The Eskina Character Associations

My summers in Agno were peppered with character associations. I grew up knowing Quentin the village wine -o will come and get me if I disobey nanay.

He had this swaggered manner of walking especially when he was drunk (was he ever sober). He talked to himself and had the piercing empty look. I would constantly see him idiay sirok where the store was. Our family had one too - Lolo Carlos Fran. Papa called him Lolo Charlie. Agkadwa da maduma-duma nga uminom ken mabartek.
Tiya Ninay Nino, whose husband is Tiyo Iban, made the best bagoong to die for in Laud-Eskina. We became fast friends, especially when i was constantly in Agno during my semestral breaks in college. She would proudly show me her bagoong stored in her burnay idiay balay da. You bet - I would regularly bring home a bottle of this delicacy on my way home. By the way, Tiya Ninay also earned a monicker; Ninay SiokTong ( See-Hok-Tong, a trademark or brand of cheap liquer one can buy idiay laud for a shot).
Lola Itay (Margarita) lived at the Kampo Santo. She was already old and bent when I got to know her. She also had this resting tremors common with the elderly. Yet, she made the best iniruban. I will wait for one of you to describe this delicacy for fear I might not do justice to it. The iniruban is a standard fare served in all gatherings - be it a reunion or luwalo. She never rode the tricycle on her way to town ( it was still non-existent); she walked suong na iti lab-ba nga adda iti iniruban.
Lolo Pedro Enrique is the cousin of Nanay married to Lola Toyang. They have an ancestral home mapan agturong idiay Kampo Santo. No adda iti pabunar, Lolo Pedro would take charge of literally guarding the food (kasanno met ket puro basanica nga napunno iti maduma-duma nga sida). No - you can not wrap some of these to go - he'll make sure awan iti ag-itaray iti sida. Lola Toyang, on the other hand, was also kub-bo then. He had snow white hair up in a bun. She, together with Lola Tasyang, would lead all the prayers during the luwalo. Ayaban da amin nga santo tapno kaka-asyan da kami amin.
Isso da met iti nalaing nga ag-dal-ot no adda iti natayan. I got introduced to the word "ag-dal-ot" very recently. The elderly would cry out loud while reciting the good traits of whoever passed away. The manner of the recitation is totally different. I am not so sure if any of the elderly back home still do this. When we had the wake for my father in Manila, everything was so civilized. Awan iti nag-dal-ot. That could have been the best going away present for Papa.