"Lola Puti" as we called her. She took care of me when I was a baby until during my teens in high school. I remember I always ask her to buy me sorbetes, everytime the ice cream vendor comes. The price of one sorbetes back then was 2.00 php for the small tortillos cone, and 5 php for the big one. Lola would always buy me one whenever I have tantrums or whenever I get spanked by my parents for a mischief. I was a very mischievous boy back then. like "Dennis the Menace". I used to terrorize my 2 younger sisters, and she would always come in between me and my sisters. She was my protector, whenever I and my younger sisters go out of the house and play in the streets, she was always there to watch over us.
Sari-sari Store
I remember we always go to Aling Belinda's store, in the small "eskinita" joining Adante and Rivera street. We would always bring to the sari-sari store a small, brown toy basket made of indigenous material, and me and my sisters would pretend to be in the market, buying goods. We bought candies, bubblegums, particularly Bigboy, Bazooka, and Tarzan, peanuts, Nougat, bukayo, Marie and other snacks from Aling Belinda's sari-sari store, and put it in our small toy baskets. Other favorite places me and my Lola always went to during my childhood is Gaza's sari-sari store, the nearest sari-sari store to our house. Aling Yonor Sari-sari store, where the famous Hi-ro cookies are sold. Aling Miling's Sari-sari store in front of Pacific Oil Products Inc office where my parents worked, where we always take our merienda, Cheers, hopia, and ube were our favorite there. Syjuco's sari-sari store, the only place where you can find Frostees, a brand of ice candy. And Aling Patring's Sari-sari store, where you can find all sorts of fancy stuffs, from cheap toys, to fancy candies, it is also where you can buy La-La Chocolates. Another favorite place where me and my Lola always hang out is in the abandoned public elementary school facing the river. That compound is full of plants, and is home to Mang Iking, the hog raiser. Mang Iking always goes house to house asking for left-overs to feed his pet pigs. What I remember most in that old compound is the white, old but beautiful Spanish house, and its Gumamela flowers. The owner of the house is a grouchy old lady, or so we thought, she does not like it when we pick her Gumamelas. But I always see her and my Grandmother talk while we are there. The Gumamela flowers we pick to make a bubble solution. We pound the Gumamela flowers with a stone, then place it in a soap and water solution to make bubbles that last. All this together with my Lola.
School of Hard knocks
I remember playing and falling from the bench at Aling Miling's store. My head was injured, it was a really hard fall. My Lola was there. Whenever I play with the big kids, Eyong, Jordan, Kokoy, Liza, Sheryl, and Seksi, my Lola was there. I remember playing with them inside a parked red Harabas, owned by the good Pastor, Brother Boy, who is our neighbor and friend. He's an old white haired, chubby, singkit, man who has a distinctive mole with hairs growing on his left cheek. I always fall or trip while playing with my friends, gaining me the title "Lampa", but I always kept coming back for more. I always go home having wounds in my knees, palms, and elbows, some scratches, and bruises all over the body. My Lola would always take care of me. This was all I can remember from 3 to 12 yrs old.
Embroidery and Gardening
My Lola is also very good at embroidery. She makes beautiful pillow covers out of "katsa" or flour sack, showcasing flowers birds, and plants. She also makes makes good letterings of our names. Until now we still have those pillow covers that she made. She's a great artist. First, she draws the pattern on the "katsa" using pencil, and then she chooses the colors that she will use. I just watched in amazement as she made a dull, lifeless "katsa" into a very alive and beautiful pillow cover.
My Lola is also very fond of plants. She made the apartment where we lived in before, a cool garden. One particular thing I remember about her gardening is this statement from her. "Yung isang yan nakita kong palutang-lutang sa baha. Naawa naman ako kaya pinulot ko." "That plant over there I just saw floating in the flood. I took pity on it, so I took it." She was referring to the plant in our garden that I asked what is the name, and that is her reply. She has indeed a very big heart for God's creations.
My Lola is also very fond of plants. She made the apartment where we lived in before, a cool garden. One particular thing I remember about her gardening is this statement from her. "Yung isang yan nakita kong palutang-lutang sa baha. Naawa naman ako kaya pinulot ko." "That plant over there I just saw floating in the flood. I took pity on it, so I took it." She was referring to the plant in our garden that I asked what is the name, and that is her reply. She has indeed a very big heart for God's creations.
Quezon Province, my Lola's home
One time when I was with my Lola in Quezon for a vacation, I'm about 8-10 yrs old then. We went to the Calauag market. There we bought some stuffs, I saw bright orange corn, yummy mangoes, humongous squids etc. When we were ready to go home, we got into a jeep. Then while we were waiting for the jeep to become full with passengers, my Lola suddenly remembered something that she needs to buy. So she said, she was just going to buy something, and I just stay put and watch over our stuff. But after a small while, the jeep is ready go, and started roaring its engine. "We're starting to move!!" Not knowing what to do, I started to panic and started crying. The people around asked the driver to stop and wait for my Grandmother. My Grandmother came at last after a little while, and I was so mad at her I punched her many times with my little fists while crying.
Another thing I remember during my stay in Lola's hometown is the Ogie minibus and jeep. It is one of the very few public utility vehicles in use in that town. "Ogie" is the name at the headboard of the jeep. It's color is yellow, with a bit of orange and red. I remember there was 2 Ogie minibuses, and one Ogie jeepney. It is always so full of passengers and cramped that men often sit on top of the roof! And whenever it comes, we always say, "andyan na yung Ogie!"
Quezon province is covered in coconut trees. My grandmother's house is a small, stilted "bahay kubo" made of anahaw leaves, bamboo, and coconut lumber We don't have a toilet there before. And we let nature take care of our waste. Life is simple there. The house is situated near a "sapa" or stream. The family of my uncle's job is coconut harvesting, called "paglulukad". It is a process of smoking the coconut flesh for use in "kopra" or coconut oil raw material.
My Grandmother is a strong lady. She often takes me to the nearby mountains where she owns a small bahay kubo. She goes up and down the mountain, taking me along with her. The giant Pili nut tree, the tibig tree, the giant santol tree. It all remains in my memory. The tibig tree's fruit, I recon, can be made into a top. It is a small, round inedible fruit that when pierced with a stick, makes a good top. I and my cousins used to play with that. The giant pili nut tree has honey in one of its cracks, and we extracted it with the help of my uncle. On top of the mountain, I looked down, then I said to my Lola. "Wow Lola!! Parang painting!!" "Wow!! It's as if it is a painting!!" Indeed, it was a very beautiful sight.
In Quezon, she has a pet dog and cat and some chicken. One thing I remember about that, is the native chicken whom she named "Balbas" because it looks like it has a beard. She said she's giving me that chicken and that I now own that chicken.
When I was about to leave Quezon because the school is about to start, I was very reluctant to go. I want to stay there with my Lola. And climb mountains some more, play with the chickens, climb trees. My Lola said that if I wet a cat with water, it will rain. So I went to the kitchen, got a dipper, and started hunting down the cat. I was successful, the cat is dripping wet. But I got scolded by my dad. Indeed it rain that day, but only a drizzle, and we were still able to leave, to my utmost disappointment.
In Quezon, she has a pet dog and cat and some chicken. One thing I remember about that, is the native chicken whom she named "Balbas" because it looks like it has a beard. She said she's giving me that chicken and that I now own that chicken.
When I was about to leave Quezon because the school is about to start, I was very reluctant to go. I want to stay there with my Lola. And climb mountains some more, play with the chickens, climb trees. My Lola said that if I wet a cat with water, it will rain. So I went to the kitchen, got a dipper, and started hunting down the cat. I was successful, the cat is dripping wet. But I got scolded by my dad. Indeed it rain that day, but only a drizzle, and we were still able to leave, to my utmost disappointment.
Separation
I got separated from my Lola because she needs to stay in Quezon to watch over our land, while I need to stay in the city to continue my studies. I was grade school then, maybe around grade 5-6. I remember missing her so much, I imagined making a bus and driving to Quezon with it. I cried when she left our house in the city.
Selfless Love
My Lola never asked for anything. She was a very thrifty person. When I ask her to buy me something, she always digs in her wallet. "Lola bili mo ko." "Lola buy me a..." I remember seeing only coins in my Lola's wallet, and when I ask her to buy me ice cream, she always gives it to me, even if it means spending the rest of her money. My Lola bought me a blue short, one that has USA printed on its left leg, and an orange short, with a man playing basketball printed all over. When she came to Manila, after staying in Quezon for a few years away from me, I was college then, she brought me soft pillows with beautiful covers. That pillows I am still using until now. When she came back after years of being separated from her, she was still very fond of me. She hugged me real tight and kissed me.
Sadly, I was never the same to her. After a couple of months of being with her again, I neglected her. I enter and leave home without even noticing her. I don't even talk to her anymore, except for some very few instances. She must wonder, why her "apo" grandchild is never as fond of her as before. I myself even wonder why I became that way to her. I often gets annoyed by her stares. I do not want to be looked at. I often tell my mom, "Ma, si Lola nakatingin na naman sa kin" "Ma, there goes Lola again, looking at me." Now I know why she stares at me, she's wondering what happened to me. Why the sudden change?
What is done is done, and can never be changed. I wont make any excuses anymore, all I can say is sorry Lola. Sorry for neglecting you. I hope you are happy in God's presence. God bless you always Lola. I love you. You are the best Lola in the whole world!!
My Lola died yesterday, Friday, June 05, 2008. We rushed her to the hospital at around 7 am. But it was too late. She experienced dizziness and vomiting. She died of high blood pressure. We never knew how poor she was, until we looked into her things, old clothes, a rosary, an old bag, some needles and threads, 2008 calendars, a ballpen, empty box of tikoy, an empty tin can, a plastic tying device, old slippers, all contained in one old dilapidated box and plastic. She never asked for anything, not even food supplements, vitamins, and the like. All I can say is "Why?" She passed away at the age of 81. October 31, 1926 up to June 06, 2008.
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