It will be Father’s Day this Sunday and just can not avoid reminiscing the past and hard not to appreciate more and more the sacrifices Daddy (and Mommy) had to endure to raise well all their nine children. I may have given my children much more but it pales in comparison with what Daddy had provided given his meager resources. I just want to share again some snippets in our Daddy’s life for the younger generation in the clan. Daddy in his prime was always full of life . He was really good looking that Mommy was so enamored to him and (surely the feeling was mutual) that they eloped before they could finish studies at age 19. How could Mommy not be captivated by Daddy? He was such a sleek dresser. Malinis at todo plantsado ang damit. Mabango at puno ng 3 flowers pomade ang buhok na talagang suklay na suklay kita mo ang hati sa gilid at tayo sa harapan. Pati sapatos black and white iyan at puno ng diobos at talagang makintab, may pleats pa iyong pantalon – hindi katulad ngayon wash and wear na lang. Parang mahabang teleserye ang buhay ni Daddy. Kapag buhay pa siguro iyong kapatid naming manunulat na si Boy, maaring isasadula niya ito. Maraming drama sina Daddy at Mommy at tuwing matatapos ang isang drama at nagbati na ang mga bida, nasusundan ito ng anak – kaya siguro umabot kami sa siyam at ang madalas na pagitan lang namin ay isang taon, kaya nauunang dumapa si Daddy bago kami. Hindi ko na talakayin ng husto ang drama ni Mommy at Daddy – iyong iba na lang. Katulad noong nakaaway niya iyong kapitbahay namin sa probinsiya dahil lang sa puno ng sinegwelas. Hawak hawak ni Daddy iyong gulok – taga ng taga sa pader at nakita na lang namin nataga niya iyong daliri niya at hayun, kaming dalawa ni Boy , maliliit pa kami , tinulak namin ang tricycle para maisugod sa clinic si Daddy. Bago sina Bata Reyes at Bustamante, ang idolo ko sa bilyar e si Daddy. Ako iyong tagabitbit niya ng tako . tagalagay ng tisa. Parati siyang lumalaban ng pustahan at madalas manalo. Kapag nakakita na siya ng butiking dalawang buntot sa kisame, sasabihin niya kay Mommy, suwerte iyong butiki , kaya lalabas siya para makipaglaro. Ewan ko lang kung alam ni Mommy na nasa posporo iyong butiki at tuwing gusto niyang maglaro, ilalabas lang niya. At si Daddy, matalo’t manalo iyan – tuwing uuwi sabihin niya kay Mommy panalo siya para walang drama. Madalas din kaming magpa-madyong sa ibaba nig bahay namin. Kami ng kapatid kong si Boy ang kumokolekta ng tong at kumukupit minsan pambili ng kendi at pang-arkila ng komiks. Ang hindi ko makalimutan ay noong nahuli kami ni Boy na nag-sisigarilyo sa peryahan, edad lang namin siguro , 8 at 9. Takot na takot kami noong umuwi pero hindi kami napalo at pinag-sabihan lang kami. Tipong epektibo at hindi na kami nagpatuloy manigarilyo. Isa pa ring sumasagi sa isipan ko ay iyong nakaaway naman niya iyong caretaker ng mga apartments noong nasa Singalong kami sa Maynila. Iniharang ni daddy iyong Volkswagen niya sa driveway, naglabas ng baril niya at sumisigaw na kung sino ang magtatanggal o dumaan e babarilin niya. Buti nagkaayusan din. Si Daddy matapang pero ang alam ko hindi siya umuubra kay Mommy. Pero ang totoo, hindi naman talaga siya palaaway kundi matapang lang na mangarap si Daddy. Siya iyong orihinal na migrant worker. Hidi nga lang papuntang Saudi o Canada kundi sa panahon na iyon – mula sa probinsiya ng Isabela papuntang maynila. Hindi man nakatapos si Daddy, siya iyong tinatawag na street smart – iyon bang madilihensiya, maparaan. Talo niya iyong mga may mga MBA diyan at mga titulado – hindi man siya natapos. Maalala ko pa rin the first time he brought us to Manila , we watched “How the west was won” in Cinerama – that was actually my ultimate experience – We’ve seen the best places in the world but nothing can beat the excitement and awe etched in two small probinsiyano children - my brother and I. The next day nanood naman kami sa Dalisay – ang palabas yata “ Mga tigreng taga bukid – paglabas sa sinehan – si boy iyong kapatid ko siya na si Fernando Poe Jr at ako naman si Romeo Vasquez. Ang pjnaka masasap doon – pakatapos magsine – dinala kami sa Savory sa may Escolta – sa panahong iyon at sa murang isip namin iyon na yata ang sinasasabing pagkain sa langit. Si Daddy, hindi mayaman pero galante, madalas bansagan “one day millionaire” – maluwag sa pera kaya tugmang tugma sila ni Mommy na napakasinop. Both Daddy and Mommy did what many parents find difficult or impossible to accomplish for their children. Despite the meager resources and lack of fancy titles, they were able to raise nine children through their blood, sweat and tears to be all professionals. Daddy drove a jeep after office hours and Boy and I were the “konduktors” and that is how we learned acrobatics (sabit sa dyip) early in life. And when we were in Manila, he would make extra money and augment their income by driving a cab. He would worked overtime and board ships as immigration officer until the wee hours in the morning. I learned to be generous with my encounters with government employees, taxi drivers etc as I always see Daddy in them, making “delihensiya” to be able to bring home food to his family. Their sacrifices were not in vain. Their nine children grew up all accomplished – The first is a CTA justice, the second was a bank subsidiary president and famous playwright, the third is an Engineer and company president, the fourth, a nurse, fifth is a doctor, sixth was an architect, seventh is a dentist, eight is an IT manager and the ninth was an animator with Time Warner. Now as we try to celebrate Father’s Day, Daddy in essence remains with us. He is still in every one of us in the family. He continues to be in our hearts and minds. And in a way, he never really left us!
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