by Telly G. Ocampo
When Viudas meet to celebrate fiesta and friendhsip
Every December 8, we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception in my hometown. Baclayon. Bohol. This year, I spent the day at my Blue Apartelle in Taguihon and I was with my very close friends – mga viuda (susama naho), together with a few single ladies.
Virgilia “Daya” Lim – Yap. She came with her daughter Girlie who is at the same time her good driver and qualified caregiver. That day, Daya just came from her session at a medical clinic and instead of going to another classmate after the session (as previously planned), she opted to come to The Blue Apartelle. She was sure that coming to our place would give her the opportunity to meet friends of her late husband, Dr. Simplicio “Bobong” Yap. This is a good therapy to heal the pain from a lost loved one.
Dory Penales or Ate Dhoy to many. She is a single lady. Of course, she is not a viuda. Although not married, she is truly loved, like a mother, by her nephews and nieces. She practically spent the very young years of her life doting and loving; and loving and doting these nephews and nieces of hers. A strong-willed lady and still very serious with her role as an insurance guru, she also owns and manages the Coco Grove Tourist Inn along Kalubihan St. at Poblacion, Dauis, Bohol. Dory is my constant buddy and my “always there” lady in the highs and lows of my life. Confide to her a secret, and it will remain as such forever. Share with her a joke, and she will laugh to her heart’s content. Like Daya, she also has a reliable and loyal driver – Jacob – who is her nephew. Dory and Dr. Bobong were classmates in high school and their bond became closer when Dory’s sister, Dr. Gloria Penales, got married to the younger brother of Dr. Bobong, Al Yap. Al and Dr. Gloria are now both rresiding in the U.S.A with their family.
Carie Tobia Tharan. Carie is not a native of our province, but she has chosen Cambanac (in Baclayon) as her home barangay. Her beautiful house rests on top of a hill and she takes care of her environment as much as she takes care of herself. She married a Malaysian who is now in the Great Beyond. Mao nga viuda na gyud siya. Her children chose to live abroad and she visits them every now and then. I vouch that she is more Boholana than most of us and participates better than we do, in activities spearheaded by the NGOs (non-governmental organizations) like the Synergia. She is a member of the board of regents of our very own Bohol Island State University (BISU).
Laileta Pamaran Klainatorn. She is a cousin of my late husband and she stays most of the time in Thailand with her family of four. She is fondly called Lel and Lel’s Perch (her home) is just a few steps away from The Blue Apartelle. Lel’s Perch is a famous place of convergence among her set of friends. One friend of hers is her schoolmate during her UST Days, Atty. Nuevas Tirol Montes. Nuevas’ friends eventually became Lel’s friends. Lel’s brother, Noning Pamaran, married Lumin Tirol, the younger sister of Nuevas. So Lumin’s friends became part of the wider circle of Lel’s friends. Noning and Lel are the only cousins of my late husband Roger.
Cora Holland and Inday Buitner. They are my friends from Loon and both are widows. Cora was widowed long time ago. Inday recently lost her husband, Robert (who is German but chose to retire in their beautiful place in Loon). Inday’s place in Loon is a landmark. Pinoy camped along their seaside property after the 2013 strong earthquake. Paghuman sa linog, nalayo na ang kadagatan. Mura ba ug milapad ang baybayon ug mi-atras ang tubig sa dagat nga unta kaniadto, inig panambo nimo sa ilang nindot nga pantaw, mahimo na man ka ug manghunaw sa dagat. Despite this condition, the place has remained a corner of paradise.
Dory and I first met Cora, Gemma (Abarcar) and Inday first during the launching of the Bohol chapter of Zonta organized by the members of the Cebu Zonta club. While nothing much happened to the Bohol chapter, yet our friendship blossomed into a relationship etched in stone.
The Araneta sisters and Evelyn. The last to arrive were the Araneta sisters: my bff Ardy Araneta – Batoy (viuda pud) and Gloria Araneta (of course, kina dalagahan). Both are working media girls with their respective radio programs and newspaper tasks. Bibo kanunay ilang radio program sa dyTR. Pero mas bibo ug kami-kami ray mag estoryahanay kay walay tihik-tihik ug lipud-lipud ang mga paghulagway. Naa pai katawa ug bahak-hak nga makabuhi sa gugmang nahunlank. Never a dull moment with these girls. Pasagdi lang if we call ourselves girls. We have every reason for it. Ang katapusang viuda nga akong bisita sa fiesta mao ang kauban nila ni bff Ardy ug Gloria. Her name is Evelyn Cadampog who married a Naces and lost him some years back. She is the director of the Nursing Department at ACE Medical Center and she’sa dainty lady.
To be continued pa gyud ning among mga kukabildohay puhon. I promised to bring them to a beautiful and unpretentious cafe in Calape. The place will be another happy surprise for them. Ayaw sa e-bandilyo kay makadungog unya ang paborito kong si Ted Ayeng. Surprise ra ba!
