After the funeral, I went back to Nanang Aguida's and resumed my schooling in the third grade. I had lost one year of school and could not be promoted to the fourth grade because I had not taken the necessary examination.

     Being in the same grade again made me the head of the class. Whenever the teacher left the class room, she left me in charge like a substitute teacher. This made me very proud. I graduated at the top of my class to the fourth grade, the last grade of primary school.

     When I was in the fourth grade, Nanang Aguida's nephew in law was elected Presidente (Mayor) of Lemery. Her house became the gathering place of politicians and important people of the town. This Presidente, as he was called, scolded me one day in front of the visiting VIPs. I must have done something which displeased him something minor and inconsequential, or I would remember it now. Aside from this incident, Maria was spanked by the Presidente's wife more than I thought she deserved. I felt so bad that I decided to leave Nanang Aguida and I told her of this.

     I went to Cousin Clarita, Father's first cousin and the sister of my Godfather, Roman, who was serving in the U. S. Navy. I told her of my run in with the Mayor and she agreed to let me move in with them until I graduated from the fourth grade. At that time, Lemery did not have an intermediate school. I would have to attend the only intermediate school in the area in Taal, not far from my sister's house.

     Cousin Clarita and her husband were in their late 30's or early 40's and were childless. They ran a drygoods store in Lemery and were considered well to do; but while I lived with them, they did not buy me any clothes and they gave me very little spending money. Perhaps the fact that I would move in with my sister in Taal after I graduated from the fourth grade in Lemery made them disinterested in my schooling. Cousin Clarita taught me to clean house; and after school hours I did most of the housework. This prepared me for the days ahead when these skills would really come in handy.

     During most of my school days, I wore hand me downs from my relatives. The pair of shoes Nanang Aguida had given me were almost worn out, so I had to go to school barefoot. For my graduation, I had to wear the best of my old clothes, which was not much, and shoes that a neighbor loaned me. Her son was graduating, too. So, with a pair of borrowed shoes and hand me down clothes, I attended the graduating exercises.

     Primary graduation was an important event in every town in the Philippines. School children dressed in their best, especially if they were to take part in the program. Parents provided their children with the best they could afford. They cherished with unbounded pride any honor their children earned in school. Filipinos, like other Asiatic people, will sometimes go in debt to show off their children.

     But I had no parents to show me off, even though I was to be the star of the graduating class. I had done so well in my class that I was given the stellar role in the class play and I was also given a speech by my teacher to memorize.

     I remember seeing and recognizing many parents of my classmates. They were so happy and proud watching their children on the stage. There I was the star of the show and the best in the class, yet there was no one to be proud of me.

     Visualizing my parents among the audience and thinking about how proud they would have been of their son almost made me weep. I had a hard time keeping my composure while we were singing the farewell song. I stood in front, with the rest of the class behind me.

     After the program, the principal of the school and my teacher hugged me and complimented me on my performance. It was then that I broke down and cried. The feeling of utter loneliness that came with being an orphan overwhelmed me. I returned to Cousin Clarita's house for the last time and slept with tears still in my eyes.

     The day following graduation, I bundled up my meager belongings and my precious graduation certificate and went to my sister's home to live.

     By this time, Taal had electric and water service. Even though we had piped water at my sister's house, we still went to the river, where the fresh water was crystal clear, to do our laundry. Many families of our means washed their clothes in the river. I helped Juaquina with the housework and did a lot of the family's washing and ironing. Again, this was to come in handy in my future life.

     My brother in law was working with his father as a trader. They went from town to town buying and selling clothes, fishnets, and bolos. By this time, Juaquina and her husband had four children and they had a hard time feeding the family. My addition to their group did not improve their conditions but they did their best for me.

     School year 1918 came and I enrolled in the fifth grade. The school was just a short walk from my sister's house. I was more content in my new home than in any other I had lived in since Father died. My contentment was not to last for long.

     All school books and materials had to be furnished by the students themselves. Juaquina was able to obtain second hand books from relatives and she skimped to buy me pencils and paper.

     At this time, the school system started requiring the students to wear uniforms: khaki trousers and white shirts and tennis shoes. I had some hand me down white shirts but did not have khaki trousers or tennis shoes. So I attended school without a uniform.

     I was the only one out of uniform in the school. It was noted in our daily assembly and I was called to the Principal's office to explain my lack of proper attire. When I told him my situation, he was very sympathetic. He told me that he would announce my situation in the assembly and ask if any student had a pair of khaki pants or tennis shoes to give me.

     At the age of twelve, my pride was already deeply rooted in me. I would quit before I would face the entire school assembly and listen to the Principal plead for my cause.

     Throughout my whole life I have maintained an independent and individualistic character. Many times I have suffered material deprivation and perhaps lost opportunities for economic advancement due to my inability to conquer this trait of mine: pride. Although time has mellowed me, pride with a capital "P" often overwhelms Christian virtues.

     And so, at the age of twelve, because of "Pride", I quit school in Taal and began my wandering, living with first one relative and then another.