[THE GARDENER TAKES TIME OUT TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF A WOMAN WHO GAVE HIM LIFE AND FORMED HIM THROUGH THE YEARS]
Mother and Child -Credit to Owner – Artist Anoy Catague
Of Elinor Roberts Avila it can be said without fear of contradiction that wherever she was, well … there she was: present! One would not accurately call her domineering. Unforgettable, perhaps, and, in the language she often used, a most colorful character. But her life that spanned the last century was clearly bottom-line simple: simply all-mother and simply all-loving.
This may have been so because she lost her mother at a very early age – when she was only three years old. Cornelia Perez, her mother, was great granddaughter of a Spaniard who came from Spain to Tanauan, Leyte and founded a big clan that raised children who became mayors, governors, congressmen, generals, cabinet secretaries and, yes, priests as well since the 19th century. The local townsfolk called Elinor’s maternal great grandfather Santiago “Barbon” de Veyra.
Elinor’s father, Charles E. Roberts, came to the Philippines from the USA as a colonial officer of the invading forces after the so-called Spanish-American war. The traditional story line on the Roberts side, which subsequently got documented by some studious members of the family, had it that Charles’ grandfather was married to a granddaughter of a former US President. Linda Adams, granddaughter of John Quincy Adams was the wife of David M. Roberts, grandfather of Charles E. Roberts, the father of Elinor.
Whether Elinor grew up quite conscious of her prominent heritage or not, one thing is surer: she grew up a lonely girl. She was orphaned quite early as her mother and two siblings succumbed to tubercular attacks and she had at best an often-absent father. The bigger clan took care of her and older brother Frank H. Roberts. Her cousins became her “siblings” and her aunts and uncles her many “parents”.
II
Not long after brother Frank, in his late teens, left Leyte for Manila and then for the United States, and as the winds of World War II blew strongly across the islands – Elinor rushed to union with “Eugen” Eugenio Avila, Jr.
That union then was not the simple statement that it sounds now. Then it was the union of a son and a daughter of an old small town’s two prominent politically warring camps. It was, humorously on hindsight, the small town’s answer to the fictional Romeo-and-Juliet story as the police forces of town mayor “Enyong” Eugenio Avila, Sr. and the constabulary forces of town judge “Aryo” Januario Perez chased the eloping Eugen and Elinor to the distant town of San Miguel, Leyte – with both sides accusing each other of having kidnapped the other’s “child” in “forceful marriage.”
The whole incident, of course, ended peacefully and resulted in the children Olga (+), Carolyn (+), Charles, Elinor, Eugenio III (+), Richard and Evangeline.
III
Elinor’s formal schooling, she often felt, was inadequate, which made her a voracious reader of magazines and books to the very end. She died in San Francisco, California February 27th 2001. Her children were often surprised at her conversance with local, national and global politics. Not long before she passed on she was asking Geline for more literature on Palestine because she said she had a hunch the Israeli point of view was not necessarily always right.
But more than a curious intellect, Elinor fostered a strong will to love – her children and spouse, above all, true enough, but also – and especially – the neediest of her neighbors. We her children were so aware how she “mothered” not only us but all kids around with a special concern for so generously giving to their poorer parents – food, money, clothing, practical advice. We never ceased to be surprised at how so many of them continued to be so thankful to her and to be fond of her – many years after she lovingly shared food, clothing and shelter – yes shelter, sharing her Tanauan house with this or that person who could not find a place to stay.
IV
Yet, orphan girl Elinor – in being such a loving being – often lost her best friends. We often wondered why this was so. And then we saw that perfectionist that Elinor was, she was often experienced as so strict and perpetually challenging – to the point that many friends found it more comfortable to just leave her than be always exposed to her challenges and serious concern. Beautifully, however, her friends always came back – later than sooner and it was for us always a great joy to see. Elinor, however, was always quite humble about these “reconciliations” and joyously moved on from where they left.