Missing My Friend, Rolando Claud!

While we were attending our latest administrative meeting in our local division conference hall, I overheard my fellow principal talking to one of his teachers in a cellphone.

After he made a call, I interrupted him and told him that his call was too serious and they're planning to have a visit with his teachers.

"Rolando Claud passed a way," he simply told me that. I couldn't believe what I heard. I confirmed if I did hear it right. And he replied absolutely yes.

I was held aback for a moment. My tears seemed to drop. What a loss!

Who Is Rolando Claud?

We're acquainted while we were studying in college. We were staffer of The College Voice, the official school publication of the college. He's the paper's artist and I was the editor-in-chief. He's an education student while I was a commerce student. He graduated ahead of me and taught in elementary school in the Division of La Carlota City.

Rolando Claud is skillful in drawing man's profile. He's also good in pencil drawing. He is also a humorous person. He has a lot of good jokes. I remember when we were both together in the office of our school paper, I saw him busy. He was sketching a profile of a woman with a long hair. The following day I asked him if he finished his drawing. He presented it to me wearing a smile. Who is this woman? He just flashed a mysterious smile at me. Before he graduated from his course, he told me that gal was the daughter of Estong Montenegro, the high school janitor who just lived within the campus of the said school. That girl was his inspiration, a good looking, beautiful young woman.

He is a witty person. His wisdom makes me think and ponder. Our friendship has been edified when I joined with the teaching in 1991. In our casual conversation, he always had something worthy thoughts to share and I treasured one of those about attitude. Attitude is 100 when it is summed up according to each letter's rank or position in the alphabet. I tried it and he was right.

Rolando Claud's Bahay Kubo

His Art Work I Kept

It was sometime in 2008 when we met at the Division Office while he was following his documents from HRMO for his upgrading of his teaching position. I noticed he was carrying a covered big frame. I wanted to see it and he unpacked it. "Bahay Kubo" - a painting in oil. I took the picture of the painting and also his picture together with him. I learned from him that he was conducting a summer painting classes in Lopue's East, Bacolod.

That's the latest and last picture I got from him till he died of a cardiac arrest. Earlier that day, according to Sir Alejandro Ticao, his principal in Haguimit Elementary School before Sir Claud retires from the service, Sir Claud was doing some painting job in Robinson's place, Bacolod together with his two children, and arts associates.

Sir Claud is now survived by his two children and his loving wife, who is also a retired classroom teacher in the Province of Negros Occidental.

His Legacy

His drawing art skill is inherited by his children whose works have gained recognition and honor for him and for his entire family. He had trained his children on that field of painting, drawing and sketching.

Sir Rolando Claud, may you rest in peace!