The bus came at 3am. Usually that’s when I go to sleep but for that particular day, it was when our day would begin.  There we were, sisters Quiogue dressed in what would pass as our warmest clothes for the trip.  Me in jeans, a sweater and a very thin scarf.  Gigi had a warm jacket but Det was the most prepared among the three of us, after all she came from the New York winter hence the puffy coat.  This trip was a treat, after all these years, this was the first trip that the sisters Q had taken together.  Yes we had our New York outings when they both lived in Manhattan and I’d fly in for my regular visits. But this Hawaii vacation was the first time that the 3 of us were in a city where none of us had lived, minus the parents, minus the brothers and of course the kids and the dogs. 

So there we were on the bus on our way up to Mt. Halaeakala, Maui’s highest peak to watch the sunrise.  This was Gigi’s plan, i had no idea what i was in for, being the last person to sign up for this trip, i let the 2 of them plan all our activities.  I just went along for the ride, literally.

When we got to our destination, I saw several tourist buses already parked, apparently this was indeed a popular tour activity.  After a quick stop at the restroom, we made our way to the view deck and secured our spot.  While we waited for the sunrise, I tried to keep myself warm by keeping busy, checking my camera, taking short walks and stuffing my freezing hands in my pockets.  We kept each other entertained by sharing stories and anecdotes, as if we hadn’t just parted a couple of weeks before after spending the holidays together in New York.

And then suddenly everyone around us stopped moving, we looked in front of us and saw the sun starting to break through the clouds.  Behind us, a group of Hawaiians started singing a song in their native language.  Had no idea what they were saying but it was the perfect accompaniment to the sun’s slow but steady motion. 

I was shivering and my hands were shaking but I could not miss this moment. 

I’ve seen sunrises before but there was something about that moment that left me, yes me, speechless.  I could feel tears in my eyes. For a few moments, i felt hopeful, all the worries that i had, all the uncertainties that were waiting for me back in Manila were gone.  Suddenly in that moment, everything seemed possible.  And I felt blessed that I was sharing this moment with my two sisters.  After the sun had risen, we all turned to each other and saw that we all felt the same, we all experienced a wave of emotion and quickly hugged each other.

Little did I know that this would be the last trip that the 3 of us would share.  The three of us have not been together since that trip in 2017.  Actually my siblings and I have not been together in the same place since that Christmas in New York a few weeks before and with this pandemic, who knows when Quiogues Manila and Quiogues USA would be together again.  Now we make do with Sunday morning zoom calls where topics go from life updates to childhood mis-adventures (that my mom finds out for the first time)

If this pandemic ever allows us to go back to our next normal, i wish that the first Quiogue siblings reunion could be in Maui, and we would all experience this life changing moment together, dressed a little better this time.

If you ever have the chance, you must experience what the tour website calls the “incredible daybreak view from top of Maui’s highest peak” and “witness the orange and red-colored dawn of a new day set amidst the clouds” with your loved ones.  For a few minutes, you will be filled with hope, openness and the majesty of our Maker.  It will render even the most loquacious, speechless.

And that’s exactly what I was as we made our way back to the hotel.  I was still shivering, still thawing but my heart was warm with love, with sisterhood and with a memory that no one can ever take away from me.  Sunrise with my sisters, my Qhana….someday again…someday soon.