by Telly G. Ocampo
The Dreamers
We are all senior citizens, except one; and all of
us, except one, are retired from our chosen
careers. Please meet all of us, The Dreamers!
May I then present The Dreamers!:
Laileta Pamaran Klainatorn. She is my
husband’s cousin from Lamitan. She is
married to Jim, a Thailander, who studied here
in the Philippines in the 60’s and 70’s. They
got married and have two children. Lel, as she
is called is the leader of the band. She built
her dreamhouse here in Taguihon, Baclayon,
Bohol, just near my Blue Apartelle. It’s in her
home – the Lel’s perch – where the dreamers
congregate.
Lumin Tirol-Pamaran. Lel’s brother, Noneng,
married Lumin Tirol of the University of Bohol
fame. But it was thru Nuevas Tirol-Montes, the
older sister of Numin, that Neng and Lumin
met. Lel and Nuevas were classmates at the
University of Sto. Tomas in Manila.
Nuevas Tirol – Montes. She is a lawyer and
very good friend of Myrna Trabajo
Pagsuberon, another lawyer. Lumin (the sister
of Nuevas) is a good friend of Elsie Trabajo-
Lim. It comes naturally that Elsie brought in
the closely-knit Trabajo sisters: Jade Trabajo-
Nuera, Myrna Trabajo-Pagsuberon, and the
late Loreta “MaTang” Trabajo-Lim.
The Trabajo Sisters. They are in with all the
ideas, the fun and the laughter: the
indefatigable lawyer Myrna, the ever doting,
Elsie, the very happy Jade, and the late
Loreta known as “MaTang”. May “MaTang”
rest in peace, Oh Lord!
Gloria Leodivica Ines Araneta. She is the
director of the event coordinating team,
“SMILE, Philippines!”. She is the youngest
among all and aside from her professorial job
at the University of Bohol, she writes for The
Bohol Tribune and broadcasts for dyTR. She
also does consultancy job for media.
May Flores-Pascual. May is from Loay, Bohol
and she is the beautiful wife of Rey Pascual.
May used to work with NEDA in Tacloban and
that’s where she met her husband Rey thru
Myrna Pagsuberon, whose husband is a
cousin of Rey. I know the Pascuals for we
were neighbors in Tacloban. His father was
our family doctor. Rey’s mother, when she was
young, had her secondary education at the
Bohol National High School because her
father was assignd here in Bohol as the
provincial auditor of the general auditing office.
Inday Badiday, Letty Jimenez Magsanoc and
the tourism secretary during Pinoy’s time and
the Pascuals are relatives. And now the
Pascuals aremaking Loay as their home after
retirement.
Pinky and Dick McMichael. Pinky is the
childhood friend of Lumin Tirol-Pamaran.
Pinky and Dick sold their property in Anda and
now, they are properly settled in their rustic
home in Corella.
Minda Paler – Araneta joins us every now and
then. She is retired, too, from her work at the
academe. She is married to her architect
husband, Eufracio, who used to be the dean of
the College of architecture at the University of
Bohol.
We are a group of diversified interests, but still so
young at heart. We have never ceased to dream.
Not the big dreams we used to have when we
were younger. We dream of simple joys. Lel of her
ducks, birds and garden in Bangkok and in
Taguihon. Most of the Dreamers are now now
visiting their children and enjoying the
grandchildren in and outside of the country.
Regularly, they satisty their wanderlust with their
respective spouses.
To Minda: the cattleya I’ve got from our Manito and
Manita for that Christmas in 2018 is in full bloom.
By the time Lel comes home in early August, that
cattleya would still be in perfect bloom. Buds are
waiting to open, just as the Dreamers are waiting
to meet for an early Christmas in August!
Gloria Leodivica Ines Araneta
Minda Araneta