AUTOBIOGRAPHY - PART 1

     This is the story of my life so far. Are you ready to read it? Now sit back, relax, and enjoy!

     My parents came from simple lives. My mother was 19 years old when she met my father. At that time she was working in a candy factory in Malabon, Manila. My father was 21 years old and he worked in a hardware store in Manila. They first met at a barangay fiesta in Minanga, Tumauini. They were both there for a neighbor christening. My mother was a godmother for that child. My father was also at the fiesta by chance. The beginning of their love story was small and quiet. My mother had long hair then. When she turned her head, her long hair brushed my fathers hand. My father said that the light touch of her hair was the reason he fell in love with her.

     My father did not waste time. He asked his sister, who had married into the same hometown as my mother, about her name. He told his sister, Ate, I like the woman I saw here. Soon after, he went to my mothers home to meet her properly. He visited her and began to court her. During their courtship, my father often brought gifts for my mother. He would bring many things as pasalubong. After two months of courting, he formally asked for my mothers hand. They held a simple ceremony of asking and soon planned to be together.

     My mother stopped going back to Manila to work after that. My father also stopped his plans to apply to the Navy because he wanted to be with my mother. They decided to build a life together where they both could stay near each other. They married on October 18, 2004. Their wedding took place at Church of Tumauini, Isabela, a church of stone with a unique cylindrical bell tower. They thought carefully about the day and the season before choosing the date for the wedding. Their marriage was the start of their life as husband and wife. They hoped for a happy life together.

     I am their first child and only child at my birth. My arrival, however, was not easy. I was born at home on a night when it was hard to find a midwife because it was late. Before I was born, five days earlier, there was a dangerous moment. I became ill because of unclean tools used during the time my mother was with child. This caused an infection that required hospital care. After I was born, I had to stay in the hospital for one week. The doctors told my parents I was in danger. My family prayed, and by Gods mercy I survived. My parents always say they are grateful that I lived. That difficult start made my life and my parents care feel very precious.

     I grew up as the eldest of four siblings. From a young age I loved school. In elementary I focused on my studies and I was a consistent honor student at Bliss Elementary School. My teachers liked me. I did not have a smartphone then. I had a small keypad phone given to me, but it was lost. For a while I used my grandfathers keypad phone to send and receive messages. We worked with the simple tools we had. There were no touch screens, no social media, and fewer distractions. I borrowed books from teachers and read to learn more. Those books opened my mind and helped me grow. Like many children, I also played and had small crushes. One of my classmates and friends during elementary school was named Madonna. She was intelligent, slim, had a nice voice, and moved in a boyish way. I liked her for her many traits, but I later learned she liked one of my friends. I did not make a story out of it. The memory stayed as one of my small childhood lessons.

     In junior high, I met many friends who helped me in school. I was sometimes late to class, and these friends always covered for me. When I forgot assignments, they lent me their notebooks so I could copy. When I did not study because I was sleepy or had rules at home, they sometimes gave me answers. I learned from this time that friendship can be strong, and I also learned the responsibility and honesty that I should have had. Even if we went separate ways later, I remain thankful for those friends who supported me when I needed help. I also learned that taking shortcuts in school is not a good habit, a lesson I now value.

Continue to Part 2