Then my other in-laws came around and we got reacquainted. They were some of the kindest people I had ever known. Papa Tony (Antonio Legarda Prieto) was charming and a thorough gentleman, and my mother-in-law was the sweetest and most considerate person ever. My sister-in-law Teresa was a beautiful girl whom I still had to get acquainted with. I also had a brother-in-law, Antonio Prieto Jr., whose nickname was Caruso, because he cried so much when he was a baby. Later on, he married Rosemarie Miranda.
I was expecting my child soon. My mother-in-law Rosario Prieto, whom I called Mama Cho, had gotten together the most beautiful baby layette she could. In a beribboned basket were diapers, little shirts and jackets, booties, caps and everything a child would need or want. Everything was handmade, embroidered and initialled. Apparently, the lady who made those things was quite famous for it and she was also the one who prepared the layette, Doña Mary Esteban. I was thrilled no end.
Manila was not completely liberated. There was still a lot of sniping going on. One could hear the gunshots, especially at night. There was no electricity, and things were not as yet normalized. During this time, many American officers were coming around visiting Teresa and the whole family. Actually, they were homesick and eager to speak English with people. Everytime they came, they presented us with chocolates, nylons, Elizabeth Arden cologne and other nice things. Teresa asked some of the officers to please try and turn on our electricity. They answered they would see what they could do.
About two weeks after our arrival from the province, I started having pains. We picked up my bag, which had already been packed, and went to the hospital nearby. We were living on Aguado St., practically in front of Malacañang and quite nearby the Singian Clinic. The pains went on for several hours and then stopped. I waited for two more days but the pains did not come back. Apparently it was a false alarm. I was terribly embarrassed and went home.
About a week later the pains started again, but this time I felt that it would be another false alarm. I was timing the pains, and Leo went upstairs to get Teresa. She came down and was trying to put on my dressing gown but I couldnt even stand anymore because of the pain. So I lay back in bed and started screaming. Fortunately Leos uncle, Dr. Enrique Lopez who was staying upstairs, was a leading gynecologist in Manila. He came down and told me to close my mouth for the flies would get in. Leo was running back and forth getting hot water. Next door where the Roceses were staying, someone was shouting "Thief, ladron." And to top it all, the dog next door in Leos aunties house was also giving birth! Thank God the electricity came on for the first time. I finally brought forth my baby girl with no anaesthesia, no tranquilizer or anything. Then several stitches had to be made, which was done with an ordinary needle and thread. Our daughter was a tiny thing. She weighed less than five pounds. Meanwhile all the neighbors gathered in our sala and dining room and were drinking coffee as if nothing had happened.
After some days I was up and about. I was feeding the baby and in a few months she had put on at least 10 pounds.
And so the days passed. Mary Lou was the apple of everyones eye. Many of our relatives lived in the same area. So they would come over and shower her with presents, clothes, and even jewelry. She was the first grandchild and all the Prietos doted on her. Mary Lou was a good and happy baby, always smiling. My second child, Miguel or "Mike," soon came and the amah took care of him, too.
When Mary Lou was about two years old, one day she had a temperature which rose to 38 Fahrenheit. This is really not too high especially for a child. I was watching her when all of a sudden she went completely limp and her eyes rolled back. She looked like she was dead. I started screaming, not knowing what to do. Then my mother-in-law came, saw her and carried her. She was pleading to God not to take Mary Lou and I was following her around crying. Dr. Mandu Legarda lived very close by and soon reached the house. He gave her an injection and she came to. This same thing would recur for the next four years. Every time she started a fever we would go to the hospital. One time the doctor had to sit up with her because he was afraid she would swallow her tongue. Needless to say, Leo and I went through a terrible agony those four years. We never found out what the cause of those spells was. One doctor ventured to say that perhaps her nervous system was not yet stabilized.
Meanwhile, Mama Cho was discovered to have a malignant tumor. In those days if you had cancer, it was like being given a death sentence. She had an operation and obviously they had successfully removed all of the tumor.
Two months later my baby boy, named Leo Jr., was born. The poor child was born weak and under-nourished. For one whole year my child was between life and death, as I could not breastfeed him. The formula we gave him would make him sick everytime we added more milk. And when his first little teeth came out, they were as black as coal. Today Leo Jr., through his own efforts, has built himself up from sickly scrawny kid, to a physically strong and fit person. I am very proud of him.
And so my son grew into manhood still as sweet and affectionate as could be.
Next Week: Into The Fashion And Social Scene