Malaybalay Part 3

In spite of the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against us due to crippling poverty, we never abandoned hope.
Instead we managed to excel in school. In academics and extra curricular activities.
Intelligence has always been an innate characteristic amongst the five of us.
Both Vic and Lydia were outstanding pupils in the Laboratory School.
They were consistent honor pupils from Grade 1 to Grade VI, besting the rich of Malaybalay, the children of Flores, Ramos, Salang, Gayon, Eugenio, Estrada, Navarro, Azura, Cid, Borja, Cabrera, Valdez and many others.
In one singing contest of the school, Lydia won first prize in Grade 1 and Vic got the same prize in Grade IV with the same song, "South of the Border".
When a beautiful singing voice blends with intelligence, then no doubt that is the trademark of the Dumotan's family.

Once the school staged an operetta "Thumbelina", the plum role was given to Lydia while Vic played the role of Mr. Mole, the mouse, because both of them can sing as well as act. Much to the consternation of the wealthy families of Malaybalay.
When Mama attended the opening show at the BNC auditorium she was given front seat and all the teachers congratulated her for her fine children.
It was a well attended presentation, all the "noveau riche" of the town watched.
It was a heart warming and proud moment when the show garnered a standing ovation at the end.
At that one shining moment of our lives, Mama felt she was above the clouds and wished a thousand times that Papa was beside her to share the limelight of his children.

During the hectic rehearsal, Lydia lost her voice so Mrs. Exconde took her to a private doctor and had her stay at her home to rest her vocal chords. She did not want to derail the project as no one can take her place.

Not to be outdone, Victor himself was an eloquent speaker.
He was given an oratorical piece written by Senator Raul Manglapus, "Land of Bondage, Land of the Free", which he delivered flawlessly.
Another one was the telling of "The Night Before Christmas" and he also acted the role of Father Time complete with an hourglass.
He also gave a moving presentation of Carlos P. Romulo's "I Am A Filipino".
Almost every declamation piece was given to him because he could give justice to each one and hold the audience spellbound.
Not one school program would be presented without featuring either one of them, be it Lydia singing or Vic with an elocution piece.


Because of these talents they were the "teacher's pets", moreso with Mr. Godofredo Yedro.
Whenever he came back from Manila he would bring plenty of school supplies for both of them which he would deliver personally to our house.

When Vic was in high school, he was the Band Major of the BPHS Drum and Bugle Corps which assisted every school activity on a parade around town.

Vic also ran for the highest seat, the Presidency of the Student Body Governent which he won hands down.
There was a bet amongst the teachers as to who would win the election.
There were only two candidates for President, Victor and _________(?), another favorite of the male teachers.
The loser was to buy a couple case of beer.
His oponent was the bet of some teachers but Vic was the "Man of the Hour" among the students.
When the day was over, he was the new President of the Student Body Government of the Bukidnon Provincial High School circa 1967-1968.

He also represented the high school in a Science Contest at Xavier University with his Investigatory Project, "What Causes Waves?".

These school achievement, feathers on our caps, more than compensated all the trials and vicissitudes which lay in our path as we continue on our lonely quest for a better life.

Our peaceful sojourn by Sawaga was marred when a battalion of soldiers made their camp just across the river.
During their off hours, some of them would come to our house with all kinds of alibis.
Perhaps they just wanted to make friends with us or maybe, just wanted to have other people to talk to, if not seeking a different kind of company.
But Mama was so afraid of them that we decided to rent a house again.
This time it was the Dumindin residence, a somewhat dilapidated house with a leaking roof that hardly left a dry area when it rains.Besides, it was covered with grime.

We did not stay there for long and rented another house owned by the Canezo family.
It was a cramped two bedroom house with a dining area, dirty kitchen and a small verandah.
It was there that Vic, Quirino Nonan and Rudy Oblad would play the guitar and singsongs whenever classes are over.
Some of our classmates and friends would come over to while away the time.

Our immediate neighbors were the Padillas, Abundas, Gallardos, Corpuses, Ejems and Pinars.
Still we transferred to a better house still owned by the Canezos, it was the best house that we had rented.
Our boardmate was Mr. Baltazar, a high school teacher, who has a big family and whose wife seems like "The Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe, She Has So Many Children She Did Not Know What to Do" nursery rhyme.

But then Mama realized that renting a house was weighing heavily on our budget so we decided to go back to Sawaga.
This time we had a neighbor, a family of a laundry woman who worked for the Chinese of Malaybalay.
Manag Cita, her two children and her ailing aged mother who died months later.

Everytime there was a downpour, the river would flood and Mama was worried that our house will be carried away by the rushing water so we would all scamper towards the Grand Stand and some kind hearted souls would offer that we spend the night at their homes.
We would return early the next morning when the flood had abated.

In the midst of ourdships, not one of us uttered a word of complaint or a feeling of remorse.
We just moved on through life.
Nobody said we did not want this life, neither asked for it, expected it or deserved it.
For all of us, it was a part of our search of our elusive drea.

Since money was so very scarce and hard to come by, it was decided that i stop my studies temporarily.
I was in second year college then and Manit was about to graduate so i had to give way to loosen the tight grip of our financial situation.
With me out of school and no rent to pay, our budget eased somehow and Mama was able to buy a big radio with a big battery which quickly runs out of power  so Mama had to hide it every time she went out.
It was our only source of entertainment and we were now updated on the latest songs, news and soap operas.

But our fear of the soldiers across the river was constantly nagging our minds.
Everytime we would wash clothes, they would come over and gather around us in the pretense of doing their laundry too.
Others would be bold enough to ask for our names and Mama would give them a different one.
Sometimes they would come on Sunday afternoons asking for some sugar cane then would linger long enough to engage us in conversations perhaps to pave a friendship but Mama would not tolerate any of their unexpected visits.
She was afraid that if we were too friendly they would have all the reasons to keep coming back.
This was the main reason why we decided to leave Sawaga for good and rented a house owned by the Moreno's who were Mama's distant relatives.
This was the last  we rented and where we spent our last years in Malaybalay.
It was a one bedroom house with a dining room and sala rolled into one and a very small kitchen.
Our immediate neighbors were the Bahayanans, Belisarios, Gayaos, Kaguings and the Florendos.
Our boardmate was Romando Sambile, a good friend and classmate of Manong Boy.

Then Manit graduated from college and her first teaching assignment was in Camp 3 of del Monte.
When she received her first salary she bought clothes for each one of us, lots of groceries and other things needed at home.
The next one to graduate was Manong Boy whose first teacing assignment was in Dahilayan.
His first salary was spent on a motorcycle which he used to commute to his station and Malaybalay.

Gradually, our financial situation improved.
We have enough money to spend and a little more to spare.
Manit provided for our little "luxuries" like shoes and new clothes every now and then, wnough food and merienda on our table, a picnic or an outing with friends and a movie once in a while.
We even had a trasistorized radio bought by Manit in Cagayan.

As we rolled into our teen-age years, there was no shortage of girls for the brothers nor suitors for us girls.
But Mama and Manit was so adamant about romantic entanglements even though this was a part of our growing up years.
There were infatuations, hero-worships, crushes, calf-love, first loves gone wrong and a number of poignant affairs of the heart.