Felipe De Jesus Peralta and Felipe Peralta

[00:01] FELIPE PERALTA: Hello, my name is Felipe Peralta. I am 46 years old. Today's date is January 11, 2023. We are in El Paso, Texas, and I'll be interviewing my father, Felipe de Jesus.

[00:20] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: My name is Felipe de Jesus Peralta. I'm 78 years old. Today is January 11, 2023, and we are in El Paso, Texas, at Lafay Family Health center.

[00:40] FELIPE PERALTA: So I wanted to ask, pops, what are you, what would you say you're proudest of?

[00:47] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: That's a very. I've been thinking about it all week long because I think. I think the thing that makes me here makes me very proud, makes me feel very proud, is you, mijo. I think you have developed into a wonderful son that I'm very proud of the way you've handled your family, the way you handle your everyday, everyday activities, your work. I've been amazed how well you, you have advanced in different places that you work. So you have made me very, very proud.

[01:28] FELIPE PERALTA: That was nice to hear. As far as I know, you still have years, but any regrets in your life?

[01:47] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: You know, to be quite honest with you, I've been very fortunate, Philippe. I think, and especially I think one of the reasons that I'm very, very fortunate is that this area, El Segundo barrio in El Paso, has played a major role in my life. And for that I've become very, what most people would think would be a very successful life. But I don't think it has been the people. And I mean, it's not the things that have happened to me, it's the people that I've met along the way. I've met some very wonderful people and they have provided guidance and assistance to me throughout my life and what I have done in life. I always want to thank the second war in El Paso.

[02:47] FELIPE PERALTA: And specifically, who would you say, or can you tell me about the important people in your life or throughout your life?

[02:59] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: Well, again, I don't think anyone else, as far as I've known people, you know, as soon as I graduated from Bowie High School in 1964, it was a matter of a couple of months after I graduated that Mister Ventura y Rovale, which everybody called them Tula, approached me and asked me if I wanted to come to work at the, our ladies youth center. And he said, okay, we'll pay you $120 a month, but on one condition. You're going to have to enroll at UTep. And so I did, and I worked for our legacy youth center for the next five years. And then after that, it became a series of different other things of other persons that helped me along the way every time. Getting better jobs with more responsibility, better pay, and doing some things that were needed here in the community. So I can only think of a number like Pete Duarte, Omero Galicia, Antonio Marinje, Oscar Losano. These were just a few other people that really helped. I mean, were a very important part of my life.

[04:38] FELIPE PERALTA: And I know you've always had, you know, strong connections here to the, I guess you could say Barrio and to this area and to buoy high school. I don't even, you know, I'm not saying I'm not close to my high school, but you guys, there's always a sense that. That I get that you guys have always been just pretty close knit. Do you think that's just the culture of growing up here?

[05:06] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: Well, again, you know, when you attended Bowie High School, it was a matter, you know, the way we looked at the world. Well, first of all, attending Bowie High School meant that you represented El Ceguunto barrio. It's the second word right off the bat that tells you something. You're not the elite people here in El Paso. We are, in a sense. We always thought ourselves as second class citizens again. And Bowie High School was the center of the whole thing. And can you repeat the question?

[05:44] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah.

[05:45] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: What makes us attending? It was us against the world, you know, again, coming and being located at the lowest income area in town, many of our students dropping out. There were some gangs and a little bit of drugs, but that didn't impact me or some of my friends. But I think that kind of an outlook made us stick together. You know, my class of 1964, we still get together now. As a matter of fact, next year we'll be celebrating 60 years since we graduated from high school. And again, we still meet every month and go over stuff. One thing that I'm very happy that we have done is that we've given back to the community. I think right now we probably have given back to boy high school to assist students, about $20,000. And we've also helped the middle school, again, probably another 10,000 and then another, probably eight or 9000 to hart the elementary school. So we like to cover because we know how families struggle here in this area. So for the little things that the school does not cover, we want to make sure that we help them with like, again, we just gave just the last Thanksgiving and Christmas. We gave 25 turkeys for Thanksgiving and also 25 habs for Christmas again, to needy families. This is the kind of thing that they all. And I don't have to twist any arms to the members. We just. I just bring the request, we all vote on it and we try to help them. So that's one thing that I'm very happy that we have been able to do.

[08:02] FELIPE PERALTA: That's good switching things up. So, as far as memories, what is your. What would you say? I mean, what is your favorite memory of me or me being with you? Is there anything that stands out from the past?

[08:28] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: I mean, I don't know. You see, that's why I wanted to do this thing, because I have never taken the time to thank you for all the little things that you've done that have made me so very happy. I still think of you as a very small child walking around the house with a plate, trying to, like, if it was a truck. That brought so much happiness to me, you know, I'm sorry that I had to leave the family, but again, the time that I spent with you, it was probably the best time of my life. You have always. The only other thing that I remember well is how well you played sports. You really went out and did a lot of good things in sports, and, of course, that brings a lot of happiness to, especially the father. And then that was, in your case, what you brought to me again. I still remember one time when you were playing soccer that all of a sudden, you took off with a ball, and it came down to you and the goalkeeper, and you were so eager to hit that ball that you hit it so hard. I mean, you aimed so hard that you missed it, and you hit it under. You hit the ball under it, and it went over the goalkeeper and it just rolled into the goal. I mean, that's just one of them. And I still remember another time that you intercepted a place, a password, playing for St. Joseph. I mean, I don't take life for granted, but anything, anytime that I think of you, I think it's always a very. You have never given me any cause for bad feelings towards you in any way. You have never resented the fact that I left the family and left for New York and all that things never. You have brought it back. The only one that has made any comments about it is your sister flor. And I think it took a lot for her to deal with that.

[10:44] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah. Yeah, I would say so. I mean, I think there were obviously there, you know, she's older. You know, we have. You know, I have two sisters that are older, so I think for them, it was a different experience, not saying for me it wasn't, but because I was younger, maybe that made it less. You know, I didn't have. I didn't. It wasn't. It was just what I knew, and I didn't have anything about it. I just. That's the way life is. And I didn't grow up with that, so I guess that's probably where that comes from. Was that they, you know, they were older when that happened and I wasn't, and I was kind of in my own. My own world.

[11:24] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: No, no. That's why when you tell me stories about the things that have happened to you, I'm so amazed how you handle them. I still remember when you told me the story, when you were held up while you were working at Whataburger.

[11:43] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah.

[11:43] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: And I still remember about the time that you got involved in an accident, a car accident. But how you handle them. I mean, that's one thing about you. You're so mature even then, how you handle those things. I mean, you have never given me any cause to worry about you, because I know that you're very responsible. And then for that, I want to thank you, mijo, because, I mean, you have really brought a lot of joy to my life and all.

[12:13] FELIPE PERALTA: I mean, I'm glad. That's good. I think, you know, with, you know, becoming a father and everything like that, for me, it's been. I mean, it's been challenging and everything, but, you know, obviously, you don't really know anything until you actually are put in that. In that role or anything like that. So I think, you know, with the kids and then for me, well, you know, Erica has always been the, you know, she's. She's always kept me going as far as kept me grounded and. But pushing me to. To be better and. And everything like that. So I think a lot of, you know, I think about situations in my life or people that have been placed in my life and decisions that I made and. And that, like I said, if anything, like, of course, that definitely has kind of helped me through, you know, and like I said, when I had kids and everything, like, that was my. Was my wife, Erica, just keeping me. You know, I would see her. I was. I would see her go to school and I was not going to school, and she kept on wanting to go and. And she would tell me, you know, you could go. And I was like, I don't know, maybe school's not for me. And, yeah, I decided to go back and finish it, but it was mostly because of her just telling me, like, I didn't, you know, I ran out of excuses, of, well, I have to work or whatever. You know, after the kids were in school, there was no excuse, so I had the time. I had the time to go, so.

[13:44] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: And I think that's what makes you so unique, brother, because, again, you know, you do you. The way you handle things, you know, I don't think I ever. I don't think I ever encouraged you to go to college, you know, because by then. By then in your life, you had already done extremely well. You had some good jobs and doing well. And, Iris, I still remember when you invited us for your graduation party. I mean, that's how unique you are. You have handled things in life so well, you know, and that's what makes you such a unique son. And thank you again for all that.

[14:29] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah, no, no, I'm glad. Like I said, I'm glad you got to and continue. I mean, um, you know, uh, spend. You know, you got to spend time with, you know, with, you know, my kids and, you know, your other. Your other, you know, you know, family members and everything like that. So I think you got it. You got. You got it at a good time. I think one of the things, though, that I would say, you know, where, you know, life kind of turned her, not necessarily at that time it was bad, but for you. But I think we got closer when. When you had a stroke. As bad as that sounds, right? Not you. I think maybe, you know, I remember going. Going to go visit you as you were going through that, and, I mean, that's a horrible experience. So, of course, I'm not saying that yet, but I think out of it, you know, you definitely was, you know, life telling you, like, a life lesson for you and everything. And, I mean, I'm sure. I'm sure it was very hard having to go through that, you know, of, you know. You know, you had to make, I'm sure, changes in your life because of that.

[15:45] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: But knowing that you were there, Miho, that made a whole lot of difference, you know? And I'm glad we brought that up, because, you know, that is probably the darkest time in my life, but that's so small, so minute, to what other people go through.

[16:04] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah.

[16:05] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: I mean, the thing that I remember more than anything was that I was able to get back to work, and I do just about everything. I don't do it as well. I mean, I don't even walk as well, but I still go to the gym. I still act active. I go to dances, do all the things that I want to do. But again, I mean, as a matter of fact, I think that's the reason that I'm still alive, the fact that I got a stroke. Because again, I think with that, it really is. I understood that things were not right and I had to take care of my health. I thought I was a very healthy individual playing racquetball and playing sports and all that. But then when this happened, I mean, you know, I don't know whether you remember I was living in, in Rochester, New York, and I said, what. What's going on? And then, you know, I think probably the only time when I have. When I felt so helpless was when I. When that stroke happened and I, and I. My left side of the body became paralyzed. I mean, you know, and I. And for some reason, I kept thinking that I was going to get better.

[17:37] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah.

[17:38] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: With time, I eventually I found out that I was not going to get any better. I just had to do with what I had and I gave it my best shot and for whatever reason, it worked out. You know, I think my faith and also my support from everybody, especially you and the other kids, I mean, that kept me going. And I was. I was. I'm glad I managed to retire on my own terms and move on with life.

[18:10] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah. Yeah, well, I would agree. I think. Yeah, it could have been a lot. A lot of people do have a worse. And, yeah, I mean, I'm glad you were able to obviously overcome that and everything. I mean, because of that lesson. And I think I already know this, but are you afraid? Are you afraid of at this age or at this point in your life, are you afraid of dying?

[18:34] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: That's. I keep telling myself that I'm not, but I know I'm very close to it. I mean, just by the hopefully not that close logic, but I, you know, I've had a very rich life. I've done more than I could ever wanted to. Remember that. I grew up in this neighborhood where there was. I mean, really solely. I mean, everybody wanted to do all kinds of good things, but they never did. And I got, for whatever reason, I managed to do things my own way. And for the most part, it worked out very well again, even. I mean, I love sports, as you know.

[19:20] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah.

[19:21] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: You know, I mean, again, I'm not any taller than I was when I was in high school, but yet I managed to be recognized as a very good athlete, a very good team player. And you know that I was elected all district for this high school. I mean, I never thought I was going to be that good, but I do remember, I don't know if I ever told you, Felipe, but one thing that I did, I developed my own place. How I managed to coach to implement the place, I don't remember how I did that, but some of the place that we came up, that we were extremely successful was place that I thought about it, and I would ask my friends to help me out to do them, to actually implement them. And they worked out really well. And that's because I knew the people that we had in the team. They really had some very good skills, and I used them to my advantage.

[20:27] FELIPE PERALTA: That's good. I mean, it's nice to know that you already had the vision of it and then it coming through, and, I mean, how would you like to be, you know, if it were up to you or how would you like to.

[20:43] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: Be remembered overall, just as a good person? I mean, I don't think I've ever really taken advantage of other people. I try to help. That's the thing that, you know, remember that I told you about Tula right off coming out as soon as I graduated. I think he saw something in me, because again, you know, for the first ten years after high school, you know, that I never applied for a job. Every time people would come and they knew me, they would say, we have a job. Would you be interested in doing this, like, even here at Lafayette Family Health Center? I don't want to take credit because I don't get it, but a lot of people know that I was probably one of ten people that put all this thing together, the clinic and all those services that are here. I was one of ten. There were ten other people that did a lot of work, but I was. And even then, when I was here at La Femme, I was not very happy, as a matter of fact. I mean, the director and I didn't get along. And again, you know, this is what had happened, what has happened in my life. I was not happy, but I didn't know what to do. By then. I had both your daughter, your sisters, and I said, how am I going to take care of them out of the blue? A professor from you calls me Felipe. You want to come and teach? Now, remember, I've never done any teaching, not even at any level, even though my degree is in education, my bachelor's degree is in education. I never went into education. But then all of a sudden, a lady from you calls me Lydia and says, do you want to come and teach at you? I said, wow, are you sure you're talking to the right Felipe? Say, yeah, you want you to come I mean, again, I dedicated all my efforts to try to become best college professor that I could. Then I got the opportunity to go to Michigan. I mean, another thing that I had never even thought that that was real in my life. So a lot of things just came. I want to go back to that same question that you asked me for. Felipe. I'm not afraid of dying. I've done as much living as I have as anyone else. You know, I've lived in New Mexico City. I've lived in New York. You know, I've traveled all over. You know that I love to travel.

[23:44] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah.

[23:45] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: I mean, so at any time, as a matter of fact, right now, where now I'm facing Corina her with cancer and all that, you know, it's come a little bit closer now, but I keep telling her, I don't think I would go through all that she went through. I would just let it happen, and, you know, then I would die, and that's all right. 80 years old. I mean, yeah, pretty soon. I think I've had a very good life. I don't have any regrets.

[24:19] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah.

[24:20] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: So it's about time also.

[24:22] FELIPE PERALTA: I don't know. Well, hopefully not that time, but, I mean, we all have our time, but hopefully, you know, I think you still got some. Some time, so. I think so. I hope so. And let's talk some sports. So what, what. What made you change, as far as I know, you like? I mean, we enjoy watching sports, but what made you change about the Dallas Cowboys? And did they break your heart too many times?

[24:57] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: Yes. No. Because one thing that I never told you, Sandra's family, they were die hard cowboy friends, okay? They would actually, you know, they even had their own gossip. Supposedly, Sandra's mother was in love with Tom Landry That was the gossip within the family. And the father used to have very hard feelings about it. He really believed that misses Hiler was in love with Mister Tom Landry, the coach. Okay, so when the Cowboys would lose, and I mean, other than him, he didn't like the cowboys. He liked the raiders, but he used to love. But the rest of the family used to love the cowboys when they would lose. Like for the super bowl, when they lost to Pittsburgh, they started crying, and I think that's too far. And then from there on, I started picking especially. I got into Tom Brady, and I followed him instead of a team, and only because he went to Michigan. And I could identify with how well he played. And that's always been even now. But I'm not diehard. I mean, that's the thing I don't like about the Cowboys. You know, they win one game. Oh, we're going to the Super bowl. You can go to the. You won a game, and that's it. I just like to keep it. I enjoy watching the cowboys. I do. But I'm not going to invest my feelings on it. That's my difference now.

[26:43] FELIPE PERALTA: Okay. But I mean, we're recording this on January 11, and it just so happens that the next cowboy game they're playing Brady, you know, so, I mean, it work. I mean, I'm just saying, you know, timing is everything, so.

[26:59] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: And I keep telling you, I think the Cowboys have a good chance to win on sun on Monday. They're gonna play on Monday, right?

[27:05] FELIPE PERALTA: Right. Monday night. Yeah, on the 16 January. So. Okay. I mean, I was just always curious. Cause I was.

[27:12] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: Well, they used to like the Cowboys.

[27:14] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah.

[27:14] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: Remember I. Yeah. But when I took you to see the Cowboys, I really was going to see Tom Brady. Remember Tom Brady was playing.

[27:24] FELIPE PERALTA: Right.

[27:25] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: And you know what really impressed me was all the people going, the Cowboy fans leaving the stadium, and everybody yelling, Brady, Brady, or Tom Brady, or Brady, or something. But let me, before we finish, I don't know how much time, but let me. Let me just go over one thing, because you need to keep in mind, playing for buoy, that was another thing, okay. That was another excellent experience of living in this neighborhood. You know, we never. We didn't have a stadium, but we played at Bowie. So our homeway games, we had to play them at Jones Stadium, which is 2 miles up the road. Now, what was very interesting on Friday, 530 or a little close to 06:00, all the neighborhoods, all the neighbors, people living in this area, would start walking this way, heading west, or coming to Campbell street right here, they would all show up over there. And without anybody organizing, everybody started marching all the way to Jones Stadium. And I mean walking, because most of us didn't have a car, I think. But even if you had a car, you would rather walk, because, again, that was doing it for buoy. You were gonna walk out there and walk all the way to the stadium and go to the game. And then if we won, everybody in the neighborhood knew boy won, because it became like New Year's, New Year's Eve, and the cars were rolling all over the street. They had everybody blowing their horn and stuff like that. I mean, the whole neighborhood. I mean, because we never won too many games. As a matter of fact, I think we won five games out of ten. And so when we won it was a celebration for the neighborhood. Why? Because again, like I told you, we were against the whole world, and that means that at least for one night, we were better than the other team, but we thought we were better than anybody else. And then if we won, we had a victory dance. If we lose, then we had a bear dance.

[29:57] FELIPE PERALTA: A bear dance.

[29:58] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: A bear dance, yeah. And that was just a celebration for the whole. But again, it was just amazing how the neighborhood become alive through that thing. There was so much investment or whatever happened to the team, because we represented everyone. The players were everyone else here, even though they couldn't play. But we were part of it, and that was. That was. That's a feeling that I would never get over. And that's why I still want to help the kids from Bowie. Yeah.

[30:36] FELIPE PERALTA: No, you guys. I mean, I say you guys because I know, obviously, like, what you and, you know, my mom and your friends and all that, they just. They're, you know, die hard, you know, I mean, they just know, you know, to their. To their high school, right? And me, I was like, yeah, I'll go to the reunion. Yeah. You know, maybe it's a. It's a. You know, maybe if I. You know, if it lands on a day that I'm not lazy or. Or anything like that, but you guys are like, no, we're gonna see each other. And, I mean, that's great. I mean, I. You know, I don't. I don't hate my high school, but I know there's a. There's just something about that.

[31:13] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: Yeah, we go overboard.

[31:15] FELIPE PERALTA: You guys go all out, you know? I'm like, wow, you guys. I'm like, another reunion. I'm like, oh, man. Well, what was the last one about? Well, this one's, you know, the fall or the spring. I'm like, wow. But I mean, that's great. I mean, that's something that, like I said, I don't see. You know, even with other people that I've talked to or their parents, you know, it's usually just coming from this area or the buoy alumni or anything like that. There's just something about it that, you know, I guess, you know, people. I think someone told me, you know, there was those that wish they were booing, and then there's those that didn't, I guess, or somebody put it to me that way. Something like that. Right? And it was a guy that I worked with that went to buoy, I think, and he knew you guys and stuff like that, and he saw my name, and then he's like that. He started asking me questions, and then that's when we just started talking, and I was like, yeah, I don't. I guess so. Because I go, I don't know. You know, I didn't grow up. I didn't grow up that way. Right?

[32:14] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: I didn't.

[32:15] FELIPE PERALTA: I didn't have that. So you have to tell me. Cause I don't. I don't know. But, no, no, I mean, it's something to be admired about and everything like that, because, like I said, I don't. You know, I. With social media now and everything, well, I just keep in touch that way. Right. But with you guys always.

[32:29] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: No, no, we still keep in touch. The old way.

[32:32] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah, the old fashioned way, you know, so. But, I mean, now it's something definitely to be. To be admired about, so. Well, pops, I wanted to ask, is there anything you've ever wanted to know about me? Anything that you. Any qua. Anything or any. Any question, anything for me that you've ever wondered about?

[32:54] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: I don't remember. Had you ever gotten drunk?

[33:00] FELIPE PERALTA: No, no, no. And I don't say that, like, oh, well, I'm. I'm too good or anything. I think what happened was it was probably one of our family parties growing up.

[33:11] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: Yeah.

[33:11] FELIPE PERALTA: And, of course, you know, every. I'm stereotyping, but, you know, there's always beer. There's also alcohol. There's always alcohol. And I think somebody gave me, like, you know, here, you want to have a taste? You know, I was young, under ten, and I took a sip, and it was. It just did not sit well. I mean, I was like, this is. I go, this is not good. And again, I mean, I'm obviously, I'm young, and I don't have my taste buds probably hadn't developed, but I was just like, I never really knew that.

[33:45] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: You don't drink and never.

[33:47] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah. So it wasn't, I think when I had that sip, and I can't remember who it was, I just know it was somebody from. From your side of the family, for sure.

[33:56] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: It wasn't me.

[33:57] FELIPE PERALTA: No, it wasn't you. And I remember it was like, a little bottle of. I think. I don't know if it was Michelob or. I don't know. We can say brands here, but anyways, it was a yde. It was a beer, a beverage. And like I said, it was a little one. They were like, here, take a sip. And I took it, and I was like, no, it's not for me. And so every time, you know, growing up, you know, as most youngsters do. Most of my friends, of course, they wanted to go drink, or we go, like, you know, at that time, you can go to Juarez or whatever, and it was cheap and all that, but I just never. It just never appealed to me, because once I smelled it, I just. It just wasn't. It was more of a turn off than anything. So I'd rather have. I'd rather have, like, a Coke or something.

[34:45] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: And I really admire you on that, because, again, you know, alcohol played a big role in my. In my family, you know, with my brother Manuel. But you see, that's the other thing, I think, without. Without communicating verbally to you, I think I pass on that. That was not good to drink. Because what I saw of my father, your grandfather, and your uncle Manuel, they did a lot of damage, drinking. And I put off. I mean, not only because of that, now I don't drink because of the. Of my medications that I'm taking, but I still like to have a beer once in a blue moon, especially on a hot day. Boy hits the spot better than anything else. But other than that, I don't go any further than that. And I think I pass on that message to you. And I don't know.

[35:49] FELIPE PERALTA: Well, you mentioned your brother Manuel. Obviously, my. My uncle might. Might deal. But one of the memories I have of that, it has to do with, you know, of that was one time you dropped me off at a park to reserve a spot, I think it was. Claudia's says you guys were throwing a party for my sister, my younger sister, and, you know, it was just an open park, but there was, like, one bench. And you're like, we need that bench for later on, you know, later on in the day. So, you know, I was like, 14 or whatever at the time. And then you dropped me off and you're like, okay, I'll come back. You know, we're gonna get together around that. Just sit there and don't let anybody, you know, take that spot. So I'm like, yeah, I mean, of course I'm gonna listen to you. So, you know, you drop me off, and just by chance, I had. You had warned me ahead of time. Like you had told me during the week, hey, I'm gonna take you and you're gonna sit there. And I'm like, alright, cool. And so I had told a friend of mine at school who lived in that area, just by coincidence, and he's all like, I go, hey, I think I'm gonna be at that park, you know, maybe swing by or whatever. And see if I'm there. And I didn't. I didn't think he was gonna remember that conversation or anything like that, right? But sure enough, yeah, he swung by, and he goes, like, hey, you're here. And I'm like, yeah, I didn't know you remembered. But going back. So what does this have to do with your brother? So my uncle, your brother, came by, and he was drunk. He was like, he wreaked alcohol. And I didn't know as a 14 year old, I didn't. I was embarrassed because my friend, the one that had that said, I'll swing by, he was like, who's that guy? You know? And I froze. I didn't know what to say. I was like, I don't know. And then he, you know, he would kept on kind of just saying, hey, what's going. You know, obviously, as someone that's, you know, hungover, anything, and I froze. But I do remember it was one of the few moments that. That you. Not saying you got angry, but I could see that you were stern because I told you about the experience. I go, hey, you know, your brother. My uncle showed up, and he was drunk, and I didn't know what to do. And then I think you were like, well, why didn't you tell him to sit or stay? And I was like, you know what? I don't know. I just froze. But I just remember you was telling me, you're like, you never deny your family, is what you told me. I remember that you're like, you never deny your family. And I was like, yeah, I know. And I. But I didn't. You know, I did. I mean, I basically did, because I, like I said, I was just playing it off as that. So that. That's why I remember when you started talking about drinking. You know, that that's one of my. One of the memories that I have as a kid, because I always remember that part. And. And like I said, one of the times that you told me, you're like, you know, why didn't you tell him to stay? And like I said, and then you just told me, like, you can never deny your family. And it stuck with me because obviously, from that point on, I was like, yeah, okay, this is one of those life lessons that you. That you just learned at that time.

[39:15] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: But, you know, let me follow up on that also, because, you know, it was very hard dealing with Manuel, because you. We all know we had a big drinking problem. But you see, what was very difficult, again, within the family concept, your grandma, my mother would always say, you always respect your brother, your older brother, you know, it was hard to respect him. He would do a lot of crazy stuff. At times. He was telling people that he was me. He actually impersonated me and would tell people, yeah, I'm felipe Peralta and all that.

[40:01] FELIPE PERALTA: Yeah.

[40:02] FELIPE DE JESUS PERALTA: And, I mean, one time he took my jacket and I don't know what he did with it. But again, before we finish, again, I just want to thank you for all that you've added to my life, Miko. You've been a very good son. And thank you very much.

[40:19] FELIPE PERALTA: Okay, no problem. Thank you.