Family Memories: Laput-Cerrudo

 

My Auntie Remy passed away on March 5^th, 2021.  She was the last one of the Laput-Cerrudo siblings; five children borne from the union of Olympia Laput from Zamboanga and Jose Cerrudo from Aklan. I have mourned them when they died, but now I would like to remember the beautiful memories they left behind.

I am certain that I was my aunt’s favorite niece, although my youngest sister would probably dispute that. I am thankful that I saw Auntie Remy via Zoom when several of our relatives celebrated my mom’s 90^th birthday. Looking gaunt and in pain, she watched silently but with a smile on her face as the cousins chatted with each other, from different countries, different time zones, sometimes talking over each other. I think Auntie Remy, Uncle Pat, Auntie Zeny enjoyed watching the banter.  We also had a few relatives on my mom's side on the Zoom call. That was the only reunion we could afford during these pandemic times; we could only blow kisses to each other.

I am paying homage to the Laput-Cerrudo siblings, even if it is too late. I never had a chance to honor them in life, but I hope I am able to convey my love for them. Theirs is a legacy of love for family, of supporting each other through life's challenges. 

Auntie Sol was the eldest of the five. Married to Uncle Tito, a lawyer with a big personality, children Bobong, Boboy, Bing Imelda, and Bebot. She was the reason why I was able to start nursing school. She financed the early years and told me that she wanted me to be a nurse so I can help my family. I remember her always sitting on her rocking chair reading a book. I must have gotten the love of reading from Auntie Sol.  I can never thank her enough.

My Tatay Cezar came next. Married to Neneng/Marina, children: Nenet/Jo, Toto, Edwin, Allan, and Bheng. He was the joker of the family. He loved to dance; he loved to tickle all his children and chase us all over the house, even my mother. My Tatay was an OFW and worked in Laos, Iran, Angola, among other places. When he came home from his contract abroad, he loved to spend a lot of time with the kids. He used to tell stories of super heroes and supernatural beings, just so we can play hide-and-seek.

My Auntie Remy was the tall, statuesque one. Married to Uncle Pat, children Baby/Charlotta, Jun, Cladys, and Charlie. She was always made up, her lipstick perfect. She was always on the go, so active, always dancing.

Uncle Toto/Romeo- Married to Auntie Zeny, children Efren, Erma, Nelson, and Earl. This Cerrudo branch settled in Los Banos, Laguna. Uncle Toto used to stop by at our house in Baclaran just to check on us kids. I loved our trips to Mt. Makiling and Nagcarlan. 

Auntie Fe was the youngest. Married to Uncle Billy with the most children- Vener, Vernie, Arthur, Gemma, Junior Gamatoy, twins Mar and Leo, and Dennis. I remember Auntie Fe as always humming, with a song on her lips. I wonder how she managed all eight kids? 

I love my big, crazy, fun-loving Filipino family. The Laput-Cerrudo siblings spawned the new generation, and we, in turn, expanded to an even bigger group who somehow managed to come together to reunions, at least every two years.

Growing up in Davao, the Cerrudo/Gallardo/Calvo/DelaSerna cousins were a rambunctious bunch, always getting in trouble with the kids from the squatter near the river. Not that we were brats to those kids, but those kids were truly mean and loved to bully my brothers and cousins, so Baby and I usually swooped in like superheroes, like Darna and chased the kids away. We were the vanquishers of those snot-nosed kids. However, when we were caught doing some mischief, our grandma lined us up, from oldest to youngest, and spanked our butts. By the time our grandma was halfway down the line of kids, she was tired.

Mama, the matriarch

The cousins lived with our families with our grandmother Olympia who we all called Mama in a 5-story building in Magallanes St, Davao City across the RMC school. Mama operated the Oro's Refreshment & Restaurant on the first floor which catered to the school crowd. After school hours, the restaurant was often crowded with some dancing to the latest tunes on the Jukebox, The cousins would often line up the stairs behind the cashier and our Mama would sometimes shoo us away with some hot Mami noodles, bread, and Coke.

But during class time, the wait staff gathered in front of the restaurant as they waited for the throng of high school and college kids to finish school and to come rushing to the restaurant for their snacks and to play the jukebox. It was also Mama’s siesta time. So after our maids slept themselves as they tried, unsuccessfully, to get the kids to do their nap time, the kids crept down to the first floor-restaurant. Behind the display counter, with my younger cousins acting as sentry, and a few others distracting the wait staff, Baby and I swiped/stole a piece or two of the durian cake. Then, about ten kids shared our bounty, bonded by our little thievery.

My sister Bheng always reminded me that she almost choked because Baby and I shoved a banana cake down her throat when we heard our grandma leave her room and come down the stairs. My sister also reminded me that the kids used to slip to the kitchen to beg the cook to give us bowls of hot mami and pancit canton. My grandma probably wondered why we always ran out of food.

We also spent some time in Matina when our Gallardo cousins bought a house there. The bravest of the cousins climbed up the manzanitas tree and fed the fruits to the younger cousins, much to the consternation of Mama who worried about broken bones. And then there was the unfortunate, but oh-so-much-fun, incident when one of the pigs escaped the piggery and the cousins chased the pig around the yard. We were chastised by the maids who had to wash all our muddy clothes.

Later on, my family moved to Manila. The Calvos and Dela Sernas followed suit. But as life would have it, we were caught up in the demands of life and school, and we drifted apart as we moved places and raised our own families.

Reunion

Now, as we await for this Covid-19 scourge to finish its course, I cannot wait for our next family reunion. The second cousins may not know everyone in this generation; they don’t have the bonding experience we had in our childhood years, but I am sure they will form their own memories with their own first cousins.