Sylvia Solidum - Straight

In nineteen forgotten, S-Y-L-V-I-A, the 9th child (latak) of the family was born in the month of May. She was named after Amelia’s (her eldest sister) classmate at St.Paul’s Manila. It’s not known if she had met this lady. Cousins and older siblings who played with this cry baby called her Kaligay, after the favorite Pilipino Komiks character at that time - Kaligay, whose kinfolks included Ipe, Aling Tentay and Rosita. Kaligay was eventually shortened to IGAY and sometimes IGS. Igay got away with palo (gulpe) many times because of an inborn heart defect (blue baby).

Except for Amelia, all her 5 older sisters graduated from St. Mary's High School, Pasay. Athenia in 1952, Erlinda in 1954, Elvira in 1956, Edna in 1959 and two older brothers, Royal and Socrates.

Sylvia cannot think of any academic accomplishments since her mind was always somewhere else. She was made to study piano but the teacher gave up. She pursued Education as her parents, Mang Ador (Tata) and Nanay Bading, always used to promise incentives to their bunso.

Those three incentives were:

1. Finish high school- we will give you an 18th birthday dinner dance with food catered by Ongpin Restaurant.
2. Finish college & university- we will send you to any Southeast Asian trip - Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Japan

3.      After 1 & 2, try to find a job, marry the man we choose,  we will give you a grand wedding party at Santa Clara and tie balloons on all electrical posts from Santa Clara, Burgos, Cementina, M.dela Cruz, P.C. Santos, Tolentino and Aurora (this is for real and no bull). They were all disappointed when she did not pursue item no. 3

Her classmates, as far as she can remember, were Lorna Abad and Francelita Arellano. Close friends were Evangeline Pelaez, Hazel Herman, Herminia Ordiales and Zeny Cruz in high school.

She started preparatory college at Far Eastern University, graduated with  Medical Secretarial Science at Marian Hospital (Aguinaldo University today), and graduated B.S. Foreign Service from Lyceum of Manila.

While waiting for her papers for Canada, Igay worked with the Philippine Red Cross. She also worked with Burroughs Machine, typing index cards of machine owners (at maraming beses lumabas 5 people owned one machine). Hilarious but true.

In August 1974, she came to Vancouver, B.C., to join her older sisters. She worked 11 stressful years for the Bank of Montreal, doing different jobs except that of a Manager.

She did not listen to any one, married an English Canadian - William Goodrich. The marriage did not work but produced Sylvia's only child, Anthony Michael, in April 1979. In 1985, she joined her parents in California (parang Gypsy), worked for Security Pacific Bank in downtown San Francisco then at their Serramonte Branch. Evelyn Cantong and Lorna Abad would oftentimes surprise her with a visit at lunch. In 1990, she moved and worked near the U.S. border in Blaine, Washington. There she met the man that dreamt about her, a German American whose name is Harold Straight. They married since Harold promised that if they did, Sylvia did not have to work. They moved to Eastern Washington to a town equivalent to Taal Lake, called Chelan. It is at the foot of the Cascades Mountain, rich and filled with natural beauty but unfortunately too lonesome for a Pasay Kid. Anthony moved back to Vancouver, BC when he received a scholarship for Tourism. He graduated then joined the U.S. Army Infantry Division (G.I. Joe barilan). He was stationed at the dimilitarized zone in Korea for a year then transferred to Upper New York. He plans to quit after his stint (mana sa Nanay niya – gypsy).

Sylvia works five hours a week just to keep herself busy and to give her the chance to get out of the house. Tuesdays are her shopping days. She escapes for trips, which her husband does not mind as long as she does not do kaliwa. Literally, she loves going places and likes good and frank laughs. Sometimes she gets into trouble for spending so much time talking with friends on the telephone. She feels blessed having been given so many chances in life.

They married since Harold promised that if they did, Sylvia did not have to work.