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Vol 1, Num 5 (Aug - Oct, 1996) -------------------Page 8 ----------------ANG TANJAYANON NEWSLETTER

Past 10 o'clock that evening. The phone rings. Fatima picks it up. "Dad. For you. Sounds like an old lady." "Hello", I said.

"I-s t-h-i-s t-h-e M-r- B-o-r-a-d-a-x ?" An old lady all right, I told myself: low cracked voice, slow groping speech. Can't even pronounce my name. "Yeah, this is Braddock. What can I do for you, Ma'am?"

Silence. Then the low cracked hesitating voice once again surfaced: "My name, Rosano. Rosano Lopez. And I wanna join the Tanjay Association."

"Are you from.. Were you born in Tanjay?"

"No, senor. I from Guatemala. But my dear mother before she is die always tell me about a beautiful place name Abogon, in a town call Tanjay somewhere in the Filipinas. She was always very lonely but hoped to see once more her people before she die, but her dream is not come true. . . . Please, Sir; let me join the Tanjay organization, . . . accept mejustfor my poor Mama, por favor."

By this time, I was already in full artention, maybe emotionally touched. My thoughts were already far in time and space. My mind's eye was now flashing back with a sentimental scene: an aging mother, in the twilight years of her life, longing and yearning to see once again that "beautful place named Abogon, in a town called Tanjay. . ." She must have left the place at the turn of the century, at a tender age, an adventurous beautiful girl, perhaps who risked her life as a stow-away in a boat that docked in Luca to load sugar, then found hereseif in a strange country, Guatemala, half-way around the world with nothing hut hope and the Tanjayanon kind of faith in her heart that someday when dreams come true she would go back and visit Abogon, the place she loved with all the happy memories of her childhood... Until she met and fell in love with a young strong, debonair Guatemalan who could offer her nothing but love. But they were in love and very happy. And now, this Rosano, the fruit of the love they shared, was now trying to fulfill the final portion of the dreams which her Tanjayanon Mother could not accomplish in her lifetime.

"Por favor, senor; my poor Mama. . . "these pleading seemingly tearful words from the old lady woke me up and brought me back to reality.

"Of course, we will accept you, "I said hurriedly," and gladly welcome you to our Tanjay Association". I didn't know what else to say. "Here's what I'll do: I'll send an application form for you to fill up. Now, please give me your name and address', so I can mail the form to you.."

"Name, Rosa Lopez ......"There was a pause. I wrote it down: Rosa Lopez. "Give me your address, Rosa," I said.

Silence. She must he overwhelmed with joy, I thought. Then the cracked voice once again resurfaced: "Address, no recuerdo, just put there c/o 0 J Simpson. . ." Again, I wrote it down: do 0 J Simp . . . Then I was shocked! "Huh, what? Rosa Lopez, what's your address, again?"

Again there was silence that to me seemed like eternity as I very excitedly waited for the answer. I heard what seemed like very heavy breathing. Then all of a sudden usa ka malanog ug makabungol diod kaayong katawa sa lalaki akong nadungog sa pikas linya: "Aahahahahaha. Sus kong buanga ni si Braddock, hahahaha. Wa gyud di-ay ka maka-ila nako? Si Pablito ni. Pablito Manapol ba diri sa Virginia, Wahahahahah." Buhakhak gyud niiya'g katawa.

"Ha, kinsa? Si Pablito? Pablito Manapol? Buang-buang ka man diayng Pablitoha ka. Imo kong gui binuangan, Aaahahahaha." Sus, bali ra pung pangatawa namo sa among kabu-ang. Paatay gyud mi'g kagtawa, hapit mi matuk-an. Hangtud gui-dapi ko ning Fatima, "Dad, are you all right?"

M'tayng gwatsinangguha ni Si Pablito.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sa gamay pa ko (intawon), umalabut 'to ang Fiesta Anniversary sa Tanjay, gui-ingnan ko ni Andy, akong magulang, "Ambi, 'Dock, Grade III na man gyud ka, sa imong hunahuna pila may edad sa Tanjay?" Ako lang guitag-na, so ningingon ko, "Edad, mga 300 or 400 dagway." Dayon pung ingon niya, "Manti-aw pud di-ayng daghana imong nahibal-an. Grade III na man gud ka. Ako, ang akong nahibal-an upat ra man ka bu-ok: Si Edad Reyes, Si Edad Bayot, Si Edad-Doding, ug Si Tia Edad Calumpang diha sa Tabike"'

-o-o-o-o-~o-o-o-o

An article I read in a monthly magazine here reminded me of Carding Galanza's pseudo-lamentation one time when we were in high school: "Tan-awa ra gud ninyo ni Si Manay Sidra," bagulbul pa ni Carding. "Iyang gui-ingnan si Dr. Mira (dentista): Doc, niay tango akong ipa-ibut, ayaw la'g butangi ug anesthesia. Dali-dali-a ra ug derecho-a ra 'g ibut kay may-adtoon pa mi sa Tabuk" Mitubag ang dentista, "Ka-isug gud nimong babayhana ka! Ambi, hain man anang tangoha?" Dayong tawag ni Manay Sidra sa iyang bana nga naglingkod, "Uy Isko, dali diri, ipakita nang imong tango ni Dr. Mira."

-o-o-o-o~o-o-o-o

Jun Laxina (vocalist huhhy of Precy Torres-Laxina) tells a story of Ciano, nga da-ug gyud ka-ayo sa iyang asawa. Bo-utan, mao nga gui-ayo gyud ug ander sa iyang Mrs. Pero, ika-usa diha nadunggan nila si Ciano nga nagsyagit kusog kaayo: DILl na ni mahimo. Ning-awas na ang akong pasensya. Dili na ko maka-agwanta. Kutob karon ako na'y mag bo-ut, ako na'y magbo-ut ug unsa'y akong unahon ug laba: kini bang mga puti o mga de-kolor ba!!!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

(continued on overleaf)

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