Namesake

On the argument of naming my first nephew Don Miguel, Tem (Roxane) and I asked nanay, “Pa’no n’yo nga ba nakuha ang pangalang Orlando?” It was obviously a reversal of the first two letters from my father’s name Rolando but why ORLANDO?

“Sabi ko nga sa tatay mo, Jonathan bale ang pangalan mo para palayaw mo JB,” said nanay. Thank God it’s not JB! Ang baduy! “eh sabi ng tatay mo, ‘wag na. Orlando na lang’ wala man lang ka-art art,”

After absorbing what nanay said about my art-less name, I asked nanay, “Eh ang Roxane?”

Nanay immediately answered, “Ah! Artista yun dati.”

Tem asked, “Nasa’n na?”

“Patay na.”

I laughed hard and asked nanay, “Ano ikinamatay?”

“Cancer.”

Tem was laughing so hard that she supported her bulging stomach, “Di man lang ‘di na nagising, o kaya natetano ang pinangalan sa akin, talagang cancer.”