C ABODIL CLAN from Pablo Cabodil’s generation came from the Town of Burauen Leyte. From the time of my Grandfather “Roque Caamic Cabodil”, they, with his younger brother “Lolo Baldomero”, raised at a very young age by their relative called “Nana Tikay”. No one knows if their parents were dead or they abandoned. So Nana Tikay took the care of the two strong boys and grown up in the town of “Dulag” Leyte. By the time they reached the age of adolescence perhaps 15 to 18 years old, the two were decided to gamble in life by sailing a boat from Tacloban to Manila for a good future. They served in one of the wealthy Spanish Family in Manila around 1920’s. The time when they had enough money savings, Lolo Roque had an opportunity to go to America, but his Brother Baldomero had an eager plan to reach the dream land for a brighter future. So, Lolo Roque gave way the privilege to Lolo Baldo, went to America and worked as an apple picker in a plantation. While my Grandpa Lolo Roque stayed in Manila and later became a delivery truck driver transporting bound from central to north and to south of Luzon.
They both became not only had a secured life but a very strong macho men with an exceptional strength that no strong one can beat them in the so called “arm wrestling”.
When the time Grandpa Roque went home to Dulag town, He became the leader of the local famous gang called “the 13 gang” stabilizing the whole town and nearby; imposing the discipline and a peaceful way of life, prosecuting the lawless group and criminals. On the other hand, Lolo Roque was not only a leader of strength but also a man of compassion, He couldn’t resist to anyone who came for a help financially or any kind…and this where his life deprived leaving the unrestricted dominance that only a land property left and his small house. Until he decided to choose “Maria” among pretty native women around and married her to raise the Four sons, and one of the Four was my Father “Francisco”. My Grandpa’s family life spent in his humble farming and devoting his 6 o’clock routine by praying the Rosary until the time of his farewell.
On the contrary, my Father Francisco was a man of resourcefulness, a farmer, fisherman, gun powder trader, fish trader, carpenter, furniture craftsman, timber businessman. Through the years he cheated deaths three survive. The first when a WWII shelling bomb exploded just nearby while his companion slicing the bomb head, his companion’s body were exploded to rest in pieces. No one could ever imagine how my Father escaped the disastrous deadly job. The second was a great sea storm in that Leyte Gulf where he managed to tied up his body in his small boat since he could not sail without a rope. The wave in the gulf during storm is gigantic; it was just his fate to survive again. Meanwhile, my Mother Amada already kept the praying for her husband’s assumed death for it was already 3 days had passed since the storm left. No one informed the whereabouts his body until one family in a beach picnic saw my starving father still wrapped in his boat, the town was a bit far away from Dulag. One night, while the customary praying is going, my drunken father from “tuba” wine suddenly appeared and the people at the house were so amazed and scared others were just couldn’t believe if it’s the spirit or it’s real.
The third escape was fatal. The fast passenger’s mini bus was smashed on the coconut tree while he, the other one and the driver sitting at the driver’s seat were all dead on the spot at dawn time. Many were dead at the rear seat. The skin’s forehead of my father was rolled down covering half of his face exposing his skull. His knee cap was shattered, a shoulder dislocated with more than 35 wounds all over his body. Announced dead upon arrival at the Bethany Hospital and along with the other were delivered at the morgue, just a few hours later, my father’s body moved and mysteriously his heartbeat revived, he rushed to ER for operation until he fully recovered after Months.
After all these tragedies, Four of us in the family were born, I call it “the second batch” My Brother Eddie is the Eldest of the first batch and I am the Eldest of the second. We are all ten in numbers but the two in the middle were taken up at a tender age. So the gap between the First and second batch is seven years apart.
As what I am seeing in life, GOD is always do His purpose unto earth. I may not be brought to exist if I don’t have any mission in life or a purpose to accomplish. This is what I am now, and what I do in life, Art is just a tool in my being for a living for three of us to survive. We don’t need a wealth or luxury in life for such is an excess baggage …we do struggle in life just enough for us to sustain for our daily necessity to survive.
