Secrets grandfather told me

May mga lihim kami ni Ingkong (Secrets with Lolo) >
By Luis P. Gatmaitan, MD
Illustrations by Beth Parrocha-Doctolero
Hiyas Children’s Collection, 2001

This, one of my personal favorites from the crop of recent new releases, is a touching and heartwarming story about old age and senility. The young narrator’s special relationship with his Lolo is depicted with deep emotion, not in a cloyingly sentimental manner, but with the use of rich memorable details.

The secrets that the intriguing title alludes to are not the usual memories of childhood one would expect. Yes, there are the favorite tales they shared, eating taho and watching Pera o Bayong together. The stream of poignant recollections begins not when Lolo comes to live in the narrator’s home because of a tiff with the daughter he was originally staying with, but on that fateful day when Lolo seemed to be behaving differently. As the favorite grandson Peping remembers, Lolo seemed to have a faraway gaze.

And from that day on, how could Peping ever tell on his Lolo when the plate slipped off his quivering hands, when he wet his pants and the sofa, too, or even when he left the faucet running, nearly causing a flood in the house? But such secrets could not be theirs alone forever. The grandson overheard his mother chiding Lolo to please say right away if he needed to pee. It pained him to see tears gathering in Lolo’s eyes. He was puzzled at Lolo’s suggestion to wear diapers. But aren’t those just for babies, the boy wondered.

Gatmaitan’s skill as a writer is highlighted in his sensitive handling of the old man’s increasing loss of memory. There remains much affection even when Lolo becomes a different person. Lolo is never portrayed as a pathetic figure even as he becomes much like a child again.

When Lolo could no longer recognize his grandson, even asking him who he was, the narrator is crushed with disbelief. How can one ever forget one’s favorite grandson? Could it be because I look different with my new haircut? Didn’t we share all those secrets? How can Lolo still be there and yet seem to be on a different planet? ("Burado na ako sa kanyang isip.") Then Peping simply says in the most touching part of the story: "Lolo’s so unfair! I’d only been gone for a little while – when I got back, he did not recognize me anymore... That morning, I felt that Lolo had already left without saying goodbye." And with him gone, gone too are all the shared times together.

How appropriate that the last time his delirious Lolo speaks to him is to ask him, as in the good old days, to go and chase the butterflies.

Peping’s many puzzlements about Lolo and old age are clarified for him by his father who reassures him that in heaven, Lolo will no longer have any memory loss and will finally remember Peping’s name. And, best of all, he will also enjoy the favorite grandson status. This story, which won Second Prize, Maikling Kathang Pambata of the 2000 Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, is an outstanding and compassionate portrayal of old age. It succeeds not only in its smooth narration but also in the consistent point of view of the young child. This, despite the English translation in the parallel text format that loses so much of the polished and lyrical original Filipino. cpedrosa@edsamail.com or c.pedrosa@qinet.net. The author is a member of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People. Call 372-35-48 or 49 for inquiries. E-mail comments to nenisrc@hotmail.com.