Hello everyone! For this prompt, I’m re-blogging 3 of my old stuff about aunts, uncles and cousins. I hope you like them. Cheers! Ladylee x
https://justfoolingaroundwithbee.wordpress.com/2015/02/19/love-is-in-da-blog-aunts-uncles-andor-cousins/
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
We’ve all had them. These were the times when life was full of roses and innocence, of experiments and fun, of being with families and friends. These were some of my recollections.
“You’re it!” I didn’t see her as she pointed to me, called my name and said, “You’re it!” I’ve got to look for them hiding around our street. It was getting dark so it was tough finding them. However, I knew Thor would be hiding at his usual place, my brother kissing our neighbour in one corner and I’d managed to locate Bethcha. Before long we had to go back to our houses and ate our dinner. Other days, we’d play patintero (try to cross my line without letting me touch or catch you), tumbang preso (hit the can), piko (hopscotch) or luksong-tinik (lit. jump over the thorns of a plant). Sometimes we’d rent some bikes and circled around our neighbourhood.
Easter Breaks. The only time of the year when all of us cousins stayed in our Granddad’s house. The number of times we walked back and forth the house and the chapel for singing the passion plays. The afternoons we spent splashing in that creek while Granddad washed the carabao, the still warm fresh milk that morning and the mangoes we’d picked on the way to the farm. We all slept on the floor, some snoring, some talking, and telling each other’s stories, jokes and secrets.
Dad and Tito (uncle) Pabling. They were more than brothers. They’d spent hours and hours tinkering with Tito Pabling’s recently acquired old jeepney. Just like good mechanics, they’d come home with all those black smuts from the engine. Sometimes, they’d spent their afternoons unblocking the canal in our street. They were the best hosts, too – the New Year’s Day party was always a blast – all our relatives, friends, neighbours and everyone on Halcon Street would’ve confirmed that – we had to close the street for our party!
Dapitan. Our house in Dapitan was small – for our parents, 4 children, Granny, aunts and cousins. It was constantly full of people and activities. Our cousins from the province stayed with us once they started college. There were 2 bedrooms, one for our parents and one for all of us with 2 bunk beds; the rest slept on the floor. My classmates and I loved hanging out there; doing our homework and projects; lunch and merienda (snacks) were at all times provided. When I needed to concentrate at college, I’d wake up in the middle of the night to revise or just to have some peace and quiet.
These memories would always stay with me. As I was writing this article, I couldn’t help myself smiling. I know I couldn’t bring them all back but I appreciate having these snippets in my life.
I love our 3-door apartment. I think we moved there when I was three and stayed until I left for Europe. Our cousins lived in the first door and we’re in the third. The back yard connected us all, so we went back and forth through it. That was also where we did our laundry and hanged our clothes. There were 4 cousins and 4 of us siblings who were always together. Playing, talking and listening to music. Arguing, fighting and being friends again.
That was also the time when we used to have phone friends. In those days, there was only one phone between 2 families. That was tough! We took turns and somehow a system and a schedule was followed.
We started having parties. Any excuse for a party, we would have one. We used one house for food, drinks and entertaining. We removed all the furniture in the second house – that was our disco house! We set up some strobe lights, disco lights and loud music and we partied all evening.
We lived in a busy street. It wasn’t the main road for cars and jeepneys but we could hear them all. From sweltering morning – traffic was starting to build up in Dapitan. The noise of cars, taxis, motorcycles, vans and jeepneys beeping and honking, children going to school and adults to work, street vendors selling taho (soya), barbeque or peanuts. That was a normal hectic day in Dapitan. I always have fond memories of it.
The shore that call us home
Was the title of the poem
By Samuel Hazo in 1949
Makes me think about my life
Every time I go home and meet my
Family, friends and relatives again
After some time when I’m here
And they are there living differently
Yet parallel to each other, there’s this
Nostalgic feeling, of being home again
This land or these islands I miss so much
It doesn’t matter where I am now, and
I’m building a home with my family here
But over there where I used to call home
Full of childhood memories, of school,
Of college, of my first experience at work
First love, first kiss, first of everything
These experiences made me and taught me
They gave me a solid foundation of how
It is to be me, all the trials and errors
They gave me the confidence to try and
Explore different things and I have proved
That I can do it no matter where
So even when I’m happy here
I’d still be a girl with a fringe
I’d always go back to the shore
That calls me home, the Philippines
ladyleemanila 