This is our house in Silang, Cavite. This place maybe small and simple but this is where I had my colorful childhood. We only lived here for at least two years (2001-2003) and then we moved to Baguio City. The man there is my grandfather. As of the moment my grandparents occupy the house together with their dog.

This road is our playground, back in my days. My friends and I played patintero, tumbang-preso, habulan, piko or hopscotch, chinese garter, ten-twenty, langit-lupa and etc here. I remembered that those lines either represent divisions in Patintero, the distance of an empty can from the player, the boundaries of spinning tops or the sides of the color game.

I thought those games started to fade in history because of our technology but as you can see here they have not. I can proudly say that this is one of the advantage of children belonging in the middle class over those who belong in the upper class, REAL FUN (not to mention physical health benefits).

During our visit in Cavite, we stayed in a Family friend’s house. Her children were my best friends and playmates then. I remembered those times I got to stay in their house to eat and watch anime like Dragon Ball Z, Fancy Lala, Detective Conan and Time Quest.

Yes, I do miss childhood but with during the trip I can say that I can already let go of it with ease. Being in Cavite once again reminded me of how colorful my childhood was and it somehow made me feel contented. Probably I realized that it’s time to face adulthood now. However that does not mean, I’ll forget being a child.

Isang Teorya nanaman! At wala ulit itong kinalaman sa Physics.

The Sling-Shot Theory describes a person within a circumstance that experiences extreme emotional disturbances brought about by events in the past. At a particular moment, the person is held back by an event in his past whether he chose to cling on it or not. Similar to pulling the string of a slingshot and not letting go. Similarly, the person is being stretched to his limits and wants to let go but lost in coordination within himself (such as wanting to cling in the past and the other wanting to move on). Suddenly, he did let go and projected himself so fast and way beyond his expected pace. At this point, the past no longer matters and perhaps ignores everything, even the good things, the past has brought. The past is past, insignificant and forgotten. After a short period of time, he then plunges backward to his old self and cling to a particular even in the past, but this time the attachment is not as strong as before and the event is less in terms of the magnitude of its effect on the person’s emotions. Then the cycle repeats  itself until…

…he is no longer stretched like the rubber at rest. Neither affected by the past nor entirely forgets the past and proceed beyond the future. He now stands still on the small space of the present but moving on as the future becomes the present and the present becomes the past.

Like a slingshot not in use.

Or Like how a man would stand on a working escalator. Moving but not moving.

Madalas, nakayuko at nakikita lamang natin ang kasalanan tulad ng dumi na dala ng tubig na bumabagsak mula sa ating katawan tuwing naliligo. Sa tagal natin nakayuko at nakatitig sa sarili natin dumi, nakakalimutan natin tumingin sa itaas at magpasalamat sa nagbubuhos ng malinis na tubig sa atin  na nagtatanggal ng dumi sa ating katawan. 

Makakabili ka na ng Cornetto.

Hinde.

Isang mainit na tanghali, ako’y naglalakad sa isang maduming eskinita papuntang Sta. Cruz Church. Papunta roon, marami akong nakasalubong na Tsino at kapwa ko Pilipino. Habang tinatahak ko ang naglilimahid na kalyeng hindi ko alam ang tawag dahil malamang naibenta na ang bakal na street sign, naisip ko kung gaano na kahirap ang buhay ngayon. Samantalang ako nakakaraos kahit papano, papasyal-pasyal na lang at wala maysadong problema sa buhay kung ikukupara sa kanila. Napayuko na lang ako dahil, hindi ko alam ang dapat maramdaman sa tuwing masusulyapan ko ang namamawis na tricycle driver, si ateng nagbebenta ng gulay at prutas, si nanay na buhat-buhat ang isang bilao ng bananaque, kamote que at iba pang que, at si lola na iika-ika nang magbenta ng sampaguita. Sampaguita.

Ang halimuyak ng sampaguita ang sumalubong sa akin pagpasok ng gate ng simbahan, na unti-unting nawala sa paghalo ng masangsang na amoy ng maitim na canal at nakakasulak na usk mula sa gumagaraheng sasakyan. At dito na lalabas ang ating bida na si Mang Bert. Kinalampag ni Mang Bert ang sasakyang papasok ng simbahan, para gabayan ito sa isang parking space sa gilid. Si Mang Bert ay security guard ng simbahan.

Pumasok ako ng simbahan, at hindi na bagong makakita ng parokyanong bawat rebulto ng santo ay hahawakan, nagtutulis ng kandila, lumuluhod at nagdarasal. Tamang-tama, nag-umpisa na ang misa.

———tooot—————-

Tapos na ang misa. Uwian na. Naglabasan na ang mga tao, diretso sa malalamig nilang sasakyan at nagsi-alisan. Bago lumabas, nag-abot kay Mang Bert ng 30 pesos  na bayad sa parking. Ang iba nag abot ng tip kay manong, at sasabihing “Pang-meryenda mo.” Nahihiyang tinatanggap ito ni Mang Bert at ngumingiting sinasa bi na “Salamat po.” Lumipas ang ilang minuto at wala nang pumapasok sa simbahan, nanatili ako sa silong ng simbahan dahil sa malamig na hangin na tila lumalabas dito at sa rason hindi ko mawari, naging interesado ako kay Mang Bert. Bibili kaya siya ng Pagkain? Softdrinks kaya? Biscuit? Candy? Wala?

Hindi ko na kinagulat ang ginawa niya. Wala siyang ginawa. Tumayo lang siya sa silong katulad ko at nakangiting naghihintay sa papasok na parokyano sa sususnod na misa.

Habang tumatagal, nakakaramdam na ako ng gutom. Panandalian akong bumili ng apat na pandesal at dalawang coke sakto. Kumbaga, bente lahat-lahat. Bumalik ako sa silong at inabot kay Mang Bert ang dalawang pandesal at isang supot ng coke ng hindi nagsasalita. Tinanggap niya ito at ngumiti habang nagpapasalamat ulit.

Sabay naming kinain ang aming Bente pesos na meryenda.

Hindi man nakakabusog sa tiyan, pero iba ang nabubusog nito.

Sa halagang bente pesos, napangiti ko ang isang tao

Sa halagang Bente pesos, nagkaroon ako ng kaibigan.

Alam ko dahil, si Mang Bert ang nanlilibre sa akin ngayon. Ang ako ngayon ay katulad niya dati.

nakadisable naman yung ask nung iba…..well kung ganun, SMILE na rin kayo pag nabasa niyo ito!

I just realized this is my 500th post and it’s for about my followers. Thanks guys!