A LIFE WELL-LIVED...

GRADE SCHOOL The Rivalry

1962 was the year the family was in financial dire strait. That same year, I was seven and in first grade. I vyed with Uly Barquin, Viling Alas and Nick Cajita for the Honors List. It was Viling, Uly and I taking turn for first, second and third honors from first to fourth grade. Nick and I were in the same class only in our second grade. At the commencement exercises that year, he had the red ribbon for first honors, and I was standing next to him for the second honors. Nick and Viling left ACES for other schools after fourth grade. It as now just Uly, Mila and I, but like the previous years, Honors List was just second to our playing with marbles, kote, plantiganay'g bola, dakop-dakop and many others. Commencement Exercises was always both happy and sad occasion for me. Happy, because I get to go up the stage with my proud parents to pin ribbon, sad, because I know that my mother would be around looking around where she could borrow long pants and white shirt for me to wear for the occasion. For years, it was always Jimmy Tanato's, (God bless your soul, my cousin, my neighbor and my friend).