Moved to tears
By Rudy Arizala
The personal letter of Mr. Daniel Abcede published in the MIF Website about "Nana Manang" who happens to be my late mother, made me shed tears. I had a similar reaction to a letter of another kababayan of ours, Mr. Leo Villeno, many years ago, when he wrote about his experience while still a small boy of his encounter with my late father "Mang Boyong."
Mr. Abcede, in a few words, described vividly my late mother -- her going to church everyday with Nana Pae Abcede; her going to market everyday; her fondness for children giving them her blessings; the way she walks with her pair of wooden shoes (bakya) while holding an umbrella in one hand and a round, rattan basket held in the other.
With respect to Mr. Leo Villeno, like Mr. Daniel Abcede who became acquainted with my mother when he was barely 5 years old, Mr. Villeno met my late father when he was around six years old while playing with his brother on the school ground of Alitas Elementary School. Mr. Villeno narrated that because one of the means of livelihood of his parents was "karitan" to make wine out of nipa palm juice, he and his brother received insructions from their parents that whenever Mang Boyong comes around, they should close the "sumbi" (small room) where they keep wine in containers. Othewise, Mang Boyong, being a BIR agent, would impose a fine (multa) and their parents would lose money
One day while young, Leo Villeno was playing at the school ground of Alitas, my late father arrived and asked: "Son, where is your father?" Before Leo could reply, his younger brother who was then four years old said: "Nasa lutuan po, nagluluto ng alak." (He is in the make-shift distillery, making wine, Sir!").
In that encounter, Leo remembered "Mang Boyong just smiled and went to our house to tell my mother about his discovery."
There were no arrest made nor fine imposed.
I did not know that my parents touched the lives of young children other than their own children. I am glad and thankful to Mr. Daniel Abcede and to Mr. Leo Villeno for sharing with us their boyhood expereinces with "Nana Manang" and with "Mang Boyong" respectively. It goes to show that we still live in a compassionate society which I hope such impression remained etched in their hearts and minds up to the present.
All of us, somehow, somewhere along our respective paths in life have encountered people other than our own parents, who somehow touched our lives and helped us become what we are now.. . . hardworking, respectable and responsible members of a compassionate society.