In the provinces in the Philippines, it was not unusual for children of my age from poor families to help their parents by hawking certain Filipino table delicacies, most of which were home cooked. I entertained the idea of saving enough money through this method of hawking to continue my schooling. I obtained my merchandise from a friend of Mother's who did this for a living.

     One day while hawking, I happened to come upon one of Mother's relatives, a dentist. I told him of my predicament and the reason I had quit school. He told me that he was moving to Atimonan, in the province of Tayabas, and that he would like to take me with him. He promised to send me to school there. I was overjoyed by his offer and accepted immediately.

     His move would not take place for a couple of months, so I continued my street hawking. I moved in with another of my relatives after I had a fight with my brother in law's brother, who was my age.

     It might sound strange to others that at the age of twelve I was my own agent, making my own decisions without consulting my guardian. Such was my situation, and whoever I happened to live with at the moment did not object to my moving away.

     Perhaps I was a burden to everyone I lived with. Even my own sister let me leave without an argument. As I write now, I wonder if I was an undesirable type of boy even as an unpaid servant.

     The time came to leave Taal with my dentist cousin. From Taal we took a caromata to Batangas, the provincial capital, and from there we took a train to Atimonan. I thoroughly enjoyed my first train ride through mountains, hamlets, and seacoasts. I was so full of hopes that I didn't even notice the hot dusty air and the hard wooden benches.

     I daydreamed most of the way. I pictured myself finishing school and obtaining a high government job. After saving enough money, I would migrate to the United States and, perhaps, join my Godfather, Roman, who was living in New Orleans.

     Migrating to the United States, at that time, was a simple matter provided one had the money for his transportation. There was no immigration quota before the Philippines obtained her independence. It was and I assume still is the dream and ambition of many Filipinos, especially the poor, to come to this land of opportunity.

     It was school vacation time when we arrived at Atimonan. I liked my new home. First, it was away from my home town where I could find no peace of mind and no education. I had become convinced that my future lay in other places. Secondly, my cousin and his wife treated me better than the other relatives I had lived with. They had two pre school daughters who became very attached to me.

     Though Cousin Luistro was good to his family, he had one carnal fault: an insatiable desire for extra marital affairs. This caused his good and patient wife untold anguish, and caused them to have frequent arguments. I became her confidant and listened to her miseries and woes.

     One night, while her husband was away philandering, she called me to her room. She was crying while she was dissolving some tablets in a glass of water. These were the same tablets I had seen her husband dissolve for his patients to wash their mouths after tooth extractions. I knew the tablets were poison. Sensing what she was about to do, I grabbed the glass and threw it out of the window. In the best way I could, I reasoned with her. By this time, we were both crying. She finally calmed down.

     When Luistro returned late that night, I met him at the door and told him what had happened. He and his wife talked late into the night and I assumed they patched up their trouble.

     The school year of 1920 began and I enrolled in the fifth grade again. Uniforms were not required in Atimonan so this was no problem. The same problem with books and materials did come up and, though my cousin was good to me, I was often reluctant to ask for these expenses. Moreover, they started to argue once more, and her outpouring of her troubles to me somewhat affected my peace of mind.

     One day, Luistro sent me to deliver a personal letter to someone living by the beach. I found out that she was the woman with whom he was having an affair. I became acquainted with her and her family, who immediately befriended me. Her father and brother fished for a living and I went with them on occasion when I was not in school. My share, mostly in fish, I took home to my cousin.

     I never told Luistro's wife of my new friend's relation to her husband and she never stopped confiding her troubles to me. Such a life for a twelve year old boy!

     Finally, I quit school again. I had heard from my newly found friends that they had relatives who lived in Makati, a suburb of Manila, where there was an orphanage. They told me how the orphans lived and what good care they received. Furthermore, they thought they might be able to enter me in the orphanage. Thus began my burning ambition to enter that orphanage.

     I asked my fishermen friends to let me be a part of their fishing crew for even a small share, and they agreed. So, at 13 I was holding a paying job. I did not receive very much pay, but I had my full share in the portion of the catch.

     I gave a portion of my share to Luistro as I was still living with them. I started a postal savings account and, in less than a month, I had saved enough money to make my trip to Manila. I told my cousin my plans and left with his blessing.