Mother brought to Vigan a lot of raw hides for tanning and got a sizable amount for them from relatives of Father who bought them for their slipper-making trade. She was no doubt very happy and was looking forward to a bigger business of buying and selling raw hides. But alas, her twenty peso bill […]
1994 Memoir – 6. My Grandfather Eleuterio Sibayan (Terio)
Lolo Terio was a very sturdy, tall, dark-tanned man. He used to meet us at the Abra River raft landing area to help us with our load of raw leather that Mother was bringing for him to tan. He carried me astride his shoulders as he waded in the knee-deep mud while his cart pulled […]
1994 Memoir – 8. My Mother: “Toyang” or “Idot
“Nanang” was called by relatives as TOYANG, for Victoriana, and by friends or neighbors as “IDOT” for “pinidot.” Pinidot because when she was young she was very sickly and no amount of medicine could cure her. A faith healer suggested that she be thrown elsewhere to be picked up by somebody and rename her IDOT. […]