Those early years in Jakarta were also fun for us kids. The International School was wonderful and the Filipino community was very welcoming and provided a family away from home. Suddenly we had 20 new Titos and Titas, while our Indonesian neighbors became our instant friends and language teachers. But for my parents, it must have been a tremendous test for their marriage. They were far from their siblings and it was difficult for my mom when Tito Rolly passed away in 1976.
Luckily, we were able to visit Manila each year and re-bond with our cousins and enjoy Magnolia ice cream. And at each visit, my mom would invariably dress us three girls in the same batik dresses, like we were triplets. (Sometimes she would dress our cousins as well, so we would be septuplets!) On one of those trips to Manila, Grace wandered down a road and was only returned by a neighbor because they saw she was wearing the same dress as Jane and me--and my Mom.
I am glad I was around to witness my parents marriage during those first 10 years. They faced plenty of challenges which probably cemented their relationship, rather than let it crumble apart. They were young, responsible, and so committed to each other and to us children. They put up with a great distance and sacrificed much to keep our family whole and in good humor. As far as I can remember, I only saw my parents argue one time in Jakarta, and it was over the amount of pasalubong we were bringing to Manila!
