By: Boboy Solero
Anybody seen this movie? Brings back lots of memories to me. Childhood places and friends especially…
I grew up in Calolbon, Catanduanes. Our house is located next to an elementary school where I went and where my mother still teaches. Any kid who was fond of adventures found this school site a haven. From its entrance gate, which was probably a dozen steps to the right of ours, there were lined trees on each side of the dirt pathway going toward a point where ricefields can be seen on both sides of the road. There was a big playground there that catered two baseball fields. One was close to the flagpole where, on school days, we did our daily flag ceremony and retreat. The other was a few steps away from the school bakery where nutri-buns were baked and the ruins of the Gabaldon building, courtesy of typhoon Sining in 1972. Oftentimes, this playground was used by locals to graze their carabaos either in an early morning mist or an hour before sunset especially on weekends. School buildings were built on the periphery of the site as if to maximize the center space thereby forming an oval field. Pine trees were planted on the edges of the oval field some twelve feet apart. You could hear them humming when swept by strong winds on a hot summer day. It produced such a soothing, relaxing sound and in tandem with the cool breeze, it could lullaby you to sleep beneath its shades. Flocks of herons flew in from the west usually after an early morning light rain and fed on these fields all day long with their white feathers adding more beauty in contrast with the green grass. Some can even be seen on top of the grazing carabaos. I never really knew what they were doing there until some friends told me they fed on carabaos’ lice. Minutes before sunset, just before the church bell rang in time for Angelus, they flew back westbound in a V-shape formation as if following the sun…only to come back the next day.
On the east side, you will see a beautiful twin mountain, Kagmasuso. It was so named probably because it resembled a woman’s breasts save the nipples. Its color was almost solely green because of the trees. From afar and after a heavy rainfall, Kagmasuso looked like as if it sprouted with some sort of mini-waterfalls we call ba-haw. You can stare and enjoy these ba-haws’ scenes with your young, rain-soaked, half-naked body for as long as you liked until they gradually faded almost at the same time. It never really failed to amaze me as much as I wondered how its transient existence came to be.
From the same field and some fifteen-minute eastbound carabao ride through tall grass and mud, you will see a river with crystal-clear, free-flowing water. The water from this river was also used to irrigate the ricefields nearby. A makeshift dam made of bamboos stacked one over the other around six feet high was used to block and funnel the water to the ricefields. This was usually done during summer when water level was low and removed on rainy days. The deeper portion of the river where water was drawn also served as a swimming pool both for the kids and the carabaos. Despite the carabaos, kids were tempted to bathe there, as I always was, until all their lips and fingers turned purple and wrinkled and still asked for more. Trees planted on both sides of the riverbank had some of its branches drawn toward the river. Older kids climbed these trees and used their branches as diving flatform while the younger ones settled for carabao’s back. In this place, man, at least the little ones, and beast mingled in perfect harmony.
A break from too much diving meant walking some 100m upstream where the water was much calmer and cleaner. A handful catch of fish and especially shrimps was always there even to the most inexperienced hand. They bore holes on the riverbank just inches below the stream and stayed there. By simply checking on these holes, you got yourself a shrimp. Going downstream, the river was a lot shallower that you could even hear the water flowing like a murmuring brook. Laying belly back against the stream was a rinsing habit for most of us before heading back home.
Homeward bound was even more fun as we walked through the sagop (ricefield pathway) barefoot. There was a long stretch of fence that bounded the school property to the north from the rest of the ricefields to the south. This fence was made of bamboo twigs, we call kagingking. Wild fruit-bearing vines (kayumbot) climb the whole fence with some guava trees growing in-between the fence. It was our deliberate act of ignoring them going to the river so that we can take them all back home. Once within our sight from the sagop, it was a race to the fence and a smorgasbord for everyone.
Such a simple yet priceless pleasures in life…
A westbound trip from the same field through a more comfortable road walk will take you to the seashore. You will have the same longing to bathe except this time you see from the horizon across Maqueda Channel the view of Mayon Volcano in perfect cone. As with Kagmasuso, you can enjoy Mayon’s view while jumping from the pier doing a panuro. Panuro is a kid’s dive with curled legs forming a circle, feet touching each other and hitting the water with the butt first in a hope to produce a fountain-like splash. The higher the splash produced the better panuro diver you are. And on a clear afternoon sunset, oh, that Mayon Volcano scene with the sun behind it and reflecting its orange rays on vast blue sea was really breathtaking. It’s to die for!
This was our paradise, my childhood friends and mine. A bunch of eight to ten year olds. Got eight of them; Cayong, Te, Coing, Paner, Bebot, Boyet, Among and Ody. Incidentally, they are pairs of siblings which leave me the only kid in the pack without a brother.
I remembered one of those care-free, lazy afternoons when all we did was to stroll in the school site. Boredom crept in on us and we need some excitement just to keep the ball rolling…
Tang Ben Aldea was a school janitor then, a self-appointed security guard less the blue uniform, cap and a side arm. He was such a big, heavy guy that if you shove a piece of coal right up his butt, it will surely turn into a diamond within minutes. He was usually seen in a white kamisa tsino shirt. His even bigger belly dangling between the bottom of his shirt and his belt amplified his size even more. His was a figure of intimidation that it was difficult to second-guess his next move. In fact, a simple gesture of placing his hands on his hips would already be demeaning to some, kids especially. He was frequently seen patrolling the site on his old, dilapidated bike with a bolo on his waist. It was a routine activity - probably one he imposed on himself more than his boss – that in the end made him an even more bored janitor than an efficient guard. And to deal with such boredom, he perpetually munched a do-it-yourself gum - a mixture of fresh leaves and nutmeg - that deposited dried, orange saliva on the edge of his mouth; sometimes extending toward the chin. And while he was at it, his eyes scanned the property with a radar-like precision as if someone was always going to steal something. It was a look that showed a sign of janitor’s paranoia than of guard’s alertness. Anybody who did not know him would wonder what he was up to. But not us. For we knew that he was very much aware of the school property’s inventory from plants, vegetables, fruit trees, flowers, everything. I figured he will even count the rice grains if given the chance and will know instantly if one was missing. Kids who saw him roaming around, even in his silence, had second thoughts doing something mischief. But not this bunch of kids. Not with Bebot around…
Bebot, despite his height limitations, had a big muscular, almost black body and was the leader of the pack. Always had been. One day, he called on us and asked if we wanted something exciting. Almost in unison, save Cayong who had always been the good guy, we said YES!
With Tang Ben still on his bike already drenched in sweat looking for a thief that was never there, the eight of us went to the center of sagop. Bebot, full of self-confidence, already had both his hands full of gravel while the rest of us waited in anticipation. Halfway through the sagop, he threw the gravel to the roof of one of the school buildings creating an annoying sound. He knew, as we all did, that Tang Ben did not only hear it but more so, was enraged by it. And now that we had his full attention, things got more exciting as we all turned our focus on him and tried to anticipate his next move. But Bebot was by far the smartest as he already knew what to do next. He faced Tang Ben, performed an irritating dance while partially removing his shorts showing his black butt and yelled: “Hoy, bukod Tang Ben!” (Hey, Tang Ben, catch us if you can!).
Now Tang Ben was in full rage as he alighted from his bike with his right hand already holding the bolo. This was our - or at least Bebot’s - first objective; to make him really mad! As he trembled in anger more saliva dripped from his mouth he could hardly chew his DIY gum. He yelled so loud - more of frustration than intimidation - it reverberated in the field with his left hand pointing in Bebot’s direction. And the chase began.
With his size coupled with our safe location, he walked through the sagop - almost in a running phase - toward us in complete disarray. This made the experience even more exciting as adrenalin pumped in. Some six feet to our place with Cayong closest to Tang Ben and with all of us almost in our butts laughing we ran in all directions he never knew who to chase anymore.
We met on the playground with our feet full of mud some already rolling on the grass laughing. As if everybody knew what’s coming next, all of us, save Bebot, had both our hands full of gravel. This time Bebot went to the school bell behind the flag pole. He shouted some instructions to us and at the same time we threw the gravel on the roofs of our individual buildings as Bebot banged the school bell with his right hand while his left covered his ears. It’s now nine kids in different locations being chased by a big, frustrated janitor in the middle of a rice field. Oh, that was really fun!
After dinner, we went out the streets and played tubig-tubigan (patintero) almost until midnight. In the ‘70s, FICELCO did not have the capability to supply power overnight and had to cut it before midnight. This meant total darkness in the houses and on the streets as lampposts will be turned off as well compelling us to stop playing But we were a bunch of kids easily caught by boredom and had to do something else again just for the sake of fun…
Te, Cayong’s younger brother was probably the only kid in our pack with fair complexion. He was perhaps the only one who can be seen on a moonless night. Most of us were blackish brown (or brownish black) due to constant exposure in the sun. One dark night probably around 11:00PM, Coing, Paner’s elder brother, dared him to ride a bike bare naked and circle the streets from Sapang Palay toward Campo and then Salvacion going to Belmonte and back to our place again. That was a really tough challenge. It was kinda fun to contemplate for as long as it was not you! Heck, I would never do it myself and I was sure neither will the rest of them! There was hesitation from Te at first but Bebot, bully as he always was, convinced him with all of us rallying behind. With a little contemplation and a smile on his lips, Te agreed and almost instantaneously stripped himself bare naked. Here we go again. Fun! Fun! Fun!
Anybody seen this movie? Brings back lots of memories to me. Childhood places and friends especially…
I grew up in Calolbon, Catanduanes. Our house is located next to an elementary school where I went and where my mother still teaches. Any kid who was fond of adventures found this school site a haven. From its entrance gate, which was probably a dozen steps to the right of ours, there were lined trees on each side of the dirt pathway going toward a point where ricefields can be seen on both sides of the road. There was a big playground there that catered two baseball fields. One was close to the flagpole where, on school days, we did our daily flag ceremony and retreat. The other was a few steps away from the school bakery where nutri-buns were baked and the ruins of the Gabaldon building, courtesy of typhoon Sining in 1972. Oftentimes, this playground was used by locals to graze their carabaos either in an early morning mist or an hour before sunset especially on weekends. School buildings were built on the periphery of the site as if to maximize the center space thereby forming an oval field. Pine trees were planted on the edges of the oval field some twelve feet apart. You could hear them humming when swept by strong winds on a hot summer day. It produced such a soothing, relaxing sound and in tandem with the cool breeze, it could lullaby you to sleep beneath its shades. Flocks of herons flew in from the west usually after an early morning light rain and fed on these fields all day long with their white feathers adding more beauty in contrast with the green grass. Some can even be seen on top of the grazing carabaos. I never really knew what they were doing there until some friends told me they fed on carabaos’ lice. Minutes before sunset, just before the church bell rang in time for Angelus, they flew back westbound in a V-shape formation as if following the sun…only to come back the next day.
On the east side, you will see a beautiful twin mountain, Kagmasuso. It was so named probably because it resembled a woman’s breasts save the nipples. Its color was almost solely green because of the trees. From afar and after a heavy rainfall, Kagmasuso looked like as if it sprouted with some sort of mini-waterfalls we call ba-haw. You can stare and enjoy these ba-haws’ scenes with your young, rain-soaked, half-naked body for as long as you liked until they gradually faded almost at the same time. It never really failed to amaze me as much as I wondered how its transient existence came to be.
From the same field and some fifteen-minute eastbound carabao ride through tall grass and mud, you will see a river with crystal-clear, free-flowing water. The water from this river was also used to irrigate the ricefields nearby. A makeshift dam made of bamboos stacked one over the other around six feet high was used to block and funnel the water to the ricefields. This was usually done during summer when water level was low and removed on rainy days. The deeper portion of the river where water was drawn also served as a swimming pool both for the kids and the carabaos. Despite the carabaos, kids were tempted to bathe there, as I always was, until all their lips and fingers turned purple and wrinkled and still asked for more. Trees planted on both sides of the riverbank had some of its branches drawn toward the river. Older kids climbed these trees and used their branches as diving flatform while the younger ones settled for carabao’s back. In this place, man, at least the little ones, and beast mingled in perfect harmony.
A break from too much diving meant walking some 100m upstream where the water was much calmer and cleaner. A handful catch of fish and especially shrimps was always there even to the most inexperienced hand. They bore holes on the riverbank just inches below the stream and stayed there. By simply checking on these holes, you got yourself a shrimp. Going downstream, the river was a lot shallower that you could even hear the water flowing like a murmuring brook. Laying belly back against the stream was a rinsing habit for most of us before heading back home.
Homeward bound was even more fun as we walked through the sagop (ricefield pathway) barefoot. There was a long stretch of fence that bounded the school property to the north from the rest of the ricefields to the south. This fence was made of bamboo twigs, we call kagingking. Wild fruit-bearing vines (kayumbot) climb the whole fence with some guava trees growing in-between the fence. It was our deliberate act of ignoring them going to the river so that we can take them all back home. Once within our sight from the sagop, it was a race to the fence and a smorgasbord for everyone.
Such a simple yet priceless pleasures in life…
A westbound trip from the same field through a more comfortable road walk will take you to the seashore. You will have the same longing to bathe except this time you see from the horizon across Maqueda Channel the view of Mayon Volcano in perfect cone. As with Kagmasuso, you can enjoy Mayon’s view while jumping from the pier doing a panuro. Panuro is a kid’s dive with curled legs forming a circle, feet touching each other and hitting the water with the butt first in a hope to produce a fountain-like splash. The higher the splash produced the better panuro diver you are. And on a clear afternoon sunset, oh, that Mayon Volcano scene with the sun behind it and reflecting its orange rays on vast blue sea was really breathtaking. It’s to die for!
This was our paradise, my childhood friends and mine. A bunch of eight to ten year olds. Got eight of them; Cayong, Te, Coing, Paner, Bebot, Boyet, Among and Ody. Incidentally, they are pairs of siblings which leave me the only kid in the pack without a brother.
I remembered one of those care-free, lazy afternoons when all we did was to stroll in the school site. Boredom crept in on us and we need some excitement just to keep the ball rolling…
Tang Ben Aldea was a school janitor then, a self-appointed security guard less the blue uniform, cap and a side arm. He was such a big, heavy guy that if you shove a piece of coal right up his butt, it will surely turn into a diamond within minutes. He was usually seen in a white kamisa tsino shirt. His even bigger belly dangling between the bottom of his shirt and his belt amplified his size even more. His was a figure of intimidation that it was difficult to second-guess his next move. In fact, a simple gesture of placing his hands on his hips would already be demeaning to some, kids especially. He was frequently seen patrolling the site on his old, dilapidated bike with a bolo on his waist. It was a routine activity - probably one he imposed on himself more than his boss – that in the end made him an even more bored janitor than an efficient guard. And to deal with such boredom, he perpetually munched a do-it-yourself gum - a mixture of fresh leaves and nutmeg - that deposited dried, orange saliva on the edge of his mouth; sometimes extending toward the chin. And while he was at it, his eyes scanned the property with a radar-like precision as if someone was always going to steal something. It was a look that showed a sign of janitor’s paranoia than of guard’s alertness. Anybody who did not know him would wonder what he was up to. But not us. For we knew that he was very much aware of the school property’s inventory from plants, vegetables, fruit trees, flowers, everything. I figured he will even count the rice grains if given the chance and will know instantly if one was missing. Kids who saw him roaming around, even in his silence, had second thoughts doing something mischief. But not this bunch of kids. Not with Bebot around…
Bebot, despite his height limitations, had a big muscular, almost black body and was the leader of the pack. Always had been. One day, he called on us and asked if we wanted something exciting. Almost in unison, save Cayong who had always been the good guy, we said YES!
With Tang Ben still on his bike already drenched in sweat looking for a thief that was never there, the eight of us went to the center of sagop. Bebot, full of self-confidence, already had both his hands full of gravel while the rest of us waited in anticipation. Halfway through the sagop, he threw the gravel to the roof of one of the school buildings creating an annoying sound. He knew, as we all did, that Tang Ben did not only hear it but more so, was enraged by it. And now that we had his full attention, things got more exciting as we all turned our focus on him and tried to anticipate his next move. But Bebot was by far the smartest as he already knew what to do next. He faced Tang Ben, performed an irritating dance while partially removing his shorts showing his black butt and yelled: “Hoy, bukod Tang Ben!” (Hey, Tang Ben, catch us if you can!).
Now Tang Ben was in full rage as he alighted from his bike with his right hand already holding the bolo. This was our - or at least Bebot’s - first objective; to make him really mad! As he trembled in anger more saliva dripped from his mouth he could hardly chew his DIY gum. He yelled so loud - more of frustration than intimidation - it reverberated in the field with his left hand pointing in Bebot’s direction. And the chase began.
With his size coupled with our safe location, he walked through the sagop - almost in a running phase - toward us in complete disarray. This made the experience even more exciting as adrenalin pumped in. Some six feet to our place with Cayong closest to Tang Ben and with all of us almost in our butts laughing we ran in all directions he never knew who to chase anymore.
We met on the playground with our feet full of mud some already rolling on the grass laughing. As if everybody knew what’s coming next, all of us, save Bebot, had both our hands full of gravel. This time Bebot went to the school bell behind the flag pole. He shouted some instructions to us and at the same time we threw the gravel on the roofs of our individual buildings as Bebot banged the school bell with his right hand while his left covered his ears. It’s now nine kids in different locations being chased by a big, frustrated janitor in the middle of a rice field. Oh, that was really fun!
After dinner, we went out the streets and played tubig-tubigan (patintero) almost until midnight. In the ‘70s, FICELCO did not have the capability to supply power overnight and had to cut it before midnight. This meant total darkness in the houses and on the streets as lampposts will be turned off as well compelling us to stop playing But we were a bunch of kids easily caught by boredom and had to do something else again just for the sake of fun…
Te, Cayong’s younger brother was probably the only kid in our pack with fair complexion. He was perhaps the only one who can be seen on a moonless night. Most of us were blackish brown (or brownish black) due to constant exposure in the sun. One dark night probably around 11:00PM, Coing, Paner’s elder brother, dared him to ride a bike bare naked and circle the streets from Sapang Palay toward Campo and then Salvacion going to Belmonte and back to our place again. That was a really tough challenge. It was kinda fun to contemplate for as long as it was not you! Heck, I would never do it myself and I was sure neither will the rest of them! There was hesitation from Te at first but Bebot, bully as he always was, convinced him with all of us rallying behind. With a little contemplation and a smile on his lips, Te agreed and almost instantaneously stripped himself bare naked. Here we go again. Fun! Fun! Fun!
None of us really cared how he looked like naked as we almost see each other in the same scenario when we bathe in the river. Anyway, so as to confirm his willingness to circle these streets, it was agreed that Coing will drive the bike and Te being the passenger behind him. And the rest of us will ride on other bikes behind them as living witnesses to Te’s valor.
It was really fun, honest. Being close to midnight, the streets were almost empty. There were some people walking, mostly were elders and had vision problems. We greeted them with Coing doing it first and Te would second it “Diyos mayad na banggi.” (Good evening.) Te was so comfortable with himself he even greeted some while waving both his hands. And all of us on the other bikes behind just passed by controlling ourselves or we would have laughed out loud. We had a few laps and nobody, but nobody, really noticed that one of us was on a bike bare naked.
I wasn’t sure if it was Murphy’s Law or God just realized we had enough luck. It was probably our last lap coming from Belmonte going back to our place when FICELCO decided that Calolbon needed light after midnight and turned the power on. My, oh, my! Of all the places! Of all the time! Why here? why now? All the lampposts were lit! I mean all of them! The whole stretch from Belmonte all the way to Campo!
It took a little time for us to absorb the impact of brightness, all being oblivious of Te’s condition. But when it did, I had – as I was sure were the others – a mixed feeling. The one we all had been dreading and the fun that went with the situation.
Oh, shit! Te was exposed! Coing, fully aware of the situation, decided to pedal faster to reach our place and save Te from embarrassment. By then, the rest of us already alighted from our bikes and were stomping the cement road with our hands and feet in laughter. Perhaps out of exhaustion or panic, Coing’s fast maneuvering created more trouble as the bike’s chain was detached from the plate even before reaching our place. Te had no other choice but to run for it with his right hand on his dick and his left hand behind his butt. Oh, this was even more fun than Tang Ben’s chase.
I am sure all of us had gone through experiences like these. Priceless kids’ stuffs that you will cherish in your lifetime. Things like this always brings a smile on my face, while driving, in front of the computer, queuing for lotto ticket, wherever. I still see some of them when I go back home, mostly during summer time. With a couple of beers, we sat down all night long and recall all the things we have gone through our childhood.
Since I left Calolbon, I have met so many people. Shared some ideas with them, had conflicts with some, made acquaintances with most and kept some very close friends. In the end, I gained some knowledge and understood why people behaved differently. In my own simple way, I do share what I learned from others to somebody else hoping somehow to make a difference.
I am pretty much sure I will still meet good, decent people in my lifetime. And with high probability will make acquaintances with most of them. But really, I don’t think I will still find friends in my lifetime the way I did when I was nine. And with so many wonderful blessings God give to people, there is nothing more rewarding than a sleeping nine year old kid knowing that by sunrise he has nothing to worry about more than figuring out with his friends how that God forsaken bike’s chain will work better the second time around.
It was really fun, honest. Being close to midnight, the streets were almost empty. There were some people walking, mostly were elders and had vision problems. We greeted them with Coing doing it first and Te would second it “Diyos mayad na banggi.” (Good evening.) Te was so comfortable with himself he even greeted some while waving both his hands. And all of us on the other bikes behind just passed by controlling ourselves or we would have laughed out loud. We had a few laps and nobody, but nobody, really noticed that one of us was on a bike bare naked.
I wasn’t sure if it was Murphy’s Law or God just realized we had enough luck. It was probably our last lap coming from Belmonte going back to our place when FICELCO decided that Calolbon needed light after midnight and turned the power on. My, oh, my! Of all the places! Of all the time! Why here? why now? All the lampposts were lit! I mean all of them! The whole stretch from Belmonte all the way to Campo!
It took a little time for us to absorb the impact of brightness, all being oblivious of Te’s condition. But when it did, I had – as I was sure were the others – a mixed feeling. The one we all had been dreading and the fun that went with the situation.
Oh, shit! Te was exposed! Coing, fully aware of the situation, decided to pedal faster to reach our place and save Te from embarrassment. By then, the rest of us already alighted from our bikes and were stomping the cement road with our hands and feet in laughter. Perhaps out of exhaustion or panic, Coing’s fast maneuvering created more trouble as the bike’s chain was detached from the plate even before reaching our place. Te had no other choice but to run for it with his right hand on his dick and his left hand behind his butt. Oh, this was even more fun than Tang Ben’s chase.
I am sure all of us had gone through experiences like these. Priceless kids’ stuffs that you will cherish in your lifetime. Things like this always brings a smile on my face, while driving, in front of the computer, queuing for lotto ticket, wherever. I still see some of them when I go back home, mostly during summer time. With a couple of beers, we sat down all night long and recall all the things we have gone through our childhood.
Since I left Calolbon, I have met so many people. Shared some ideas with them, had conflicts with some, made acquaintances with most and kept some very close friends. In the end, I gained some knowledge and understood why people behaved differently. In my own simple way, I do share what I learned from others to somebody else hoping somehow to make a difference.
I am pretty much sure I will still meet good, decent people in my lifetime. And with high probability will make acquaintances with most of them. But really, I don’t think I will still find friends in my lifetime the way I did when I was nine. And with so many wonderful blessings God give to people, there is nothing more rewarding than a sleeping nine year old kid knowing that by sunrise he has nothing to worry about more than figuring out with his friends how that God forsaken bike’s chain will work better the second time around.
