The Interview!

On March 25, I interviewed my grandparents who were married for over 40 years and still going strong. My grandparents are Celerino Manio and Elena Manabat but I call them Papa and Mama. I interviewed them unannounced at their home at Friday, evening. They were still wearing their ‘pambahay’ clothes but still allowed me to take a picture. The interview went like this:

M: I am Elena Manabat Manio. The grandmother of Miles. I am 64 years old. I was born in Manila.

P: My name is Celerino C. Manio. I am 65 years old and born in Tondo, Manila.

I: How did you two meet?

P: We met through friends, barkadas in Tayuban Tondo in Manila in the early 60’s

I: What is your love story or how did you fall in love with one another?

P: Oo nga ba, how? Haha!

M: We used to go out with the barkadas in the 1960… Whens that?

P: 64

M: Mga ano yun?

P: Mag attend ako ng debut niya nung July 1964. Girldriend nab a kita noon? Not yet ano. From then on we were going out with our friends.

M: We would get to different places

P: and that’s where we fell in love with one another.

I: Why did you get married?

P: I was only. Ano. Sort of… intimidated by my wife that I cannot face his father to ask his permission for us to get married. And I don’t like to be… being dared and you know during those days the guys around or their neighbors… they were interested in her were all timid or cowards. That they cannot go to their house… but I. I don’t care, I did not care how his parents would react but I wanted to go there and court her. And that’s what I did. It does not matter and then her parents were suplado and suplada… Mahigpit and the rest is history… later on she was the one very eager to marry me.

(laughter)

I: I’d have to ask if your still having sex…

P: Sex… uh… 7 times a week

M: HAHAHA!

P: In our dreams!

(laughter)

P: Your lola is ano… I don’t know what happened to her but during her younger days she is always ano… she always surrender when I comes to sex… but when she turned senior citizen… she is very active… she wanted sex everyday. I don’t know what happened to her… maybe its… that how time is getting back at her

M: Maybe before were so busy working to earn a living for the family, now since the children have their own family and their… maybe I am retired and just relax.

I: How does it affect your marriage?

P: You know when you turn 60 or become a senior citizen you always… you don’t know why you become irritable… you cannot ano yun cannot accept words sometimes… you have to get back… words against words… and then at the end its understanding and love would play a major part.

I: Do you still do things to court your spouse?

P: Yes we… I… Your lola, my wife when I need money and I know she has money… hahaha… no but its process…

M: Now he is so good… he is serving me

P: were always together now being retired and we have more time now to one another especially that your lola was accident… met an accident in the… ano… bathroom… so she slide in December 209 and her hip bone was broken and she has to be operated on and it was replaced with titanium so your lola now is bionic because about 20 years ago she had the same operation when her broken arms was… replaced... no… where she has to be operated on and her broken arms and another still… uh… arms so I call her bionic because… she had…

M: Now that’s why he used to help me, run errands for me because I cannot move… so much

I: Do you still go on dates?

P: Yes something often times… go and see around the Philippines we always wanted to go around the Philippines as we had done during our younger days where we go abroad and we did that without anybody knowing… and just left the children to our parents and told them we will just go somewhere not really telling them we are in Hong Kong, Singapore, and other places.

I: Do you still love your partner as much as you have loved him or her or is it stronger than before?

P: Yes in a sense… uh… the more… uh… we should be closer to one another especially now that the children are married, they have their own family

I: Why did you decide to have children?

P: Of course that’s… uh… nature between a couple when they get… decide to get married they immediately think of having children by so doing to have a family.

I: How many children did you have?

P: Well we have 5. 4 girls and 1 boy but… uh… maybe family planning… well I am telling my wife we will have at least a dozen if we did not go on family planning… you can just imagine if you have 12 children you will have more mouths to feed… so you have to earn more also…

I: How have your children affected your marriage?

P: Children play a very major role in the life of husband and wife because they serve as the inspiration of the parents… the children are… uh… considered a…

M: Gift from God…

P: Gift from God… where parents are normally are very much attached to their children…

I: So was it hard to see that your children are already gone (live on their own)?

P: Its not really that hard because as… uh… as parents we were brought up in an atmosphere of… uh.. of expecting..

I: What are the problems you have encountered along the way?

P: Many problems have been encountered as we have.. uh.. .encountered and have experienced…

M: Actually we don’t have problems because talagang were bessed… God really guided us and gave us everything that we need… Up to now everyday is a miracle for us even if we don’t have… uh… assured income when we need something… God really gives us all those things…

I: So what has faith/religion done to help your marriage?

P: Religion plays a very important role in the life of husband and wife because we are predominantly Catholic… we do not have divorce or we don’t recognize separation from the family… its faith that keeps husband and wife closer…

I: What are the highlights of your marriage?

P: The highlights of our marriage… when our children have their college and have their own families as you have observed… as our grandchildren… you are 15 and each member of the family has been successful in their…

P: Own chosen career… the highlights of one’s marriage is not measured in success or failures… we have to realize our own limitations and our shortcomings…

I: What are the values you have gained during the course of your marriage?

P: values… I for one did not… uh… I did not allow myself to be influenced by… by material things… I believe that during marriage and its… getting old… one has to learn… that it is an opportunity to be as humble as possible… don’t let anything change your character…

I: Do you believe that you had a good marriage?

P: We’ve been married twice at 1968 & 1969 so that’s about 43 years… 42 years… what is it again?

I:Do you believe you have a good marriage?

P: Yes by… we believe we have not only good marriage but… uh… we have one that… up to now… we enjoy… the relationship we are trying to improve… and then maybe… as you grow older… you melt… mellow and become more understanding…

I: After everything that you have went to in the marriage, are you happy?

P: I am very happy, I don’t know about my wife… hahaha…

Mama & Papa =D