What I Got from my Grandfather

The only I ever "saw" my Papa Lolo was when he said hello to me from a window. I was four years old and we were in Tito Mom's house in San Francisco. Kuya and I were fighting about the thermostat and I went to the window by the stairs to feel the cold glass. 

Papa Lolo suddenly appeared by the window and said hello. I responded out loud and said, "Hello Papa Lolo!" After that I was suddenly snatched up by someone (probably my Mom or Dad). And they nervously asked me who I talking to. I told them Papa Lolo was outside.

I still remember that day like it was yesterday and I still remember how cold it was in the house. The same "apparition" only happened once again. This time it was Gabby who saw him in Mama Lola's room in our home. Gabby ran back to where we were in the lanai and said he saw an old man in an all white military uniform. Yup, definitely Papa Lolo.

Anyway, I discovered something about my Papa Lolo. I found letters to Mama Lola and a planner. In 1969, my Papa Lolo wrote daily on the small planner what he did and who he met. In the planner was a raffle ticket, fund computations, and a photo of his brother.  His letters to Mama Lola and children were also very detailed (usually bilins and instructions). 

I also found my old planners from the 90s on the same day. I got curious and looked through the planners to see what kind of person I was back then. Oh boy, I was so OC!!! Aside from daily lists of what I did, I had birthdays of practically everyone I knew written on the planner. I used colored pens to represent where I know them from. 

Now I know where I got that "quirk" from. It wasn't my Mom since what she had is a gazillion address books (I filled a whole box of it!). I also write like Papa Lolo. Detailed and chronological.

*Long before I was born

How I wish I met my Papa Lolo. My Mom always told me happy stories about him. I know he wasn't perfect, but his letters and planners showed how much he cared for his family, especially his children. 

This tiny bit of information about my Papa Lolo makes me happy. I never met him in person since he passed away five years before I was born. Knowing I got my OC-ness from him makes me feel less odd about my quirk. :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Papa Lolo in the 1940s

I was going through some documents Mom left in her cabinet. I found an envelope with the name "F.S. Enrile" on it. I recognized it as my Mom's handwriting and figured it must be papers relating to my grandfather (Papa Lolo). I never got to meet my Papa Lolo because he passed away five years before I was born. 

I only met my Papa Lolo once. He said hi to me when I was 4 years old. We were in Tito Mon's home in San Francisco and I was looking out of the window. If I remember correctly I was probably sulking because Kuya and I were fighting over the thermostat. He wanted it warm, I wanted it cold, haha. Then I saw Papa Lolo smiling at me. I responded loudly and said, "Hi Papa Lolo!". Then I looked back and told my family that Papa Lolo was outside. I was immediately removed from the window. It's only ever happened once again, but with Gabby, my nephew. 

There weren't that many papers. Found a very brittle copy of Papa Lolo and Mama Lola's original marriage certificate, some letters and memos during the Japanese occupation. It was interesting to see how much movement was controlled in 1942. My grandfather was in the military and was probably monitored very closely. 

Papa Lolo was part of the Death March (April 9, 1942). Mom mentioned this to me when I was growing up. She said he saved a comrad from being stabbed with a bayonet. She said that person eventually had a son who eventually became a bank president*. Anyway, from the papers I found it seems Papa Lolo's movements were closely monitored and he had to get clearance whenever he moved. 

The folded part refers to any change in occupation.
(I didn't want to stretch the paper since it's quite brittle already.

Here's a clearance signed by the mayor of Manila, Mayor Leon Guinto. I honestly never knew he was a former mayor of Manila (to think I spent a decade studying at St. Scho!). 

Papa eventually moved back to Pamplona, Camarines Sur and this was acknowledged by Mayor Macario L. Francisco. 

I can't imagine how hard it must have been for the family. Mom said they moved around a lot because of Papa Lolo's rank. I asked her before and she said it was really hard. She said it was a good thing there were soldiers who would help carry their trunks. I did see some of those trunks because Mom had it in the house. Mama Lola also had it in her house in Naga City. They were huge!

Seeing the papers made me think about how God truly plans everything. Papa Lolo was born in the middle of the 1905 pandemic (followed by a cholera outbreak the year after). Then they went through war. Papa Lolo survived the death march. He and the family survived all of that and here we are with children and our children have started to have children too. 

I realized I mention my Mama Lola more than my Papa Lolo here in my blog. That's because I don't know much about him. I only "met him once", so finding old papers relating to him was a nice discovery for me. :)

*Mom's first and only job was for a bank (I hope I'm remembering her stories correctly!). 

Remembering

I was washing the dishes after a hefty lunch when my Mom told me why the dogs in the neighborhood (and our dog) were going arf arf crazy last night. A nearby neighbor passed away last night, a son my parents' friends. He is their second son to pass away this year.

I don't know him personally, but my Ate and Kuya did and my Mom's announcement got me thinking about what I have lost in the past.

1. My Mama Lola (maternal grandmother) - there's a drawback to being the youngest in our generation in both sides of the family, I only met one grandparent, my Mama Lola. I grew up with her puttering around the garden (fab green thumb I tell you) and her sewing on the manual makina (sewing machine).

I was 12 when I got the call at around 5ish in the morning from the funeraria. I had no idea how to handle things, so when the schoolbus arrived I still went to school. I was tulala in school the whole day and just cried in my Dad's arms when I got home. I still miss Mama a lot since they say I got a lot of my eccentricities from her and I used to hang-out in her room a lot of times (it was where I'd hide whenever my Mom would force me to take a siesta). Mama passed away in her sleep at the hospital right after a butterfly suddenly appeared in her room (believed to be my Papa Lolo).

2. My Lola Iyay (maternal grand aunt) - my Mama Lola's sister. Lola Iyay absolutely hated going to Manila. She lived by the beach with her lovely dogs. It took me a long time to figure out that her dog Whitey wasn't immortal and that she just kept getting a new white askal whenever the last Whitey died. Oh yeah, and she's very funny too. My Lola Iyay spoke English like she was born speaking it. She was an English teacher and had many, many stories to tell and absolutely loved hearing about my love life. (I have so much to tell you Lola `yay!). She passed away in her sleep about 2 years ago.

3. Papa Lolo (maternal grandfather) - Papa Lolo died 5 years before I was born, but my Mom would always tell me stories about him and what a good story teller he was. I met him though, in San Francisco. I was 4 years old then and was playing by the window in a hotel room when he appeared right in front of me. He was wearing a white uniform with gold buttons and had this stiff hat on (he was in the army and was part of the Death March). This was our conversation:

"Hi Papa!"

He smiles and beckons me to come closer to him.

"Papa, are you going to tell me a story now?"

He nods yes and asks me to come closer to him.

"Talaga Papa? Story? Story now?"

At this point my Mom interrupted and asked me who I was talking with. I told her, "I'm talking with my Papa Lolo!" She then snatched me away from the window. I know I was just 4 years old then, but I do remember to this day how my Papa Lolo looked. A few years later I saw a photo of him in a white uniform and realized that I did somehow meet my Papa Lolo.

Last year, my nephew, Gabby had the same experience. What was funny was he didn't have any idea how Papa Lolo looked and he turned all white when we showed him his photo wearing his white uniform. We must've gotten our being pilyo from Papa Lolo!

4. My Pets - it took me a long time before I considered having another pet when my oscar (fish) named Oscar was killed by the ugly janitor fish. I had Oscar for about 3 years, so you can just imagine all the stuff that we've been through. Prior to Oscar, it took me about 7 years after Cotton (a japanese spitz) died to have another pet.

You see, I do really get so attached to my pets and it takes me a long time to move on (longer than boyfriends mind you, coz one doesn't live with a boyfriend right? LOL). To Bullet (a dog), Cotton, Ham & Egg (hamsters), and Oscar, Lucky and Pork & Beans (fighting fish) I hope you guys are very happy in pet heaven. (The janitor fish is probably still alive coz we left him go in the creek behind our house, hmph!).

5. Dead Toenails? (I don't have any.) Dead hair? (they fall off every day)... ahhh and I this cute ceramic bowl just caught my eye here in my study room, Ashes of my Ex(es). Well, I know I'm being funny (#1 to 4 was making me teary eyed already) and I seriously have that pot (I wonder if Sweetie noticed it hmmm)... I'm referring to dead relationships, friendships that fell apart and stuff that just didn't work out. That's life and it's normal. We all go through that cycle, but what's important is just letting go of everything that's in the past and move forward by cherishing what you have now.

Live and let live. I say, "Love and just love because that is why we are here."

To Mama, Papa and Lola Iyay, I know you are watching over me and the whole family. I will be with you again someday.