"Who Would Have Known?" (A Love Story of an Ex-Priest and an Ex-Nun)

Chapter 1: Preparing For Each Other

I was born in 1943 during World War II, amidst the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Although I had no memories of the war, I was told a story of how I almost died as a baby when I fell into a muddy place while riding a horse with my mother, trying to escape the enemies at night.

Meanwhile, William tried to enlist in the military at the age of 17, following in the footsteps of his three brothers who were already in service. However, his family stopped him and he eventually joined the priesthood.

It was as if God had started to prepare William as a messenger of His love and builder of His kingdom in the seminary, while I had my own training of turning to Him during my troubled childhood. After the war, my parents were quite successful materially, but their desire to acquire more money resulted in forgetting their obligation to each other. Witnessing their constant quarrels, I sought solace in prayer and turned to God, asking Him to make us happy again.

Another opportunity for me to develop closeness with our Lord was through the activities of our barrio church, which was located beside a hill. The hill was a favorite playground of the children, where we slid on coconut palm leaves to our heart's content. The practice of Flores de Mayo gave us children an excuse to spend the whole morning looking for flowers and offer them to Mama Mary in the afternoon. As a playful child, I had a great time inside and outside of the church.

Although I did not have a preference for studying in a religious Catholic school due to its cost, God had His ways of bringing me to these known institutions. My mother, who believed in good education, told us that her legacy to us was providing us with a good education. She did everything in her power to send us to the best school for our better future. While we experienced financial stress, we were grateful that God gave us a wise and intelligent mother.

On the other hand, I grew up in an abundant, loving, and large family. Both his mother and father were professors in a prestigious state university. As William jokingly said, "All nine children were achievers, except myself, who was only salutatorian." All of the nine children became national figures in the military, politics, business, and religious organizations. A friend once asked him what his mother gave them to eat to make them all achievers, and he fondly explained that his mother, a Home Economics teacher, never repeated any menu for at least a month. She made sure everyone ate her prepared balanced meals.

We truly lived in two different worlds. William's parents were recognized as Parents of the Year by the National Catholic Family Life Association, while my parents eventually drifted apart. His parents easily made their children become achievers, while my mother struggled to send her children to college. Despite our different upbringings, it seemed as though God was preparing us for each other in our own unique ways.