Two years of doing a busy teaching job interspersed with what I call “in between” visits of my principal in my boarding house. We discussed mostly schoolwork related to pupil activities, organizing field trips, planning for the town fiesta entrees for the academic and skills contests and raising funds for our very dilapidated wooden school building, which was almost rundown in appearance.
There, in our hectic plans, included some question-and-answer sessions on how to go progressing one’s life under the virtual yoke of poverty. An honest answer from my early life of seeing such conditions in our new home in Rosario compared to the affluent lifestyle of my sugar planter grandfather Don Vicente Mirasol of Silay and Manduarriao, Iloilo city gave me an honest and feasible answer to his persistent question.
Every weekend my school teacher-principal, now a suitor, Mr. dela Cruz would accompany me to my home barrio of Bueabud. My family was not so eager to see me have a visitor who will stay overnight, but there was no choice as he has to walk several kilometers and cross three rivers before reaching the provincial highway. Fortunately, my parents and siblings were very civil and courteous to him.
I know by heart, that there is a thin demarcation line of hesitancy on my family’s attitude towards him. I felt sorry for this attitude; however, I assured him that events would prove that my choice of this man would turn the best results. I trusted in his goodness, in his virtual honestly, his industry and above all his intelligence, creativity and devotion to our Faith. It was our Lord and Mama Mary who lighted our way to a blessed union of hearts.
The plans of getting married had been a secret. Only my elder sister Corazon and cousin Leonor knew it.
One early noon, the family of my teacher-principal came to see my father and the rest of my brothers and sisters. His three aunties and uncles accompanied him in this memorable visit. After a few exchanges of pleasantries, father decided to let me speak out my feelings and so I did say how much I have thought of this serious matter. To make the meeting short, lunch was served. The date decided was May 14, 1938 at 6:00 in the morning. There were no more matters to discuss – so the family returned to Kalibo.
My father asked me to be excused from the wedding to let him visit his relatives in Silay, Negros Occidental. My mother wanted to visit her aging mother in Mandurriao, Iloilo City. My sister and cousins, younger brothers (high school and elementary grades) were left at home. Despite my relatives’ absence, we proceeded with the May 14 wedding.
It was like me enrolling in new school. Beato’s younger brother, Jose, walked about seven kilometers from the provincial highway and fetched me from my house in Bueabud. We rented the car of Mr. Yap to Kalibo. I bought some things to serve after my wedding – some special bread, corned beef, butter and coffee, milk and sugar.
The day was very special day for us. Father Juan Legaspi officiated the nuptial mass for us. My district supervisor, Mr. Jesus Aranas, and the sister of my good friend, Mrs. Marcos Ilejay, were our ninong and ninang. It was a solemn mass with few friends and some old folks who go to mass every morning.
We had coffee, tea and sandwiches for a short breakfast. We proceeded to Kalibo to meet my new father-in-law Macario dela Cruz and mother-in-law Irene Aguirre-dela Cruz, my new relatives and the lady who sewed my Filipina wedding dress, Mrs. Estrella Tamayo.
After lunch, we were ready for Iloilo and Silay to meet my parents. My father who was in Negros, made a special reservation for us newlyweds at one of the most expensive hotel in Bacolod. He was very cordial and glad that I had made up my mind to select the man I wished to care and love the whole of my life. He was ready to welcome him to our clan.
We had our honeymoon at the famous Mambukal Resort in Murcia, Negros Occidental. We visited the place where I was born in Silay. We met mostly my cousins, uncles and the Mirasols of Silay and Bacolod.
Two weeks later, we returned to Aklan to prepare for our teaching jobs. Together, we planned for the expansion of Naile Primary School to an elementary level. The community promised all the resources they could contribute – human and material resources. Until today, year 2007, my heart still longs for the beautiful relationship we bonded in 1936.
Today, Naile has a National High School through the efforts of Dr. Beato A. Dela Cruz, the Division Superintendent of Schools for Aklan. He made a vow to help Naile to have a better education system for her young citizens. It was a 44 years of promise to make his dream come true.