Pepe and Pilar
My school when I was a little girl was called Comillas Barrio School. My very first teacher was Mrs. Ramos, and she was pregnant. Every Friday afternoon she would go home to Ilocos Sur.
There were 12 children in my class.
My favorite book in school was Pepe and Pilar. It was in English, and told the story of Pepe and his sister Pilar going to school in the first grade. This is the story of Pepe and Pilar.
Every morning before school Pepe and Pilar’s mother would help them put their clothes on for school. After school they would go to their farm where their father grew corn, and play with their dog Caket.
Sometime they would also go to the river to play and swim after school.
One Saturday and Sunday, when they didn’t have school, Pepe and Pilar decided to help their mother and father harvest the corn. They brought the corn downtown to sell, and Pepe and Pilar fell asleep in the wagon, and finally all the vegetables were sold and they went back home.
When they got home, Pepe and Pilar woke up and went to play in the yard, and they found five centavos, and they thought they had a lot of money, and they showed it to their mother and father. They asked their mother and father if they could keep the five centavos, and maybe they would find some more.
Finally the two month school vacation began, and Pepe and Pilar’s parents brought them downtown to the carnival. When they were walking at the carnival they found one peso. They showed it to their mom and dad, and then they put it in a jar.
When it was Thanksgiving the whole family got together, including Auntie, Uncle, cousins, and their families, too. Their mother’s sister was a teacher, and she gave Pila and Pepe ten peso each.
Christmas time their uncle came over to their Christmas party, and they killed one pig and two chickens. Uncle gave Pilar and Pepe five pesos each.
Pepe and Pilar talked to each other, trying to decide what to do with their money. Pepe said to his sister we will keep collecting and saving our money unti this big jar is full.
Next day after school they went to see their dad at the farm, and found out their dad had a stroke. Pepe and Pilar put their dad on a wagon and brought him back home. Their mom was very surprised to see that their dad had passed away. Pepe and Pilar told their mother they would help her work on the farm.
Their carabo was pregnant. Pepe said he would take care of the pregnant carabo until the baby came out.
Pepe took care of the baby until it grew up.