Article content continued

“I had no idea that he had the skill. I knew he was a hard worker, he wanted to do it all himself,” said Martesano-Villanueva.

Each day Rolito would dispatch her for supplies. She would return with lumber, cement, and lunch. The process wasn’t just about building the gym — it was a rebuild of their relationship, a relationship that had been torn apart during her tumultuous adolescence. They grieved for her mother together as they worked.

“We became inseparable. The building and the gym brought us so close. It’s almost like my mom brought us all together, and gave me the chance to realize what family actually is,” said Martesano-Villanueva. She named the gym MarVill Fitness & Athletics, after both of them.

Photo by Handout / PNG

Now she is in danger of losing both her father and the business that helped them heal their relationship.

Rolito, 70, who recently remarried, was working in construction on a major development.

“His wife called me on Saturday and said he has a fever,” said Martesano-Villanueva.

By Sunday, Rolito had chest pain and his fever had soared. After an online chat with a doctor, he was sent to a clinic on Commercial Drive. The clinic diagnosed COVID-19, and rushed him to the hospital.

Photo by Francis Georgian / PNG

Rolito’s wife, Maple was left to fend for herself outside the clinic on the Drive.

“They had parked in a loading zone and she doesn’t know how to drive stick, so her daughter called me. I called a tow truck and told them we needed the car towed and that my dad who had been in it was COVID-19 positive, got her a taxi, then we had to call the taxi company and tell them they would need to disinfect the taxi.”