1994 Memoir – 12. Orphan’s Song

After I married Pat I stopped dreaming of Mother.  But I had a mournful song called:

GANTA TI ULILA (Orphan’s song):

IDI PAYLA UBIÑGAK NI INAK INULILANAK

(When I was young I became orphan)

ITAN TA DOMAKELAK SAPOLEA DEYDI INAK

(Now that I am big I looked for mother)

AWAN TI MAKA AMMO NO SADINNUTI AYAN NA

(Nobody knows where she is)

TIMEK TI MEYSA NGA ANGEL KONANAA NATAY

(Voice of an angel said:  She died.)

NO AGARO ROS LULUAK, O NASAM IT NGA INAK

(When my tears fell, O sweet mother)

NALIBNOS A LADAWAM TI AGPARANG KANIAK

(A fuzzy image of you appeared)

DEYTA TI NAGANAK KENKA, YANTANDAAN KARA WAK

(That’s your mom)

DIKANTO MALIPAT INGAT TONGPAL TOY BIAG

(I won’t forget you till the end)

 

CHORUS

AYA ONAY A NAGRIGAT ITI KASTOY A PINAGRIAG

(O how hard is this kind of life)

TI MEYSA NGA OLILA AY KAASIAK PAY

(One who is an orphan, O what a pity on me)

DAGUIDI NGA RAGRAGSAKKO INDA AIPIN NAKELTAY

(All my previous joys are all gone)

AY AYAT DETOY AYAYATKO SAPAY BINAY AN NAK

(Love, my love, why did you leave me?)

AY AYAT DETOY AYAYATKO SAPAY BINAY AN NAK

– JBS

This is a very sad song and every time I sang it, tears always rolled freely down my eyes and cheeks freely!

I used to sing this song of self-pity when I left Father to live with the family of Tata Anton in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, where I was like a “boy” or servant to his family; doing errands for them, scrubbing their floor, drawing water for them, washing their plates, and chopping wood for fuel, and cooking rice.

As a third year high school student I had only one pair of stinking rubber shoes and had no socks.  I was not even worth a nickel because I was never given any cent.  My cousin, Mg. Maming, who was my classmate, just shared with me what she had.

The only times I had a dream of Mother was when I was fighting in Bataan and as a POW in Capas.

Then again when I was in Vietnam during the war there in 1965, ’66, and ’67, I dreamt of Mother.

Also when I came to the U.S.A. and was not with Pat from 1971 to 1973, I dreamt of my mom.

One time Betty and Nula, her cousin, were playing the Ouija Board in Camp Crame and I asked them to contact the Spirit of Nanang.

The reply was:  DON’T DISTURB ME.  At that time the Ouija Board predicted my transfer from Crame to the PMA.  They were getting the spirit of Shakespeare or Rizal as their medium.

How I wished she were alive to see me become a CAPITAN as wished by her.  Her joy could only match mine when Tony became a Commodore in July, 1993, and I was there to witness his promotion.  As a boy I used to tell him:  AGLABAYKA NAKKONG TAPNO AG GENERAL KANTO.  Now he is a General!  Praise the Lord!

– JBS