Via Melina

When Oyen was two years old, we lived for a few months in Via Melina.
A small bungalow in an old community in San Lorenzo, off Bockman and Bandoni Streets.

My brother won a contract to supply watt hour meters in South America that time (25 years ago) and Edmund was one of the guys who helped him set up his assembly area in Corsair. His company, Edison-Hubbard Corporation, was renting an office and just like the standard office buildings in America, there’s a warehouse at the back used as the assembly plant.

Since the project would take several months, Edmund, Oyen and I had to stay for a few months till they finished the assembly.

Papa and Edmund were the ones who found the house in Via Melina thru a local newspaper advertisement. Craig list, eBay, Facebook and online ads were not yet invented. Kuya’s company shouldered the monthly rental payments. Edmund said it was $700 or a little bit more. That’s big money 25 years ago.

Edmund borrowed furniture from Wilma Pacumbaba, my brother’s former employee from Manila who emigrated to Daly City. When Oyen and I arrived, the house already had basic furnishings like a dining table, one long sofa, and mattresses. Edmund told me, they rented a Uhaul truck to pick up the furniture from Wilma’s house in Daly City. Silang dalawa daw ng Papa ang naghakot. Papa ang nagtuturo sa kanya how to find his way around the Bay Area, wala pang GPS nun.

Oyen was only two that’s why the house’s combined carpeted living and family areas seemed like a big playground for her. She played with Rae’s daughter Nikki and Patrick, the two year old eldest son of Kuya Lito and Dimple.

The house was around 136 square meters of living space, had three bedrooms and two toilets and bath. It was built in 1952.

We stayed here for 5 months and yet Edmund and I always talked about our life here. I was only in my twenties. Oyen was two, sleeping on top of my tummy, still using a car seat. Her Lola Felicing would patiently feed her kasi kailangan pang subuan. Ang bagal ngumuya. Before she could finish her lunch, it was time for her to eat dinner.

Nung winter na, nag mo-moist yung window. Naka dungaw ako kasi hanggang madaling araw ang trabaho ni Edmund dahil they were rushing the shipment. I saw a skunk on the patio. Until now, we still talk about that skunk.
One night, Edmund was sitting on the steps leading to the tiny garage, mukhang na-ho-homesick na. At tsaka maginaw na kasi, gloomy talaga. I was in the kitchen preparing for our dinner, sabi sa akin “Sweetheart, uwi na tayo”.
We left before Christmas and came back to the Philippines. My parents, most especially my father was so sad when he found out that we’re going home for good. Gusto nya duon na kami.
Syempre wala na silang kasama and they had to find another place to live. Kuya’s company would not continuously pay for the house’s rental and my father would not be able to afford to rent a whole house just for the two of them. Although my two brothers had spacious homes, my parents, specially my mother, were not comfortable living with them. The usual in-laws thing.

Last week, after we came back from Half Moon Bay, Edmund and I drove around the neighborhood in Via Melina.

Street view

We forgot the house’s number but after several attempts, we found this peach colored home.

We stopped in front of it and concluded that this was our home before. There was no more tree in front and the house had been repainted. pero feel na feel namin na ito yun.

We couldn’t recognize it at first kasi it looked so different. Nuon kasi tila brown lang yung house. Ngayon it has a new paint, new door, different  patio, different look.

I didn’t want to leave feeling unsure, so I got off the car and knocked on the neighbor’s house. kasi that would be my determining factor, if that’s the house of Mr. Castro, the American who owned the house next door.

The trees have been cut down.

Grabe sa swerte, the one who opened the door was a Filipino. And tama, they are renting from Mister Castro.  Kala ko nung una Latino,  yun pala tiga Davao.  His name is Al Calamba.   The ones occupying daw this house is an African-American guy and a Hispanic female which he believes are the owners.   Sana tumama ako sa jueteng,  bibilhin ko ito, for sentimental reasons.

Glimpse of our stay there:

Papa, fixing the toilet

Oyen, with Tita Eves and Patrick Tan

In our dining, Papa, Eves, Oyen, Edmund.  HIram lang yung dining table and chairs.

Ang likot ni Oyen, dumausos sa ilalim ng mesa.  tumama ang baba at nauntog yung batok.  Nilagyan ko ng yelo before bringing her to Kaiser emergency.  Wala naman na silang ginawa,  the doctor told me I did the right thing,  put ice.  After a few months, when we’re already back in the Philippines,  I received her bill, US$175,  muntik na akong nahimatay.

The house looked so different then. I like it the way it was before.
Ang cute ng anak ko.