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Carmen del Rosario y Ponce de Leon vda. de Natividad or Ate Mameng for short is my eldest sister in the father side. My mother died when I was 14 and before my father died when I was 16, he entrusted me to ate Mameng. There were sibling rivalries for my father's love and I almost got kicked out of the Extremadura compound because I was grounded by my father for being disrespectful. I almost got transferred to a dormitory but my father changed his mind. He can't bear to see me in a dormitory though descent is still deplorable.

I stayed in the Extremadura compound until my father died. Bouncing from the huge apartment of ate Helen (my father's youngest daughter from first wife), kuya Tony, ate Belle and ate Mameng. Most of the time, I spent my young orphan life with ate Mameng - close to 10 years. Ate Mameng had her doors always open for me. She never kicked me out of her house. I know when she was mad at me were the times when she always call me and ask me to help her move furnitures around.

When my father died, I went alone at the back courtyard of kuya Beloy's apartment. I was sobbing uncontrollably. I was concerned about what was to happen to me - alone with no parents and only child of my father's second marriage. Ate Mameng followed and offered me to live with her and her 7 children. She said that what they'll eat, I'll eat. I know I gave Ate Mameng only 40 pesos a month for food and lodging but that amount was not enough to sustain me for a week if I live somewhere else. I had a house that I can't maintain so, I rented it out for pocket money.

When kuya Ponching, ate Mameng's husband died, she singlehandedly sent all her children through college even if she didn't work at all. She only worked for some 3 weeks as a chemist in a perfume factory. She quit because she felt guilty that she cannot supervise her children.

I dreaded the holidays. To me, it was loneliness and feeling of emptiness. Ate Mameng and the kids had to go to Tipas, Taguig, Rizal and visit their wealthy in-laws. Ate Mameng always took me along and all my holidays were not so bad after all. I come home with lots of money because everyone gave me money.

While she was working, I was second in command. She had 2 or 3 borders, 7 children and me to feed every day - 3 meals a day. She taught me how to kill a chicken for meal. The first time was awful, the chicken went flying from the house to the next door neighbor without a head. I had to chase it but our next door neighbor was separated from us by a high adobe fence with broken glasses. So, I have to run out of the compound to the back alley and retrieve the chicken. Then I have to learn how to cook apretada - a Spanish dish.

When she was at work, I was off to the palengke - market with the maid. She only gave me 20 pesos or so and that was enough to buy a live chicken, potatoes, peas and other vegetables. Then, I cooked the apretada and prepare the meals for everybody. We have a long dinner table and there must have been 10 or more plates. I apportioned the rice and dish. Glasses of juice or water with ice were even placed. This routine was done 3 times a day.

After Ate Mameng quit her job, she decided to start a potato chip business. She bought bustles and bustles of potatoes. She tried to cook it every which way and as soon as the potatoes were done they were all eaten up. So, she trashed that idea.

Ate Mameng didn't approve me and Elisa wearing mini skirts. She won't let us go to church with minis. She would open the seam up and we in turn sew them back on again.

It's funny, she has so strong motherly instinct that before I and Elisa were leaving for the United States, she decided to teach us the birds and the bees.

In 1975, Elisa got her American citizenship. I didn't get mine because I didn't apply and got my American citizenship at a later time. Soon ate Mameng joined us in Chicago. She wanted to live with me but plans changed because Jimmy decided to move to California.

Sometime in 1990's, ate Mameng visited me but I was so involved singing with choruses that I neglected to give her enough attention that she duly deserve. She was with Melissa.

Many years had passed and the miles had drifted us farther apart. I attended ate Mameng's 75th birthday party and I entertained the crowd singing "Hawaiian Wedding Song." Ate Mameng had tears in her eyes and I realize that somehow we still have a bond.