ZAMBOANGA CITY—“No one’s going to say ‘good morning.’ No one’s going to ask if we still have food in the house.”
This was how Rosalyn Lorin described life without her younger brother, 2nd Lt. Alfredo Lorin VI.
The 26-year-old Marine officer, “Limboy” to his family and friends, was one of the seven soldiers killed in a clash with Abu Sayyaf bandits in Patikul, Sulu, on Saturday.
“He sent text messages asking if our parents still had food. He always said that if we were running short of food, he could always send us money. Every time he visited us, he left every penny of his allowance and he would always assure us that he could manage,” Rosalyn said in Iriga City in Camarines Sur.
In a telephone interview with the Inquirer, Rosalyn said Limboy’s salary went to their mother and he made sure that the parents were all right while he was away.
Lorin was the sixth among eight siblings. His four elder brothers are married and have since left home. He also supported the education of his two younger brothers.
“He’s more like a father to us, even if I am older than him,” Rosalyn said.
Limboy graduated valedictorian in elementary school and secured a high school scholarship.
“At a young age, he was already a working student. We are very poor. His dream was to have a good job and build a decent home for my parents. Our parents are jobless and are already old,” Rosalyn said.
Breaking the news to their parents was hard, Rosalyn said. “One of the older brothers agreed to break the news gradually. Unfortunately, the one who was tasked to speak to my mother was the first to cry. My father is still in shock right now,” she said.
Rosalyn said even if they were devastated, they have to accept their brother’s fate.
“Maybe that’s the only task given to him by God—the task to touch everyone’s hearts and to remind us that life is precious and we need to strive harder,” Rosalyn said.—Julie S. Alipala