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Ang sakit nang kalinkkingan,

11/30/2014

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Ang sakit nang kalinkkingan,
Damdam nang buong katawan

The pain of the little finger is felt by the whole body

Our house on Basilan road is increasingly more empty. By 1972, Dad has taken a job in Chicago at McCormick as Director of the Institute on Urban-Industrial Society. He leaves with Margaret in at the end of school.  Margaret is adamant to stay with grandmother for the summer. We don't know until many years later the terrible sense of abandonment she feels at being left with grandmother when we traveled through Europe in 1967.  We all believed that Margaret's persistent prayer got Scott the 199 draft number. Johanna gets German measles the day before dad and Margaret leave for the United States. 

It's exhausting to remember that year now. Mom remains behind, once again, to close out our years in the Philippines: Poethigs 1957-1972. Johanna engineers the final sale of our items. Annie is looking for a post in Spain. I’ll stay with the Villaneuvas, Grinos and Palms to finish up one more semester of high school.

By July, Mom, Erika and Johanna are on their way to the Greek isle of Samos to meet up with Uncle David. Tense, unhappy Erika cries all the time. Mom says she calms down when she hears the names of all the people she knows - Annie Cresing Kerry Scott Margaret.  Johanna escapes to teenage exploits, Uncle David needs space.  

My mother’s letters are depressed and weary but she looks gorgeous and wind swept.

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    Kerry (Kathryn) Poethig

    We were "fraternal kids", Americans in the Philippines from Magsaysay to Marcos. I thought our story needed elaboration.

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