panis Angelicus” at St. Joseph the Worker Church in one anticipated Saturday mass because she couldn’t attend the Viva Voce Voice Lab concert), her own surprise 80th birthday party at the Forest Lodge with a luau theme. The last was where I saw her, still smiling and laughing with gusto, thrilled that her daughters, in-laws and grandchildren came home from Hawaii to help mark her milestone. The emcee gave away boxes and boxes of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts in a game of trivia about Edna and other things like her liking for the music of Elvis Presley.

Lovely Edna (seated) surrounded by her children and children-in-law

With her favorite grandson I felt privileged to see the somber side of Edna apart from that bubbly one. In 2015, as I was coming out of a long depression, she got in touch and invited me for coffee and dessert at O’mai Khan Restaurant. She picked the corner window where it was quiet. Then she told me in minute detail her battle with the cancer that had her yearlong schedule divided in this way: part of the year for treatment with Stanford doctors in California and recovery in Hawaii and another half of the year to pick up the threads of a life in Baguio where she was a community influencer long before that term came into vogue. She showed me her colostomy bag that explained why she could only take small meals at a time and would have the rest of the food wrapped as takeaway for a later meal. Even as she talked there were still hints of girlish giggle in her voice. I guess she wanted to demonstrate to me how all the burdens we carry could be aided by a certain outlook, one that always sees the lighter side of things. We continued to correspond through email wherever part of the world she was until her last years were spent with husband Mike who suffered a stroke. Of this she wrote, “It’s difficult to grow old, but I’m thankful Mike and I are still alive. Feeling pain means there’s life to fight for! Mike has been a fighter, too, after several bouts with pneumonia (three-week stay minimum in a hospital ) and even shingles! He’s blessed that the super itchy band was on the right side of his face which at that time was still affected by his stroke, so he was able to endure the pain, thank God for that!” In June 2021, writing from San Francisco, she said, “I’m… waiting for my eighth cancer surgery tomorrow at Stanford at 7 a.m. I had to leave Mike with Carlos (their son), his two nurses and two caregivers (all live-in due to Covid precautions) because my tumor has overgrown to about three kilos and needs debulking asap. I hope it is a simpler surgery than the one in 2014 where I stayed for two months at the Stanford hospital and another two months in a Stanford home care where nurses came three times a week to dress my wound and bathe me . “I want to go home soonest so I can be with Mike through his long healing journey. Health is really wealth, and as we grow older we realize that time is precious. “Be with Rolly as much as possible, continue showing your love for one another, and thank God you can enjoy life with your family as you can all lose it in a blink! Will write and update you soon. Love, Edna” To top it all, she suffered a fall, not a deadly one but enough to fracture her wrist. Let Edna tell it in her unique words: “Lately, I have been going down to Manila for the constant fitting of my new caps and dentures (matanda na talaga) and my visits to my orthopedic doctor regarding the nasty fall I had on the 13th of September. I didn’t realize I had a fracture above my wrist until I finally visited him and he ordered an X-ray done several days after. He warned me another nasty fall will be bad, hence I’m limiting my movements and no treadmill for now. I love the book you gave me... so touching!” Post-haste I shared with her my novena to the Blessed Mary to prevent falls: Take my hand, O Blessed Mother, Hold me firmly lest I fall. I grow nervous while walking And humbly on Thee I call. Guide me over every crossing; Watch me when I'm on the stairs; Let me know that you're beside me; Lead me to my destination safely. In every undertaking, my duties for the day, till evening creeps upon us, I'll never be alone. Once again, O dearest Mother, Take my hand and lead me home. Amen. She emailed quickly: “What a lovely prayer. Thanks Babeth. Love” So we send you off, Edna, with love and on a wing of another prayer for eternal peace. May the dessert table where you are now be as generous as the ones you used to prepare for your near and dear ones. And if you must insist on joining the heavenly choir, I say, why ever not?

Detail of Edna Anton's 80th's birthday cake