When our business in Kalawag boomed in the 60s, Tatay went on of opening a lumber business to go along with our first line of business which was a sort of a general merchandise store. Since a lumber business needed a wide area of a lumber yard to accommodate our stocks, Tatay as usual was prepared as we still had an extra lot for it. It was at this time that we made good use of our cargo truck to haul our stocks from sawmills or to deliver customers’ orders. To complement our new line of business, Tatay had earlier added a construction supply and gradually and eventually phasing out other merchandise not in compatible with it. It was such a good time we were able to buy a bigger home lot outside of Kalawag where a new poblacion of our newly founded town of Isulan started to emerge.
Before Tatay constructed our new home or move to the new site of the town poblacion, Inday Celina contracted to marry her college sweetheart, Engr. Rolendo T. Delfin of Pontivedra, Capiz. They were wed in a lavish wedding on May 15, 1966 by the then Director of the Notre Dame of Isulan and at the same time parish priest, Fr. Ralph Deckocker, OMI. Toto Lendo as we call the new member of our family was a 25 years old graduate of the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City where he and Inday graduated together in 1963. He was a mechanical engineering graduate while Inday was from the college of pharmacy and they both passed the government board examinations in the same year.
When Tatay already started the construction of our new home and store and lumber yard in our newly-bought lot, the population of Kalawag started to dwindle but not deserted. In the construction of our house, Tatay made use of the materials he saved from our demolished movie house or sinihan in Kalawag which were mostly hard wood like molave and guijo. As usual, our new house was at par with our first with all the household necessities like water system and a ready electrical fixture were already built in. Being a two-story house, it was a lot bigger than in Kalawag. Here, our business expanded more to include automotive supplies and its accessories, motor spare parts, bicycle and bike parts, hardware and many others. It was at this time too when we finally had our first business trade name, G. Aujero Lumber, Hardware and Auto Supply or by its initial GALHAS.
While Baby and I were still in college studying in Manila, Tatay bought a V-8 International Harvester pick-up truck for our family use. It was in this vehicle where Baby and I were able to hone further the driving lessons we’ve learned from Tatay earlier. Tatay taught me how to drive in our IH cargo truck while I was still in high schools, and so with Baby. Tatay wanted so much that we in the family all learn how to drive and so, Toto Efrain was his first student. Tatay was such a good driving instructor we easily absorbed his instructions well. He also taught us how to maintain and care for the vehicles and to trouble shoot 4-wheel vehicles.
Tatay and Nanay have long longed for grandchildren as they grew older and they tasted for the first time the joy and thrill of becoming grandparents when Inday gave birth on February 21, 1968 to her first child Ivyrene Graciela. Ivy as we nicknamed her was a very lovable and beautiful baby that our parents were so proud to have her as their very first grandchild. Tatay seemed had no equal when it comes to grand parenting as he was very playful, loving, compassionate and caring as a grandfather as he was a father. He showered Ivy with all the necessities and luxuries for a child like a beautiful baby stroller not seen here before, dolls and toys that were the envy of other parents. Such things were all fit to pamper or spoil a child, but Ivy turned out not a “pampered girl” when she grew up. Instead, she was very responsible and one who was too strong-willed.
Tatay’s loving and gentle ways for caring all his grandchildren continued as our clan grew bigger. When Ivy’s younger sister Lorrevi Joy or Nenet was born on April 6, 1969, Tatay showed the same loving care and playful ways until more grandchildren came one after another, and he treated them all equally. Tatay loved to play jokes or kid with them, showed simple magic tricks and most, he enjoyed always their presence and loved to laugh with those who were funny and amusing.
One child I remember of Tatay being tickled into laughter very often by her was my sixth child Maria Elena. Ging-Ging as we call her was just barely 3 years old at the time that Tatay enjoyed so much when she was around. Every time they meet, Ging-Ging had to kiss him in both cheeks and even after just a few moments that they parted she would kiss him again and again. But what amuses Tatay most very often of her was of her antics brought about by her innocence. As she was just learning how to talk, Tatay very often asked her if what her name in English was. Having been tutored how to answer, Ging-Ging was always prompt to oblige. She would say: “Mi-nem ik Ma-li-ke-na Au-e-o!” This amused Tatay to burst into loud laughter every time that seemed he was very tickled by how she answered. Always enjoying her presence and by her antics, Tatay had to ask her again and again the same question and just the same, Ging-Ging answers the same throughout without hesitations that he saw in her as his favorite entertainer. Such happy gestures by Tatay whenever he was with his grandchildren have always made us to miss and be proud of him as a really great grandfather.
Unlike most men, Tatay was never a gambler. He hated gambling whatever form there ever was. As we’ve sensed in him, he never had been to a cockfight or to gambling dens in his lifetime. He as well did not like card games that every time he sees playing cards in the house, he put them aflame in a stove right away. However, he was tolerant of Nanay’s playing of Spanish cards. As her usual pastime to while her time during siesta hours, Nanay regularly played cards with friends her age on a limited time as she was a self-disciplined gambler. A very responsible wife and mother, she never indulged in them for hours like other in her group that Tatay never interfered in her passion of playing cards. Tatay was that understanding of Nanay. But where he indulged later was in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes (PCSO) lotteries that he saw in them as an easy way to get rich.
During his final years, Tatay frequently and very often bought sweepstakes tickets hoping that he may hit the jackpot someday so he can have something for all his grandchildren to inherit. However, he passed away without hitting one. And instead, what was left in his pocket when he died was just 30 pesos in cash, just enough to give one peso each to all his 30 grandchildren at the time. A year later, his 31st and last granddaughter Jo Anne was born. She was my 7th and last child.
To be continued…..
