Little Histories of my Family

- My grandfather met my grandmother peeking through low small windows along her sewing classroom. Everyday he'd pass by from class to class, and pray to high heavens for even just a glimpse of pretty ankles or a flash of creamy perfect calves. Lolo Daddy fell in love with my Lola Mommy's legs, and stayed in love with her well into their silver years. Those legs, I suppose, were the reason my mother came to be.

- my great-grandfather, Conrado Apoderado to history, Ado to his peers, and Tatang to his son (my Lolo Daddy), was a guerilla fighting against the Japanese. His name still stands in the Municipal Office in Tartaro, Bulacan. My grandfather as a boy brought food for his father and the other comrades in the mountains every afternoon.

- My Grand-aunts used to walk for 2 to 3 miles through rice-paddies and road as little first- and second-graders. The only grand footwear they ever had as children were a pair of bakya (or wooden clogs) each. To keep their footwear in good condition throught the year, they'd walk from their little home to the fields, shuck their precious bakya off, and walk through the rice paddies, the earth squiching between their toes. Soon as the arrived on school grounds, they washed their feet and wore their clogs. The did the same thing for their trip home. Tita Ester and Tia Erming had a very happy childhood.

- When immigrants arrived on the shores of Lady Liberty, an Irishwoman met a swarthy Filipino Illustrado. He had just arrived as well from the islands for a college degree, and ended finding more than ivy-lague education. They fell in love, married and begot children. My father is from this bloodline.

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I'd like to start this little meme. Try to trace and ask around what interesting histories your family or clan had, share, and tag. For this turn, I tag Nikki, Dean, Buddha, Elbert, Gabby, Jonas, Pointy, and well... Anyone who wants to do this meme.