Down Memory Lane
9 April
JAEN / SAN ISIDRO / GAPAN
Philippines
At 0830H, my mother and I were already at the place where my father, Ate and Don and I grew up. We were waiting for Nanay Guding, Tatay's mother, to arrive because I wanted to visit her before I leave for Manila/Doha for fear that Tatay would hate me if I didn't. Haha. Joke lang. Unfortunately, when we came, Nanay Guding was still in church attending the Palm Sunday mass.
While waiting, I reminisced about the good old days spent at our old home---climbing guava trees, picking mangoes and aratiles straight from the tree itself, throwing tomatoes at my cousins, running after our pet ducks and turkeys, playing at tita Loi's garden which then seemed like the whole world to us, and a lot more. Time went by so fast that we didn't notice we were already there for more than an hour and Nanay Guding hasn't come yet. Apparently, the mass has just started so we decided to go home without seeing her.
Uncle invited us to have lunch with them, like we used to when I was a child. We feasted with kare-kare, pork sinigang, meatballs with miswa, and beef stew with corn and carrot sidings. After lunch, we had a trip back to Jaen so that the oldies--Mommy Alelie, Mommy Lynn and Nanay--could have a haircut. We went to Pating's House of Beauty which reminded me of a very unforgettable moment in my life: In grade 3, Tita Pating curled my hair and gave me bangs.I looked so pathetic with that hairdo such that in 17 years, I have never ever attempted having my hair styled any other way than how it looks now.
While the oldies were having their hair done, Uncle and I went back to Nanay Guding. I thought the visit would be short as I only planned to ask her how she's been these past few months, but our chat turned out to be serious and interestingthat it became difficult to leave. We talked about her memories of Tatay, how she felt upon his death and how as time passes by, the pain of missing him becomes deeper and deeper. I pity Nanay Guding when she cried but much as I also wanted to cry with her, I didn't. I had to be strong for her. She's old. When our conversation ended, she gave me a picture of Tatay taken last September 2. It was one of the last pictures he had because he left us on September 8.
We went back to Tita Pating's place pero di pa tapos gawin ang hair nila so I also had a haircut. A free haircut. Pagkatapos ng pagpapaganda sa parlor, we went to have merienda at Luz Kitchenette, Mommy Alelie's treat. I remember when I was in high school, titipirin ko yung baon ko from Monday to Thursday so that I can afford to go to Gapan on Friday with my barkada and eat halo-halo. Another house specialty is pancit. Luz din ang sikat noon na dating place. After our merienda, we dropped by Ponciana's (another sikat na dating place) to buy chicharon. Sabik ako sa pork eh! Hehe. Tapos, uwian na.
I just think it's funny how the day was spent with a lot of childhood memories being brought back to mind. During the mass that morning, dun sa part na sinasabi ng priest na "pray for your personal intentions," naisip ko na ipag-pray na sana God can let me forget the hurts of the past. But God works in mysterious ways. Instead of making me forget the pain I've felt, He made me remember the joys and happiness of my childhood.
JAEN / SAN ISIDRO / GAPAN
Philippines
At 0830H, my mother and I were already at the place where my father, Ate and Don and I grew up. We were waiting for Nanay Guding, Tatay's mother, to arrive because I wanted to visit her before I leave for Manila/Doha for fear that Tatay would hate me if I didn't. Haha. Joke lang. Unfortunately, when we came, Nanay Guding was still in church attending the Palm Sunday mass.
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While waiting, I reminisced about the good old days spent at our old home---climbing guava trees, picking mangoes and aratiles straight from the tree itself, throwing tomatoes at my cousins, running after our pet ducks and turkeys, playing at tita Loi's garden which then seemed like the whole world to us, and a lot more. Time went by so fast that we didn't notice we were already there for more than an hour and Nanay Guding hasn't come yet. Apparently, the mass has just started so we decided to go home without seeing her.Uncle invited us to have lunch with them, like we used to when I was a child. We feasted with kare-kare, pork sinigang, meatballs with miswa, and beef stew with corn and carrot sidings. After lunch, we had a trip back to Jaen so that the oldies--Mommy Alelie, Mommy Lynn and Nanay--could have a haircut. We went to Pating's House of Beauty which reminded me of a very unforgettable moment in my life: In grade 3, Tita Pating curled my hair and gave me bangs.I looked so pathetic with that hairdo such that in 17 years, I have never ever attempted having my hair styled any other way than how it looks now.
While the oldies were having their hair done, Uncle and I went back to Nanay Guding. I thought the visit would be short as I only planned to ask her how she's been these past few months, but our chat turned out to be serious and interestingthat it became difficult to leave. We talked about her memories of Tatay, how she felt upon his death and how as time passes by, the pain of missing him becomes deeper and deeper. I pity Nanay Guding when she cried but much as I also wanted to cry with her, I didn't. I had to be strong for her. She's old. When our conversation ended, she gave me a picture of Tatay taken last September 2. It was one of the last pictures he had because he left us on September 8.
(01).jpg)
We went back to Tita Pating's place pero di pa tapos gawin ang hair nila so I also had a haircut. A free haircut. Pagkatapos ng pagpapaganda sa parlor, we went to have merienda at Luz Kitchenette, Mommy Alelie's treat. I remember when I was in high school, titipirin ko yung baon ko from Monday to Thursday so that I can afford to go to Gapan on Friday with my barkada and eat halo-halo. Another house specialty is pancit. Luz din ang sikat noon na dating place. After our merienda, we dropped by Ponciana's (another sikat na dating place) to buy chicharon. Sabik ako sa pork eh! Hehe. Tapos, uwian na.
I just think it's funny how the day was spent with a lot of childhood memories being brought back to mind. During the mass that morning, dun sa part na sinasabi ng priest na "pray for your personal intentions," naisip ko na ipag-pray na sana God can let me forget the hurts of the past. But God works in mysterious ways. Instead of making me forget the pain I've felt, He made me remember the joys and happiness of my childhood.
