M E M O R I E S: Life
and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal, his Glimpses on History & the
People’s Struggle for Freedom
Chapter
33- Mets a Lovely Girl in
1963, courted, won and developed
her close friendship for 14 years, until
1977. But a Palm Reader &
Numirologist told me, me earlier, I will never marry a girl from Panay Island. And
it happened. Why?
Some
months after our palm reading sessions with my board mates in Iloilo City with the strange woman in 1962, I was in the bus from Carles
going to Iloilo City. In one of the
towns, a young girl came in as
passenger. She was alone. There were
many passengers in the bus. I was setting near
the bus entry, with one seat vacant.
She sat beside me. I looked at her and smiled.
She smiled back. I introduced myself. I
extend her my hand. I told her: “My name
is Rudy Bernal. I am studying at CPU. A Second Year College. I am glad we met here in
the bus.” She told me her name. She has a beautiful and
unique name. Only two
letters. She said: “ I’m studying at Iloilo City Colleges. La Paz Unit. I’m 4th Year High school.”
She’s pretty.
And lovely. She has beautiful eyes.
She’s slim. And toll. A nice complexions. As the
bus travels, we continued our conversations.
I asked her address and
telephone. She wrote it for me. A few days later I called her by phone. We have
a short conversation. A few weeks later,
I wrote her a letter. She answered me. We have some exchanged letters. I visited her
a few times in her boarding house. We became friends. Just friends. About a year later, I went to Baguio City and enrolled at Saint Luise University that summer. Then, I proceeded to Manila and
enrolled at Lyceum of the Philippines.
Before, I
left Iloilo I visited her. I said: “I will leave for Baguio in two weeks time. If
I liked the environment there, I will stay. If not I will go to Manila. I will
write you a letter. Please always answer me”. She just smiled. A few weeks after I arrived in Baguio City, I
wrote her. She answered. By that time, she was already 2nd Year college.
In Manila, we continued writing our letters. I wrote her quite long letter. She
wrote back, with short letters.
After her
graduation in High School she went to Iloilo City Colleges (ICC). She took BSE.
She wants to be a high school teacher. When I have a chance, I
visited her In Iloilo City. We developed a strong relations even
when we’re far from each other. I loved and respected her. I
think, she loved and trusted me.
One time,
while she was Second Year in College, I
wrote her to join the Kabataang Makabayan in Iloilo City. By that time, KM
has become a very strong student
movement in Iloilo. She wrote back: “
No. I am concentrating on my studies. I am a member of two student organizations already. I do not want
to join any other student group. Thanks for
inviting me.” I respect her
decision. By that time, 1969 KM was a legal, getting to be a militant student movement. It has become a social and political force in
Iloilo and Panay Island.
When boys were young, they often have crushes with several girls. This was also true
with girls. Our young lives were
also searches for the right girl and boy. It was a kind of adventure for
young lives. I have several crashes. And my girl friend has also several suitors. This were natural among young people.
Despite
the distance, and some fleeting relationship
in Manila, my girl friend in Iloilo continue
to be my love. We
continued with our letters. Sometimes,
with a telegram, on Special Days.
After
graduating from her Education course, my girl
friend went to Manila. A very close friend of her family was
living in Manila. She was a
lawyer with the Comelec. She stayed with
her. She planned to work in Manila and
tried to apply with the DepEd. I visited her often. One time, we went to
Baguio City with her brother and neice. After
several months of trying to find teaching work in Manila, she decided to
go back to Iloilo. There was a job waiting for her in She took the opportunity. She applied for
the teaching job.
A strong typhone hit northern
Iloilo. She told me she was accepted to teach in high school. She also told me that
the students were in hard situations. Some have their classes under the trees.
By that time, I was close with Teodoro Valencia, one of the most influential newspaper columnist in Manila. He was with
Manila Times. Teodoro Valencia, called us at Agence France Presse every evening. He was one of our clients. One of us news
editors, would read to him the 15 most
important international news that we received at AFP. From this news reports,
Teodoro Valencia got ideas for his comments on International news.
I asked
Mr. Teodoro Valencia if he can helped the school where
my girl friend was teaching. But
I did not mention her name. Only the village and town in Northern Iloilo, so that the students can have
a classroom and
not sat under the tree. I told Teodoro Valencia on the phone: “ The students badly
need a classroom. It was damaged by the typhoon. They held classes under
the tree. Please talk to Congressman Aldeguer and asked his help about this
problem.” Aldeguer was the Congressman of the 5th District of
Iloilo.
The next
morning, Congressman Jose M.
Aldeguer, read his Manila Times at his home
at 7:00 AM. He saw, the column of Teodoro Valencia, saying some students were
studying under the trees in northern Iloilo. Teodoro Valencia, hit Congressman Aldeguer in his column for not moving fast and helping the school children in Northern Iloilo. I was told, Congressman
Aldeguer was fuming with anger. Imagine, all Congressmen, Senators and top
leaders of the government all over the country, saw that a classroom in his
district in Iloilo was not taken cared of and some students attend classes under
the trees.
Congressman
Aldeguer send men to investigate who was the culprit who wrote Teodoro Valencia of the situation in the
school. The school principal and the Barangay Captain were called and
asked questions. But they did not knew anything about it. And no one knew
anything about it.
Congressman
Aldeguer immediately ordered to re-build the
classrooms that were destroyed and
students would not hold classes anymore under the tree.
My girl
friend wrote me a letter. She told me she cried. She said in her letter. “I
asked your helped. I did not asked you to criticized any body.”
I learned
a new lesson. But that’s how powerful columnists works. Their written words, spoken
at the right time and situation, makes
powerful politicians move fast and also decisive action.
While
teaching in high school, she pursued her post graduate studies. In about 3 year
time, she finished her Master’s
Degree in education. She was
decided to to go up the stairs in the Department of Education and Cultures. Then, she took up a doctoral degree.
The
distance between Iloilo and Manila, we
bridged with letters and long distance calls. Sometimes, I visited her in Iloilo. She’s lovely girl. Intilegent. Decisive. And also strong willed. She was
crowned once, Miss Iloilo City Colleges. We thought we’ll marry each other. We’ve talked marriage. She’s a catholic. Quite devoted. I am a Baptist. When I am in Iloilo we
worshipped at Jaro Cathedral. I took some
theological course. But by that
time, I was not planning to go to the
ministry anymore. I have stopped after 1 & ½ year
in the College of Theology.
On
passing we also discussed marriage. We thought of a simple ecumenical wedding. Perhaps,
officiated by a Catholic priest and a Baptist minister. But we’re waiting for an opportune time.
We have a
good relations with my girl friend in
Iloilo. We have never have some kinds of quarrel. But one time, I made quite a
big mistake. A crush that moved fast. It have nearly destroyed our relations.
She learned of it. She got angry with
me. But his voice were soft. She told me not the see her again . I went home
very, very sad. Three days later, I
visited her at her home in the town. She came. We met in the sala. But she gave me a letter. She returned our
engagement ring I gave her some years before. And she returned all
the letters I wrote her the last years. She
kept it and all were intact. Idid not accept the letters. I told held please kept of the moment. It was painful. And I knew, it was also painful for her.
In her
letter, she told me: “I trusted you. I have a very high and strong
trust in you. But it crushed like the Ruby Tower.. Please do not see me, ever again."
I remember Ruby Tower. It was residential
apartment about 8 stories high in downtown Manila. It crushed like a house of cards. Many residents lost
their lives in the crush of the building.
It was one of the strongest earthquake that hit
Manila. I cannot remember the date, perhaps, 1966. The retrieval of the
dead was hard to see. There were few who survived. But the longest survivor, was a boy or a
girl, that was buried for more than 10
days, inside the room where her parents died. But survived.
I left
forlorn. But I decided not to surrender. I will court her again. After a few weeks I visited her. We have a
short conversations. And again, I visited her. Slowly, our lost
relationship was regained and restored. And we become more closer.
This
time, I was trying to get a job. I got
interested in poultry – started chicken and turkey raising. I have bought a poultry incubator, kerozine
operated, which I used to incubate chicken eggs and turkey eggs
which we cared. I have started to raise Turkeys. One time, I have nearly a hundred Turkeys roaming the vacant hills. I
bought about 600 hundred meters of Chicken Wires and worked with my younger
brother. We will go into small business together.
I am a failure
in my studies. I have studied in 3
universities – Central Philippine University in Iloilo City in 1961-1963; Saint Louise
University, Baguio City in Summer
of 1964. And at Lyceum
of the Philippines in Manila in 1964 -1967. But I
have not finished my course. There were times, when my grades the whole semester were .50 (failure), dropped or Incomplete.
I have resigned from a good job as News Editor
of the Agence France Presse. And I
involved in the activists works. Then I joined a
labour union in Iloilo, helping
in education and organizing farmers in different
parts of Panay.
I got
suspected by the military. I was raided
and arrested at CPU College of Theology and brought to the police
headquarters. I was allowed to go home. Then some months later, I was raided at home
in Cawayan, Carles and brought to
the Philippine Constabulary headquarters in Sara, Iloilo.
I tried
to find job. But in government, I need to have a clearance
from the military and NISA. The situation was a bit hard.
My girl friend
continued in her studies. By that time, she’s nearly
finishing her doctoral studies. She has a stable job. She was moving up in her
career. And, I was unemployed. Trying hard to start a business.
But a
circumstance I have not considered came in my life. Without planning for it, I
was called as Assistant Pastor of Cawayan Baptist Church. I put much of my time
in it. I learned some experiences in pastoral ministry. Then, while I was
visiting a friend in Bacolod City, God opened the way, where I was called by
Maao Central Evangelical Church as their pastor. Rev. Esfe Tandog, introduced
me to the church President.
When I accepted the call of Maao
Central Evangelical Church as their pastor, I realized a new barrier had come
to our life. My girl friend for many
years was a catholic girl. Quite a devout catholic. And, she would be marrying a Baptist pastor?
But our
lives have changed. I am now a Baptist pastor.
She’s a devout Catholic. It was not a problem, if I am a
layman. But I am now a Baptist pastor, working
in a Baptist Church. She was in
continues growth of her career. I am down
economically. My salary as Pastor was
very small. She was finishing her doctoral studies. And I have not finished a college degree. I felt
it would be unfair to her, if I pursue
my love and marriage with her, under our different circumstances.
I thought
of seeing her and discussing things with her. But I also hesitated. There were
hesitations on my part. I try to see how
things will developed. But, one day, I went to Iloilo City. I decided to see
my girl friend. I will discussed and talked with her our situations. The
changed situations of our lives.
I came to
visit her on her birthday. I did not tell her I will come. I took my chance. I took a boat from Bacolod to Iloilo City. I arrived at her boarding house, about 5:00
PM. When I arrived, she has a visitor. A handsome man. He was visiting
my girl friend on her birthday. She
introduced me to the man. We have some
conversations, the three of us together. I stayed for nearly three hours,
sharing some thoughts with each other. The man
also stayed. I silently prayed that he will leave. But he did not. He
stayed for more than 3 hours. After about 3 hours, I asked my girl friend, I will go ahead. I told
her I will see her another time.
The
following day, I went back to Bacolod City. When I returned to Maao Central
Evangelical Church, I kept thinking of our encounter there. I know my girlfriend
was
being courted by a good man, a police officer. She will be in good hands.
She would have, also a better future, economically with him. I prayed for God’s guidance for us,
together.
I began
to remember the woman palm reader. He said, I will never marry a girl from the Island of Panay.
The girl I courted several years, since she was 4th year high school,
in Iloilo City, was from Panay. And my girl friend was now courted by a good man, a gentleman, close
friend of one of my best friends in
Iloilo City. I thought, if she knew, I am married, she will accept this man’s proposal for marriage, too.
I decided to court Hesther. It was a soft and decisive courtship. Hesther
was a close friend to me. She assisted me on my writings. She was a helped in
some works , I need to do. After two months, she accepted my proposal for marriage. Then, after two more months, we were married.
A months later,
my friend was a sponsor in a wedding at Baptist Center Church
in Iloilo City. There, she met my former girl friend. She asked him about me. They have a short
conversations. My friend told her, I was married a month
earlier in Bacolod City.
About three months later,
my former girlfriend also got married. She
married a police officer. He loved her.
He had a very high respect and care for her. They
lived a good marriage life. They got children. Their children are now also working. God had blessed their marriage. And blessed their lives. There are things that God
will not gave to us. He has some other plans for us. And God’s plans were
always good.
I got
married with Hesther in Bago City, Negros Occidental on April 1978. The Palm Reader told me in 1962, I will never
marry a girl from Panay island. Negros and Panay Islands were close to each
other. It’s only 1 hour ride with fast
boats today. Yet, there may be situations in life, where the future were pre-ordained, including the woman whom we
will be married and her residence.
My younger sister, who decided to go teaching in
high school, and pursued her masteral
studies, later became a very close friend of my former girl friend.
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