Tiyoy's Tales: A STAR IS BORN!

This is about the circumstance of my birth. (Nening, see how good my memory is? I even recall events when i was in our mother's womb. Hahaha.). Papa and Mama had Nene Alice in 1932. Then they had a son a few years later but died at birth. He was Jose Maria Patino, part-1. And Nening was born in 1939. Papa and Mama really wanted a son but the war in 1941 screwed - up their plans. Their house in Passi was occupied by the japs so the family evacuated to their farm in Barrio Asisig. Those were hard times economically and otherwise but Papa and Mama found romantic moments together that resulted to Mama's conception of Your's Truly. Thus, I was born 3 Nov 1943. (Ironically, on that very day, Japs were killing suspected filipino guerillas in Barrio Lungaw, an adjacent barrio, by decapitation. Tatay Ponsing Palencia was a known guerilla leader and was wanted by the japs). When Langga was born much, much later, Papa was dead drunk. In my case, Papa was in total control of his faculties. The nipa hut (payag) they called home doubled up as animal cage, chicken coop, 
sty, goat shed etc. I was delivered by a comadrona and fortunately without complications. As luck would have it, a nest full of eggs (pugadan) over Mama's head gave way and several eggs fell right smack on our faces. When the comadrona cleaned us up, everybody saw a cute, handsome little devil (that was me). (Jongjong, take note). When Papa finally saw me, he did some dance moves kids now call TWERK or BOOTY in grateful appreciation for his answered prayers. Imagine, LALAKI NA GWAPO PA! Hahaha. He ran out of the payag to shout to the whole world that finally he had a son. Asisig river was startiing to swell (naga baha') but he jumped into the water to celebrate. Due to the strong current, he was recovered in the next Barrio, Imbang. My parent's passion for mahjong and pang-ging-gi
never waned even during war time. They left me with Nene' Alice who was my yaya at age 10. She would milk our goat and fed me while Mama and Papa played mahjong. When there was no more milk available, Nene would insert her thumb into my mouth and i would stop crying, savoring her thumb, dirt and all. After the war, Papa would bring me with him where ever he went. We had this scripted exchanges always: PAPA: Sin-o payangga? ME: Ako PAPA: Insa? ME: Amay, sambiyog yaki! (Hahaha, sambiyog was 'isa ka bilog' nga lalaki. BOTTOM LINE: I feel very fortunate to be the 1st son in the family and to have a father who adored me. (So long, Barangay. Until the next episode).