(1st of several parts)
The youngest of the three siblings by the second marriage between the late Don Sinforoso B. Evangelista and Dona Jovita Malaguit, Romy (Palasig) was born per his account three years before WWII. His father was a successful businessman engaged in the buy & sell of copras and local production of coconut oil in the City of San Pablo. Romy would recall to me the comfortable life he had as a child when his parents were still alive – big house, good food and a nanny that attended to his personal needs. All these lasted only for a short time. His father was killed during the war by the Japanese Imperial Army leaving him and his elder brother Elizer in the care of their mother.
With lack of knowledge on how to run the business left by his father and with no sufficient savings to finance the needs of the family, her mother resorted to loans using some of the land titles as collateral. This angered his eldest brother Pedro by the first marriage and allegedly poked his service pistol while cursing them. Pedro was an official of the Philippine Army while his wife Nathalia was a member of the Women Auxiliary Corps.
Romy vividly narrated to me the agony and grief he suffered at the age of five when his mother got sick. I almost could not believe his story that at a very young age, he was the one assisting his mother in going to the toilet, giving her medicines and water to drink. “She died in my arms”, he told me. “I was holding her as she was breathing heavily not knowing that she was already struggling for her life.” Every time he would remember this incident, he would shed tears in silence.
As an orphan, he and his brother Elizer lived with their Kuya Pedring until such time that he can no longer bear the kind of discipline being imposed upon them – something Romy abhorred so much. He left the house and lived with an old man near the San Pablo Train Station who taught him how to use daggers and knives to defend himself. As he grew older, he learned the art of using knives which he carried with him everywhere he went. He became the leader of a group of young men which he called ‘Stampers’ and was branded as “Kilabot ng Pitong Lawa”.
His life’s story roused the interest of Jojo Acuin, the known Nostradamus of the Philippines who tried to convince him to sell to him his story for film making but he refused. He courted and won the heart of a beautiful young lady Nelia K. Salamat over the objection of the girl’s parents because she was still studying. They later got married and had five children – Florencia Ronalyn, Ronel, Roselle, Roreen and Raquel. He sent Nelia to school again to finish her studies and eventually became a public school teacher.
(To be continued)
Melinda Bagsic Evangelista
I was born to write and I believe that’s my calling. I love writing because it brings me to the realm exclusively of mine. It is also my opinion that “immortality” can be achieved not by searching for the Holy Grail and drinking from it but by living your life worth-writing or writing something worth-reading. Since I cannot promise you a life worth-writing, I keep myself busy writing something worth-reading. I am thankful to God for giving me the talent and skill to see life in different perspectives not seen by many and the courage to share it to my readers. This first ever Tutubi Digital News Magazine is a perfect avenue to bring you the many facets of life that you can ponder upon in this time of the pandemic. Enjoy reading all the articles.
