My grandma (dads mom) Carmen was married 3 times. She had 3 kids from her first marriage (Sara, Dalia and Gregory), then 3 kids from her second marriage (Juan -my dad, Orlando and Wanda) ---this explains why my dad said he was the youngest and why everyone else said he was the eldest kindof. Then my grandmother had 5 kids in her 3rd marriage (Marebel, ?, ?, ?,?). That makes 11 kids total.
Carmen left Puerto Rico with her 3 older kids (from the 1st marriage) and left my dad, Orlando and Wanda here in Puerto Rico. I dont know why yet. She re-married and had more kids. Now I understand why my dad could never answer me when I asked how many siblings he had, I dont think even he knew how many. Please forgive my very bad drawing of our family tree.
My dad was raised by my Uncle Ramons mother. So technically my dad and Ramon are cousins but since they were raised together they are like brothers. My cousins say that Ramons mother (our Grandmother!?) was the nicest lady ever. She loved my dad, Orlando and Wanda like they were her own kids. Apparently she always sent presents to my cousins on their birthdays and holidays. She was a wonderful women from every story Ive heard about her. She died about 8 years ago. I wish I could have met her.
Like I said when my dad left Puerto Rico ~27 years ago they all expected him to come back for the funeral but he didnt. Apparently my Uncle Orlando was 11 when my dad left and he cried and cried and cried. He always wondered where my dad was and when my Grandmother died he was sad and suprised that my dad didnt show up. I told them that we probabley didnt know about it, since we moved around so much.
This women raised my dad like he was her own son. I love her for that.
My grandma Carmen is still alive and either living in Massachusetts or Milwalkee. My cousin told me that my Uncle Orlando tried to talk to her once through my Aunt Sara but that she never wanted to. She sick apparently.
My aunt Sara and my Uncle Greg live in Massachusetts about an hour away from where I go to school. I plan on meeting them in September. I found Sara in one of my online searches for my dad and talked with her for a few weeks before she stopped answering her phone and redirecting/not returning my calls. She did this to my dad as well and after talking with my cousin this is exactly what happened to my Uncle Orlando.
The way my cousin described it. My Uncle Orlando just wants to hear her voice. He doesnt want anything from her, he doesnt want to make her feel bad or ask questions. He just wants to hear his mothers voice and let her know that hes alive and doing okay. I think this is what my dad wants as well.
I can understand not wanting to talk because it might be hard for her to explain why she left the 3 of them in Puerto Rico and took the other kids but I think she could at least let my dad, my Uncle and my Aunt hear her voice. Maybe its good she wont talk to them. If it went badly I think it would upset them all. ....
Ive begun to notice similarities between my Uncle, cousins, my dad and I. The best one so far is that we all bite/chew our nails. I saw my Uncle doing it and asked what nails were called in Spanish. When he told me the word I told him I eat my nails too! Then his wife (my aunt) laughed out loud and called us family. Apparently my cousins all chew their nails too. That makes my Uncle, my Aunt Wanda, my cousins, my neices, My dad and I the same. Now I dont feel so bad for doing it, apprently it runs in the family. They all said "Rivera!" haha
It amazes me how much my Uncle Orlando looks like my father. I showed my cousins and my uncle my dads old ID and a few of the pictures I have of him and my cousins think they look like twins. Its true. I will post pictures so you can decide for yourselves. My dad is the one in the Drivers License picture and my Uncle Orlando is the one on the couch.
After talking about the family tree for a bit we got ready to go to San Juan. We drove to a boat dock and bought tickets to take the ferry across to San Juan. It was quite an experience. Ive been on boats before, but not in the ocean, and not a public transportation boat!
It was really hot so it was sweaty but fun. We walked around some of the shops in San Juan, but could only take so much heat that we sat down and bought some fresh oranges (chinas!). They were green and orange and brown on the outside. I hardly recognized them as oranges but the vender peeled them and sliced the top of them open for us so we were able to drink the juice and eat the fruit inside.
It was delicious. After the oranges we went back to the boat station and waited for the boat/ferry to arrive and take us back to the car. I got money out of the ATM and bought some bacalao. It tasted like frybread with garlic. Delicious!
We took the boat back across and drove home. Now I am on the couch in the living room (sala) writing this. My cousins computer is still down so I wont be able to post for a while.
Tomorrow my Uncle Ramon, my cousin Ramoncito and my Aunt Lucy are picking me up to go to the Pulque (National Forest of Puerto Rico and the ONLY rainforest in the US).
I want to go shopping. I feel like I need to shop. I need to buy trinkets (cosas) and new clothes (ropa.
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