I have memorized the contours of his face that I can recall it in my mind without any effort. I try to imagine every story about him that I feel I am almost present in those instances. He died almost a decade before I was born, and except for his pictures, the stories of what a man he was and the books he treasured, I have nothing to remember him by. But I cherish him with a fondness as if he shared a lot of memories with me.

Carlito Arrazola or Carling as he was much known, is my grandfather. He was the oldest of seven siblings,a loving husband, a responsible and uncomparable father of eleven, bookworm and romantic.

He was romantic up to his deathbed. Before he died of diabates, he promised my mother that he will go AWOL from heaven for a while to make sure that his family was alright. And maybe as a sign that he was true to his promise, all the lights in the street of our house went out after he breathed his last.

The way he lived also was a way in which he made others love him. He had eleven children
and had to worked hard along with my Lola Deling in order to send their children to college. He worked nonstop in his two rice mills while my Lola will tend their store. They enterprised in everything, from ricefields, to mangos, to copras and to lambanog. Everyday he will go home, tired as a dog, but he will still tell his children stories about Greek mythologies and famous stories.

Though he only finished grade six due to the WWII, he read books voraciously. His friends will joked him, "are you preparing for an exam?" because while he was tending his work he always got his nose stuck to a book. He also loved reciting poems by the likes of Poe, Yeats and Auden. I had the greatest pleasure when after winning one hundred dollars in a poetry contest, one of my aunt, Tita Honey, texted me "truly you are the son of your Lolo Carling."

He was a patient man. Because he worked nonstop, he did not have time to worry about appearances. When a collector apparently berated him, taking him for nobody because of his soiled clothes after work, he took it all in good faith. But he was also someone who will protect his children and he was unrestrainable when it came to the point when his childrens' welfare came to the question. My mother, still a little girl, while tending the store had an obnoxious customer who was about to slap her, my grandfather arrived at the scene and taking out his gun said, "try that and you will have a bullet between your eyes."

He believed in education as the best way of success in this life. He sent all his children to good schools. He sent most of his children to University of San Agustin in Ilo-ilo and because they were eleven, the expenses was unbelievable. To solve this, he left a title of his land to the school as a guarantee that it is safe to let his children take the exam even if paymanet is delayed.

All through his life, his children returned to him in times of trouble. When his children married even before they were settled financially, he built them homes. When my mother was jilted by her first love, he was there every moment in mama's agony. He encouraged mama to continue seeing the beauty in life. When mama married my father and she was to deliver her first baby, he was with her saying, "Cheryl, you were always the brave one." He taught his children a lot of good things and one of this was to hold your dignity sacred of all.

Someday, after I die, I wish to return to Su-ay of the yesteryears, our homeplace. I like to imagine that he and I are sitting under the brooding narra trees in the plaza. We will catch up on the years of memories we missed on each other.

I am already turning twenty this November 28 and I am realizing how fast time passes by. But despite the years going by and despite never having the chance of meeting Lolo Carling face to face, I will always remember him. I miss him. I would have liked to know him that I am a man myself now.

Want to comment on this Blogs? Sign up to Edit Red and you will be able to comment on Blogs and get access to: Upload your own stories and poems, get readers and their feedback, promote your work...