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In memory of
Wenseslao "Mikey" Miguel Bautista Torres
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Wenseslao's obituary
My father told me that as a child he loved to go to swimming to a river which is near with brothers. His 3 sisters (Irma, Hilda, & Margarita) were to stay in the house helping their mother. One of his favorites fruits has always been mango for he recalled often those times he climbed up the mango tree planted close to kitchen either to cut mangos to share with his sisters or to run way when got in trouble and my grandmother chased after him.
My father was proud of his humble upbringing and felt much richer than a man who might be have raised in the any city. My father was a very healthy and physically strong man. As poor as people might seen him and his family, they ate organic vegetables every single day no to mention the home made yougurt and cheese. And air quality he breathed in an open space with lots of trees. Even the water is pure and fresh as mother earth gifted their house with 2 water wells which were the main source for their fresh water used for cooking, watering their crops, drinking, to shower, and for the animals to drink. One of his favorite tasks was to take buckets filled with water and pour into animals drinking containers, except during the winter months for it was too cold. He said those living creatures are a lot more grateful than many men, He loved to see how the animals reacted each time in those hot day my father was approaching with that fresh water in the bucket.
My Father often took my brother (Apolinar Ignacio, my favorite brother) and I to visit his parents house where he was raised and showed us how hard he worked as a child. He wanted us to appreciate our only task was to be good students and see we didn’t have to do get up at 5:00 a.m. every morning to milk the cows before going to school.
My father felt proud of his childhood upbringing and blessed for everything he had growing as a child for even people saw his family as being poor, however he and his family ate much healthier than many other people. He also told my sister (Maria Magdalena) how lucky she was born in much better circumstances than his three sisters. Being that she was the only girl and her resemblance to our father was incredible. Wenseslao used to get up at 5:00 am every single day of the week to milk the cows.
At age of 14, my father was hired by my mother’s older brother o
as full time right hand. My mother’s parens worked for themselves as break makers and butchers. My father saw the potential if he disciplined himself as this was a great opportunity for a better life. My uncle (Onecimo) was very pleased with my father for he was a fast learner and hard worker. 5 years went by and my mother’s father (Raul Santos Mejia+) was already feeling old and tired and he needed a full time reliable assistant or helper. My uncle recommended my father to my maternal grandfather. The day my father began to work for my mother’s family was they day they met for the first time.
My mom’s (Juana Rosa Maria Santos Zarate) family was financially. My father fell deeply in love with my mother the moment he saw her for the first time when she appeared to the work area food for her father and whoever was working for him. My father sometimes in front of us hugged and kissed my mother and he often said. “The moment I her beautiful eyes and her eye brows, I said to my self, ’This woman is for me!”” My father said that the dead could break them apart, as he promised her in church in front of God. My mother rejected my father so many times, and each time he ended up heart broken but he didn’t give up, he had determination in conquering that beautiful heart. It took him more than a year for my mother finally accepted to be his girlfriend.
Being his boss’s daughter boyfriend place him under the my grandmother’s (Demetria Zarate+) microscope who at the beginning opposed to their relationship. My grandma and my father established a better relationship the day I was born. My maternal grandfather though he was a good fit for my mother for he had dedication, was very responsible and hard worker. My dad wanted to show my grandmother he really cared for her daughter. He purchased one of the beautiful wedding gowns I have ever seen. What can I say? It's my mother.
As any marriage not everything is always beautiful and sweet bu my father always cared for us and we never experienced hunger. As the good provider he was there were many times he was absent for days. Because he wanted to make sure the quality of he meat sold in their business was one the best and from time to time needed to travel to remote towns to purchase the cows.
6 years after being married. My parents purchase their house and already had 3 children. My father took us school almost every morning when it was possible and it was the samething after school if there was any down time he waited with ice-cream to surprise us. He waned my mom o have a pice of mind that her children were safe while she was in charge of their business.
Unfortunately, my parents experienced an economic hardship and my parents
saw California as an opportunity to start all over. My father, my little sister and mother migrated o the United States. A few months after my brother and I reunited with them again.
To live in the USA for us was very different Both of my parents had two full time jobs each. So we hardly got to see them.
My father was not long his own boss. He was limited as o how much he could make per month. Still he managed provide the basic of life. Nice clothes and toys were out of the question. Our job was to stay focus in school eventually we started to speak English and my father told us many times, ‘if you learn English well then you are will be considered two persons in one”. Something I regret is I never old him how much I admired his capability to understand English. He didn’t have time to go to school and learn English. His English was broken but he was capable of making sure the only speak English speakers understood his messages. My father was proud of me and my brother. And he loved his only daughter without any limits.
He worked for Travelodge in South San Francisco for many years as a houseman. He never missed work even if he felt sick. After this job he went to work for KFC also in South San Francisco. He was awared employee of the year a few years. His managers were very pleased with my father’s ethics. My father often talked about his job duties for he was happy working. He felt blessed he was stronger than many younger men.
In recent years it was good to see how much patience and how affectionate he was to my brother s kids. Alejandra, Raul, Jimena, and Daniela usually waited for “tete” as they used to call him and most of the times he had a little something for his grandkids, It might be KFC, Taco Bell, Fruits, and or mexican pan dulce. If he came home feeling tired the moment the younger grandchild, Daniela run to meet ”tete” and gave him a smile my father’s tired face changed to a very happy one and he will spend a few minutes talking to her, or any other of the 4 children. For the last three years he went to church every Saturday afternoon with my mom. And when the churches were forced to closed due our current global health situation, both of my parents started to watch the Catholic Channel to listen mass on a daily basis. A much different man to the one I used to know. In his younger years he and my mom used to attend to concerts and places with live music for both enjoyed dancing a lot. And my dad used to get drunk every time but he quit many years ago because his grandchildren did not like seen their “tete” drunk.
In the recent years my father dedicated most of his free time doing house projects and helping my brother as much as possible. Apolinar as a little child love to help my father in their business something my father also wanted from me. But I told my dad I wanted to go to college and get a degree. My brother never leave the nest for a long time. He and my parents are very attached, Just as my father was to Apolinar and my mother. Something that terrified my father was the thought of not being able to see his wife any more.
He was very disciplinary for he wanted he best for his children just as any father out there. Last time I saw him he gave me a look I have never seen. He looked so sad yet very caring. Because of our current health situation I couldn’t give him a hug. A that moment I felt as Iid
If I was a little child again and he was the hero I used to ran after. His last words he said to me were “How are you doing my son? “ I replied I am doing well dad. My mother said that a few days before his passing he asked her for her forgiveness and he told her how sorry he was for all the bad times he gave her in their marriage. Of course, my mom told him that was he past and what counted was that she was still there by his side. My father reminded he made a promise the day they got married that only dead can takes them apart. His last day on this earth he got up from bed and walked towards a small altar where there is cross and the image of our Lady of Guadalupe to pray. In both occasions he lost balance and fall onto the floor, the second time, he screamed my mother’s nickname ‘PILA” and my mom went to help him and took him back to bed. I am sure my father admired his woman more than ever for she also was really sick with covid19 yet she was here by his side to the end. My mother gave my dad a cup of tea. He drank it all and said “thank you” to my mom. My mom told my dad to get some rest to which my father replied “Now, I can ”. Then he slowly exhaled 3 times and closed his eyes into the eternal sleep.
-- Trust The Lord, our God and put everything on his holy hands and he will provide everything we need.
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Created with love by
Marcos Miguel Bautista Santos (Wenseslao's son).
