Boy is a common nickname here, usually given to the first son. The word Kuya is a term of respect to mean big brother. My Kuya Boy used to be a star jockey, meaning he was in the top 10 jockeys of the country. With that ranking comes the earnings, of course. A very generous person, I would see my Kuya Boy surrounded with his minions. Especially when he wins a race, people would flock to him in the hope of a doleout. In the racetrack, he is one of the most popular personality for aside from his riding achievements, he knows a lot of people for he usually pays for their drinks and food. His lifestyle is to drink while there is beer and while his companions are still around him. And, of course, he was always the manager (a term to mean the one who pays the bill). But despite his lifestyle, his money kept on coming because he was a good rider and lucky as well. Kuya Boy was able to buy 3 houses... for his 3 wives. By the way, he has children with 4 women that until now I am in contact with some of those children. He has been a good provider to almost everyone, family, relatives, friends and even to people he doesn't really know. But good things never last. When he retired from riding, he continued with his lifestyle that sent him to poverty. To make the story short, he had nothing except his shirt so he moved to live with the horses in the stable. He was working as a horse trainer but he had nothing to show for his horses rarely win. And at age 61, he was found dead in his room in that stable, presumably from heart attack.
I'm not understanding, Corie...was he your big brother? Did he just die? In any case, sad ending to the story. Condolences to his family. Was there nobody he could stay with?
I just read this, and that is exactly what i was wondering , too, @Corie Henson . This is a very sad story, and especially if it happened to your big brother, and he is now dead. My condolences to you and the family on this loss, too. With three wives (former?) and children, you would have thought someone would have cared enough about this generous man who had been kind to his family and everyone else he knew, that they would have given him a better place to live than in some horse stable. Did you and your husband not have any idea that this had happened to your brother ? That is so sad.
Awww, sad end to an exciting life. Sometimes good people just don't get what they deserve out of this life, and it can be a difficult thing. I think sometimes people have demons they don't let the world see, and that sets them up for failure. Sometimes people who are close to them, can't or don't know how to help them. I am thinking of my second cousin who died mysteriously at the age of 61 when most people in the family live a long time. I think some people too are not very good at "rolling with the punches" so to speak. RIP Kuya Boy.
@Corie Henson my sympathies to you and your family for your loss. A sad and lonely way to leave this world but he touched a lot a lives and surely will be remembered.
I'm sorry to hear of your brother's passing, @Corie Henson . Since it's posted in "People I Have Known" I assume this happened some time ago? But no matter when, I'm sorry for the loss, and that you had to suffer this pain.
Yes, @Mari North, Kuya Boy died more than 10 years ago. It's really sad to think that he has been so generous in life but he had nothing in death. It's pathetic to die in a room by the horse stable, similar to the birth of Jesus in a manger. And he had no family although all his children came to his wake. I have 8 brothers and they are all good to me by Kuya Boy is different, he had that charisma and natural generosity. I remember my last encounter with him, a few weeks before he died, he was happy to see my husband in the stable to visit him. It was morning and he just got back from the racetrack so he was tired. He invited my husband to come back the following week for a drinking session. But you know me, I did not agree to that because my husband is not a drinker and he would just get drunk.
I'll bet your husband is so very glad he went to see your Kuya Boy that day! We never know what an impact even what we perceive as a small gesture may have on someone. Do you have a picture of Kuya Boy to post? @Corie Henson
Unfortunately I have no picture of Kuya Boy in my digital archive because we never had an occasion then. But maybe I can rummage in the old pile of snapshots. I was really surprised to see all the children of Kuya Boy during his wake (except one who was in Canada and was not settled yet with her 3 kids). But it was even more surprising that none of Kuya Boy's children looked sad, no trace of grief. Take note that Kuya Boy is the eldest and I am the youngest in a brood of 12 so you can imagine the big number of our family members. And I could count the sad faces during the wake and the burial. I wonder why most of them seemed to have forgotten what Kuya Boy had given us. I couldn't forget those days when Kuya Boy would call on the phone to invite us for lunch in his home. There was a swimming pool and barbecue of all kinds. For a young girl, that was heaven... provided by Kuya Boy.
I forgot to ask before, @Corie Henson , is there a term for "little brother" too? If so, I have three of them, and I'd love to know what to call them for a term of endearment. Would the first son, even if he's younger than I am, be "Kuya Boy" even though he's not my "big brother?"
In the provinces, there are different terms of respect for the sibling. For the male, the oldest is Kuya, next is Diko and third is Sangko while for the female it is Ate and second is Ite. In the northern part of the country, Manong for the older brother and Manang for the older sister while Ading is the term used for a younger sibling. But in the city, it is only Kuya for an older brother and Ate for an older sister. We don't have a term of respect for a younger sibling.
I like that, @Corie Henson ! What a wonderful tradition. Thank you for telling me all this. I guess that makes me Ate and my sister Ite. My brothers would be Kuya, Diko, and Sangko. Yes, I like that!
I have consulted the master in history and culture.. my husband. Here is the complete list for the sibling's term of endearment. Brother oldest to older - Kuya, Diko, Sangko Sister oldest to older - Ate, Ditse, Sanse The term Ite is an archaic word which is not used anymore. Sorry for that lapse on my part.