We were once a conquered land, ruled by the church back in the time of the Inquisition. Many old families can trace their ancestry back to their parish priest. Unfortunately, long after we rebelled and won our independence, priests continued fathering illegitimate families.Today being Father's Day, I wonder how they opt to celebrate the day with their families and in their communities. Overtly or covertly? Acknowledged or denied? Condemned or ignored?
Our great great great [to the nth degree] grandmother was the housekeeper of the old Spanish priest in our province. She bore him many children in his lifetime. And when he passed and was replaced by a new and younger priest, her housekeeping duties extended to bearing him his own set of even more children.
To this day our family back home populate a whole village which has since grown into a town and then expanded into a city. From the mayor to the janitor we can trace bloodlines and lineages to all our relations.
In our tiny agricultural island inter-marrying among cousins is not uncommon. Several families have generations of first cousins marrying first cousins. Originally intended to keep the land undivided
but who knows for what reasons long after.
Family issues tend to be complex to begin with. With relations and histories going on both sides - these are bound to be compounded even more. Today I wonder how many are truly celebrating a happy father's day?
Issa, i came back to your blog today. the experience you are posting about here is close to my family's.
ReplyDeleteOur family has a documented family tree that goes back many generations to the time of spanish colonization. the family is so proud that they have spanish blood stem from a Spaniard... they value their mestozo-hood very much---but that spaniard was a priest!! that means the children were out of wed-lock... the colonized mind is a twisted thing.