1939- How Pat & I Fell In Love

Editor's Note: I got a copy of my grandfather's diary from my aunt. (Thanks Tita Bing!) He wrote it in the mid-90's while he was doing security guard work around Tampa Bay and it's full of daily anecdotes and even more stories than the memoir that I'm working on now. This one is 304 handwritten pages and my brain goes a little numb and my fingers want to hide at the thought of transcribing it.

There are some good entries in here, and I plan to dip into it now and then to mix things up on the blog. He has very detailed remembrances of WWII in here and I plan to tackle those once I'm done with the memoir. For now, here's his side of the story going on right now from "Nanay" my grandmother's memoir that my sister is dutifully working on now.

One day while visiting Pat and her mother in a Boarding House opened by them in Azcarraga near UE (University of the East), I asked if she has already enrolled in school. She said "not yet because mother has not yet sold her sewing machine." I asked for her report card. She just finished 2nd year H.S. in the Nueva Vizcaya Vocational H.S. and she intended to enroll in the National Univ. H.S. Dept. in Sampaloc, Manila.

To my great amazement, I never saw a card like that before, which was full of 90+ grades with no grade below 85%. Her general average was around 95%. Almost perfect! She said she was correcting themes written by 3rd year students under Miss Veragara, her English teacher. I was surprised!

I told her that I will pay for her initial enrollment fees because it was just a few days when enrollment will be closed. Her mother agreed. The only amount needed was 5 pesos ($2.50) and she got enrolled. We were both very happy.

At that time in 1939 my girlfriend was Martha. My other girlfriends: Elay, Edith, Tonie and Olive had all graduated as nurses. I could no longer visit them in their hospital schools as before and we stopped communicating with each other.

God knows that my only interest in helping Pat was because of her high grades and I said: SAYANG if her intelligence will not be exploited. I could foresee that she would make good in school and have a bright future. And she was very eager to go to school!

On the first week of her schooling she took an exam for the H.S. Newsletter Editor-In-Chief. She was the first one who submitted her theme to the amazement of the aspirants, but hers was declared the winner by Leon O. Ty, a very famous newspaper writer.

This made Pat very popular considering the fact that nearly all the contestants were fourth year students. Her picture was in the papers as Editor-In-Chief! Her mother was very proud of her and all their boarders celebrated her victory. She was given scholarship benefits as a H.S. student and at the same time as a Normal School (College equivalent) student to become a teacher.

Many boys tried to date her. One of their boarders was after her. She told me all about her problems. I realized she would be in trouble and unable to continue her studies if she fell in love with somebody.

In the beginning I pretended to fall in love with her so that she would not fall in love with someone else. I tried to protect her future. She responded to my letters and ultimately we became sweethearts. Her beautifully written "Story of My Life" can better tell what actually happened, except the fact that I was just pretending to court her. God knows! JBS

Martha was a H.S. graduate and more beautiful than Pat. Although not as intelligent I suppose because she never answered my letters, nor encouraged me beyond the flick of her eyelashes and smile on her lips!

There was a point when I could pretend no longer. I gave up Martha and went full speed for PAT! This proves that LOVE can really grow. My favorite song was:

Love in bloom
This is the past dear,
A spark then a flame
The moon was to blame
The world was all in tune-

This is the present,
The flame still aglow
My darling and so-
I blame the stars and the moon

This is the future, you at my side
A groom and a bride,
A home for more than two

My beloved one, this is the past
The present and the future
I'm only living just
For you-
JBS

Our bundle of love letters from 1939 to 1941 can better tell the full love story between Pat and me. I've given each of my children copies of those same love letters.

Neither Pat or I had any objection to anybody seeing seeing these letters which are in the Abra Provincial Library as a part of my five volumes of the story of my life entitled "Anak Ti Abra." The Librarian, Mr. Bianes said that many read those love letters.