The Ties That Bind

The Vigallons and Castros lived within minutes from each other on First Avenue (now called Marina Blvd.) in San Leandro. Joe and Ralph Vigallon were good friends with Tony, John, and Mike Castro. Sometimes my father, Tony, would go over to visit Joe, and they would go out for the evening, but after awhile, it was to visit my mother, Roseline. Now, Mama Concha was the disciplinarian in the family, and when she gave permission for my dad to start dating my mother, Aunt Rose became their chaperone. (She was around 14 years old at the time. )

Well, it wasn't long before Uncle John's visits to see Uncle Ralph, was also a chance to see Aunt Rose. When my parents and Aunt Rose left the house for a date, Uncle John would be at the bus stop waiting to join them. This went on for quite some time, without anyone knowing about these "double dates" until one Sunday afternoon. About 2 stops after the foursome had gotten on the bus, Papa Vigallon got on. He saw them sitting together, but didn't speak to them. A few stops later, he gave them a smile, before he got off the bus. When they got home that night, they just knew that they were going to be in a lot of trouble with their mother, but Mama Concha didn't say anything, because Papa didn't tell her, and he never mentioned the encounter to his daughters, either !

After my parents were married, Uncle John started dating Aunt Rose (officially) and Aunt Connie became their chaperone. Uncle Mike's visits to the Vigallon household soon took on a new meaning, and after Uncle John and Aunt Rose were married, he was the next Castro brother to date a Vigallon sister.

When he and Aunt Connie were dating, Aunt Antoinette was their chaperone. She told me that when they went to the movies, Uncle Mike would buy her a bag of candy and had her sit in the back row of the theater, then he and Aunt Connie would sit further up front, distancing themselves from their chaperone.

After they were married, the three couples remained extremely close. The closeness lasted throughout their life time. Because of this, it was as if I had two extra sets of parents, because my aunts and uncles were wonderful to me. With the same Vigallon and Castro blood flowing through our veins, I have always felt that John, Mike, and Bob were more like my siblings, than cousins, and these are the "ties that bind."