A Portrait of Five Generations

While alone in my provincial rest house one Monday afternoon I chanced to glance at the old portrait of my grandfather, FERNANDO AVIÑANTE. It was hanged on the wall facing the stairs and cannot therefore escape attention of anybody going downstairs.
The picture was about to fade but the details were still very distinct. I suddenly saw MYSELF as if a mirror reflection. The obviously semi-tantalizing eyes and the hair which was sexily parted a little to the left.

Though it was only a bust picture, his straight body below his long neck was almost visible as if a cadet sitting up on a chair. His kind face was mildly tilted to the right, possibly in careful attempt to pose for the camera. His medium-size left ear was perfectly exposed and blending very well with his nose and seemingly forced smile without missing his aristocratically arched left eyebrow.

Aside from myself, I also noticed the shadow of my Father, GAUDENCIO. No one would ever disclaim that my father was my lolo's son. Looking longer and deeper at the portrait I also quickly perceived the undeniable presence of my youngest son, PETER-JONATHAN.

I got stuck on my seat as I saw in my mind the very lively parade of four generations. Did we all look alike? What good trait did we all possess? Did we all act the same way in facing and solving problems? Did we similarly enjoy the same things? I began to wonder... I think I successfully projected to Peter my resourcefulness if not my own brand of sense of humor, but he must have inherited my father's ability in carpentry and artistic tendencies.

So, I heard that my lolo, who played the lire during his younger days, was musically inclined as my father who played the clarinet when still young. I, of course, never played any musical instrument but I also joined several choirs. From whom did I inherit my great interest to teach and to do counseling? How about my style in organizing?

I think that we were all endowed with the same traits that intermingled with those coming from our own individual mothers. The mental game was getting more and more interesting. It was like running back and fort through a time machine complete with sounds and color.

A unique idea was born. Through my son, myself and my father plus the picture of my lolo,I'll try to get acquainted with my grand lolo, HERMINIGILDO, the father of Fernando. I'll use the four generations as my guides and reference along the way.

Herminigildo was the main root of our family tree. He was one of the first settlers in Alfonso when it was established in 1859. He became a Gobernadorcillo in 1862 and again in 1875 and 76. He must have haled from Indang, like almost all the other first settlers of our community, since Indang was the mother town when Alfonso was still Barrio Alas-as. If it is true that in every man's heart there is a little boy trying to please his father, I'll use this as the pathway to reach Herminigildo.

Within the heart of my youngest son, Peter, I could feel that he is trying to please me with his sense of humor. That is why he is always the life of the party and the most sought-after member of his group.

I, in turn is trying to please my father's patience as I am very patient too. That must be the reason for my love to teach and to give advises at any opportunity.

Teaching and advising require patience.My father pleased his father through his musicality, the language of the aristocratic. He must be enjoying music during his time and must have possessed a very good sense of humor. But most of all he must have been a good teacher, a good planner like me, and must be very patient.

No doubt, he was a leader. That was why he was Gobernadorcillo three times and a street was named after him.

The father that the little boy in Herminigildo was trying to please has been far, far away. Even regressed memories failed to chase him him so I must stop at Herminigildo.
How was he when he was young? He must have been like Peter Jonathan today...very active. He must have been in athletics and must have been involved in many worthy activities without neglecting concerts and other musical presentations, but as all later generations proved---never troublesome.

What an old intelligent woman told me half a century ago, must be true. That the eye-catching and orderly arrangement of Alfonso Poblacion was the brainchild of Herminigildo Aviñante. He also initiated the building of the present Catholic church.
Nowhere else in Cavite can one find a community so functional and aesthetically planned as the Poblacion of Alfonso. The main streets were wide and long, running parallel to one another. Main establishments were beautifully arranged around two adjacent giant quadrangles: the Church Plaza and the Municipal Park.

The schools were not far from the center of activities, yet, isolated enough from the sources of all sorts of pollutions. The cemeteries were at the northern part where, as nature wants it, all must finally gravitate down.

Thank to the unique qualities of a leader like Herminigildo Aviñante.

(Note: Now, look at what the present generations of leaders did to the orderly Poblacion of Alfonso)

Addendum: The sixth generation, Milo, the son of my eldest, Paul-David, was born possibly to reinvent what Herminigildo Aviñante started many years ago.