Silvestre A. Rayos. Jr.
13 Feb 2010

Re: The Great Escape

My father T/Sgt. Silvestre Sison
 Rayos Sr., WW II veteran and a survivor of death march, met Mama
 Blas Rayos in Camp Odonell, Capas
 Tarlac and got this first hand information.

Pinatawag ang tatay ko and said Beltring pina-process na ang release ng POW kaya lang huwag mong ilalagay ang address mo sa Pangasinan dahil reluctant ang governor to guaranty good behavior for Pangasinan soldiers.

So my father used Tia Nanings (Irene Rayos
 Ombac’s address in Concha St.,Tondo
 Manila) and was released with the first batch.

My father returned to Lingayen almost skin and bones and built a small nipa hut next to my aunt’s house (Tia Naning). He planted different kind of vegetables and brought his produce to Lingayen every “tinda”.

One time he saw a pretty lass climbing up a guava tree and inquired from a neighboring 
house. Sino ba yong babaeng laging umaakyat ng puno? Tomboy ata. Si Mary
 iyan, anak ni Don Tomas at huwag mo nang ituloy ang balak mo dahil mahigpit iyong tatay. He is overprotective to his daughters, walang nakakaakyat ng ligaw diyan.

My father pretended to buy coconuts so he could see her up close and personal. She opened the door and asked, “who are you looking for? 
My father is not here and we don’t
 sell coconuts”. Before he left he said “bali bali manayay ulpom.”

Some of my mother’s cousins and relatives 
were always going to my fathers hut, nagpapakita raw ng motibo kaya lang hindi sila pinapansin. “Si Mary
 kasi ang kursonada ko, pakisabi na lang sa kanya..
”

Eventually, my father asked my Bai Osiang, Tia Naning, Fiscal Ombac,
 Mama Binong and Mama Blas para mamahikan. But Laki Tomas was as tough as nail, ayaw talaga. Pumunta kayo sa Aguilar at magpaalam kayo sa Lola niya but her grandmother can’t decide fo her.

The next day they came back with the Mayor of Bugallon asking pumayag na kayo Mr. Arenas (grandfather was a councilor of Bugallon) ayaw pa rin.
 My father was very desperate and threatened to commit suicide if they failed with their negotiations.

May nakahandang isang baka and three pigs for slaughter.
 Mama Binong (first mayor of Burgos) 
went back and was able to convince Laki Tomas (both of them were teachers) and talked to my mother. My brother was in the brink of death (ilang araw nang hindi kumakain) if you love him you will do something. Mama Blas’ brother Mama Poncing were partidor, selling meats in Bugallon and followed my mother’s aunt Bai Coring and handed her a letter. Get ready tonight and we will fetch you @ eight o’clock.
 It so happened that hinaharana sila
 sa bahay, family of Aviles and followed by family of Gelido.

While everybody was entertained with music, 
my mother made the daring escape. Their was a cart waiting around 100 meters from the house and they made their way towards Lingayen. They alighted under the bridge near Socony where a boat was 
supposed to be waiting. They stayed there for a while and they could hear sounds of galloping horses over the wooden bridge.

My grandfather gave chase together with 2 sons and one uncle carrying guns and shotguns but they ended up chasing an empty cart. Binaloto da anggad Pantal, Dagupan where Mama Blas was waiting. Bai Osiang was able to find two best rowers in Pangapisan where they rowed and rowed under cover of darkness.

Umaga na raw sila nakarating and Mama Blas took them to City hall for a civil wedding.

After liberation my mother visited my grandfather who underwent operation for hernia in one of those makeshifts hospitals run by the Americans near capitol grounds in Lingayen. My mother was carrying my eldest brother Orlando
 and the three of them embraced with tears freely flowing on their cheeks.

My brothers and sisters gave our parents a golden anniversary celebration last May 1993 as a surprised gift fulfilling my mother’s wish for a church wedding. My parents are recipient of Parents of the year award in Palaris (St. Joseph Association) and a Mother of the Year Award in Lingayen for the year 2006.

Happy Valentine folks.

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