A Dominican Retrospective: Part 2 of 10

GLADYS

I don’t know what to say about Gladys, she is my aunt but I only met her a few months ago. I grew up thinking my mother only had brothers, never a sister but it wasn’t until I returned to the Dominican Republic, until I started nosing around, that I discovered my grandfather had a whole other family in a different town than that of my mother. Strange enough most of his other kids are older than those in my mother’s legitimate family – even though my grandmother was his wife and the other woman was, well… the other woman.

I only met with Gladys twice during my time in DR. On the first occasion I surprised her while she was getting her hair dyed (Week 2 Day 4). On the second occasion I spent a morning with her, she cooked for me, and told me about her family (Week 4). She knew very little of my grandfather, of her father, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re the second family. I wish I could have seen her more but she lived in Cotuí and I in Bonao. I wanted to connect with her, to reveal that I too am from the ‘second’ family, something we could bond with and perhaps she could give me insight on but I never got that far. It almost seemed like she was who she was despite all that, and to be honest she seemed better grounded than any of my uncles (or mother for that matter) from my grandfather’s ‘first’ family.

Gladys has had a hard life, but I would have to say a very nice one. She has a lovely family, including grandchildren and has pride in her belongings and accomplishments – however small they may seem to everyone else. I’m glad I got to meet her, it’s a shame I didn’t know her growing up.