REMEMBERING MY PATERNAL GRANDPA
According to my Mom, my grandfather Donato Costes y Serafica was born in barrio Toboy. My sister Ester even pointed out to me the exact house where he was born..It was near this bridge which is close to the Asingan/Binalonan border. My grandfather, my Mom said, was a hardworking farmer who would not hesitate to try anything that would legally bring in some money..
Soon it was said that he would meet my Grandma Modesta Gamboa. She belonged to a family of 6 sisters. Her dad Juan Gamboa, would play the guitar and persuade her girls to sing and dance. Now I know from what gene pool I got my music inclinations..
Great grandpa Juan lived in a small house located between our present house and the de Mesa residence. This must have been around the early 1900's when Asingan was still in its infancy.
And so they got married. I saw my grandpa's portrait which embellished one wall of our living room. There were 3 portraits in oval expensive looking frames. Donato, Isaias and Alejandro. Strange but I never saw any portrait of my Dad Vicente or his sister Filomena. I guess during those days you won't have any portrait hanging on a wall until you are already dead.
Grandma Modesta's portrait done in color air brush was on the opposite wall. Very beautiful. The last time I saw her was a during her death in the 1951 after her long, colorful life in Asingan.
I never knew much about my 2 Uncles, Isaias and Alejandro. I heard they died at early ages.This left only Vicente and Filomena as surviving members of the family..
There was a big typhoon the night my dad was born. His birthdate is now famous in history. It is September 11.
According to my Mom, during the night my Dad was born, my grandpa was not in the house. he was out working, ferrying some stranded passengers most probably between the river at the Binalonan-Asingan river. When he arrived home, he saw my dad for the first time. And he had lots of money in his pocket.
They said my Dad was the lucky child in their union..
Eventually, from Toboy they moved to Poblacion and settled in that location where our house is presently located. It was not that big yet. That would come later.
My grandfather found lots of business opportunities in the Poblacion. He pioneered several enterprises. He was mechanically inclined ( like my brother ).So he put up a KISKISAN ( a rice husking machine belt driven by a deisel motor ). He and my grandma also bought and sold palay. They also had this palay thresher ( TILLADORA ), an archaic contraption now recently replaced by another modern day invention. But it visited the rice fields during the harvest time and threshed the bundled rice stalks and changed them into golden colored palay grains.
His business concerned food, one of the basic necessities. That is why it never went wrong. Besides he was hard working and so was my grandmother.
Their big chance came when they won the national sweepstakes.2,000 pesos it was but during those years it was already BIG money. My Grandma was so happy she ordered some metallic copies of the winning numbers and had them displayed in the living room. It stayed there for several years. After she died, somebody removed the metallic numbers, but the color of the wood behind the numbers still show the numbers' outline.
The sweepstakes winnings boosted their fortune, together with the palay business. One day somebody asked grandpa to run for the mayoralty office. With his good PR and affluence, he won.
This was the feather in his cap, his crowning glory.
Unfortunately, he had one weakness: pork fat..He loved eating the delicious ( but lethal ) food. He ordered it by big containers called PALANGANAS.
Before the end of his office, he had a stroke and he succumbed to it.
One of the streets in Asingan ( behind the Municipio ) was named after him.
My elder brother was named after him. My only nephew was named Donato also, ( the third ) . My nephew had a son a few years back. Donato is also one of his names.I can surmise he is the 4th.
At present, my Grandfather, his wife my Grandma, my 2 uncles, my Mom, my dad and before I forget, my great grandpa Juan Gamboa occupy one spot, a corner lot of the Asingan Catholic cemetery.
May their souls rest in peace---#
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