Words elude me when I try to reach out to you yesterday at the Memorial for Martin and so I will write here some memories of “my boy” Martin. First of all, I feel cheated as I now realize that he was a lot of people’s “favorite Boy” however, I am not surprised as he is one of the most charismatic kid I know, Indeed he  will always be my special boy. I thank fencing for so many things that goes with it but nothing more than the chance to meet Martin and the Flores family. I believe we were connected even before we met. Grace and I both went to PLM for college  while Jonathon and I both PNC grads for elementary, several years apart of course.  Keona has found a big brother in Martin and a little brother in Peter and so they seem to become each other’s support as they grew up together, training and competing in fencing and traveling all over the country. Keona used to partner with Martin for the lord of the sword competition so they won several real swords year after year.. He was sitting next to me when I told Keona to go back there and hit the other kid back after she complained the other kid hit her hand hard. I’m embarrassed to admit now that I might have shocked young Martin. 

    We celebrate Martin’s and Peter’s birthday during our yearly outings at Junior Olympics in different states. The kids always look forward to treats from Mr. Flores and to be honest, so did I. Fourth of July in Columbus was always the thing and the unbelievable events of Dallas shooting during Summer Nationals that Peter took the national champion trophy. 

        The last time I saw him, he told me about psychology and its big role in business. I was amazed that he is enlightening me on this at my age as I just realized how I tend to spend so much money buying things. He is quiet around people because he is observing and analyzing before he speak, something I probably should practice. My heart is broken but I am happy to celebrate Martin’s memory and his legacy as I see him in Joanna, Katherine and Peter. On behalf of Cyril and Keona, I would like to extend my whole hearted condolences and prayers for the Flores family.

Until the road again is clear and the fog is lifted, the lightning McQueen that  zoom past us, we celebrate him and we thank him for bringing us closer and teaching us new things about ourselves. 

My handsome escort and my favorite boy. 

Mommy Luisa Moya

 March 2, 2023

A Lightning Message

As iron sharpens iron so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. - Proverbs 27:17

Dear Martin,

It's around 2:09 am here in the Philippines. It only hit me now and I heard last week. I'm not as fast as you. I stumbled on snapchat randomly while on my phone. I saw one story of you i took where I was laughing and you headed towards me to stop the video. I was wondering why that happened, then I saw a picture.

January 17, 2018 was this day. And I won't ever forget it now. It was the only time I've ever beat you in a bout (match) in fencing. It was there that we cemented my nickname for you as "99", to your mild bemusement and annoyance. For context, it's both a compliment and also a "pride check" as your perfect streak in Fencing in SMC in college was reduced to being only ever 99% win percentage. But also, it speaks of your achievements as I considered myself a fencer in my former life. The fan of fencing blew out too soon because I moved from a school heavy on fencing to a school that just started fencing. I thought my fencing career was over. But fast forward to college when we met each other in Psychology 3 (the statistics class) and we both had to do an ice breaker and both shouted "fencing", we couldn't help but be friends shortly thereafter.

I invited you to come to the SMC fencing club (which I just joined the other day accidentally stumbling upon them in the gym) and basically had our way with it, in many senses. We switched the focus from Foil to Saber and continuously kept "insulting" the lower blades. The common elitism showcased the kindred kind of personality we had, in that what we loved, we loved and we loved well.

The caption of the photo reads "Idk if this is happiness or just achievement but this is definitely a moment". Yes, indeed it was a great moment, one that I share with you that no other human creature has. And yes, it is actually a both/and. Happiness and achievement. While the achievement stands the test of time, the happiness requires a shifting of gears– a growing up of some sort. Because you were a strong part of my college life and even shortly after, you make up a part of me. And when you passed, a part of me died too. It came like a lightning strike, the news, you know? Ironically enough, when your dad messaged me to break the news, I was at a flower shop looking for a vase and they said they had none that could hold the flowers I wanted to hold it in. I see it now– Flores– flowers. Indeed nothing would be able to contain your blossoming personality, and nothing could replace your coast to coast smile.

I remember us both being the two types of people who never took the world too seriously– every tragedy was in reality just a comedy. I imagine you'd be laughing at me now grieving. I know, I know. I won't be able to lower your win percentage any further, I should be crying about that instead. Though I grieve you now, I think it is the same here, because we're both stubbornly consistent.

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)

Indeed, death was put to death by Love Himself. It is now a kind of fulfillment of the waters of baptism we got when we were babies– passing through the waters and emerge out in new life. The happiness takes on a new character. And I'm happy, oh so very happy, to have met you. I can't (and won't) regret anymore keeping psychology as my major, not because I particularly like the subject. But because I grew so much in all the classes we had together in the psych department. I wouldn't trade any of them in for the fastest of cars. Well, they wouldn't be fast enough for you anyway, so what's the point?

I hope to see you soon, buddy, in the body of Christ, the Eucharist. It is there that I will visit you, praying for you and knowing you're praying for me too. It is there that I will have my happiness again, as I bring it to the "Alpha and the Omega" (Rev 1:8), to the one who died but "behold [is] alive forevermore" (Rev 1:18). It is there that we will cry together "“Holy, holy, holy" (Rev 4:8). It is there we will encounter the Lamb who will "guide [us] to springs of living water, and ... will wipe away every tear" (Rev 7:17). It is there where we will witness Him "... making all things new" (Rev 21:5).

I leave you with this excerpt, a screenshot, a memento back in August of 2020 catching up during the pandemic to remember us by, of whose context only you and I would know:

Martin: I agree. Even if it amounts to nought, the slow burn is easier to live with lol

Elijah: live with? yoooo the build up makes the payoff bigger. A solid foundation is better than a rocky one

Martin: Exactly. A quick blaze may carry you to higher hopes. A rocky foundation will let you fall lower

Martin: A solid foundation gives you something to stand on and believe in.

Thank you for being the quick (too quick for me) blaze that carries me to higher hopes.

Your friend,

Elijah Lagman

Eternal rest grant upon Martin De Jesus Flores, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.

May he rest in peace, Amen.

I used to ask him what he thought about passersby. He was amazingly good at making credible stories of passengers on the train or clientele from the café, reinventing their lives on the fly.

What I loved most about him though was that – despite his (successful) attempts to look douchey walking down the street with one of his 3 pairs of sunglasses and that fencing walk which made him look like he’d just come out of a western movie – he would put others before himself. He would get out of his way for everyone for no personal gain. He’d stay up late for his friends even when they annoyed him, and would never tell them he was tired since they were having fun. He’d help someone else with their homework before working on his, would watch someone else’s preferred movie instead of his own. Even though he liked to put a tough face on, his kindness in heart was melting.

One of the many memories with him was on the train to the village in Corsica. Instead of looking at the scenery, he made faces at a baby who kept looking over at him the entire way. Picture Agnes from Despicable Me filling her mouth with air and then playing with it – that was Martin, pure baby entertainment (and for those around him).

He was a big kid. One day, we went to the wild beach, Capo di Feno. We went into the water and stayed for a while. The experience was comedic, at least for us two. It was as if we’d never been in the water and were experiencing it for the first time. We splashed it into each other’s faces, played leap frog, he tried to kiss me and instead I just swallowed water. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed for so long – we were reveling in childlike innocence. I bet anyone watching ended up laughing at us, because we were so goofy. Carefree, fun-loving, childish adults playing in the sea as if the rest of the world did not exist.

----

Martin, 

There is so much left unsaid. I wish I could have told you how much you paved my way forward, how much you impacted me. Thank you for your spontaneity, our coffee dates, your humor, your good morning messages each more unique than the last, and all the trips to wherever we could possibly go: Stinson Beach, Tahoe, Wilton, San Francisco, Monterey, Carmel, and all the way to Corsica. Thank you for letting me in, and for sharing a part of the journey together.

I promise to keep you in my heart and these memories alive. From what I heard, you hadn’t changed one bit, and had found your home away from home @bsbcco. Give a big hug to lil lightning and all the doggos up there.

To the Flores family - thank you so much for sharing your strength in your sorrow. My heart aches for you. He will always be remembered.