Good Old Days

June 15, 2022

Since it's in Bisaya dialogue so I tried to translate it into English I hope I can explain it in a way that you guys can understand.

Teenagers nowadays are very much satisfied for they can able to afford to buy a burger and milk tea, rather than those kids in the 80s and 90s that we're able to eat bread "bahaw "(meaning from yesterday's bread) and juice" tab ang " (meaning lack of sugar) we need to attend first the prayer in the barangay.

I was browsing my Facebook account when this writing caught my attention somehow I can relate to the message will it's quite a little bit of a joke for the old days of the what we called Batang 80s and 90s,

There were some instances that we can relate to our childhood days that we can only recollect all those years because we never go back in time as today's new generation was changed and we can not do anything but embrace it.

I was with my grandparents when I was in grade school I grew up in a province so I clearly remember how simple life was way back in the year 2000 it was this time that I know and understand what life stands for.

In our province my grandmother she's very religious she's the one who's going to lead the prayer in every barangay when there is a fiesta coming or when there is someone dead they called my grandmother to do the prayer we called it in Bisaya "manalabtan" I don't know in somewhere in Manila or other places if they have this kind of stuff all I know is that it exists in our province.

We have this every night that our patron mama Mary we're going to put it in the house to house we transfer it every day to those neighborhoods that they wanted to bring mama Mary to sleep in their house so when we transfer it we do prayer from we're the last house to the next house that was going to be in. Even though we still haven't electricity before however, we feel safe, unlike these days when we can't go outside at night as there is no safe at all.

At the house where we put mama Mary, they going to prepare food to eat for those who join the prayer, and mostly they prepare bread and juice that is why we remember those days that still we are young at that time but then others think that kids only join in prayer so that they can eat bread and juice after. This is only kidding aside because at that time we know that our grandparents wanted to be also devoted to all Saints.

Our neighbors and some nearby barangay think that if ever my grandmother can no longer able to do prayer when the fiesta comes as we all know that she's getting old so need someone to do to continue her mission as we called it. But unfortunately, I failed to do it as after I graduated from grade school, I go to the city to study in high school and I only visit again in the province once a while and that life in the city was different from the province until those practices of attending prayer every night were no longer in my daily basis that is why now when I remember somehow I feel the guilt inside me.

My grandmother died last year and I can't able to attend her funeral and even I didn't talk to her at the last minute of her life but I know she understands my situation.

Message to my grandmother

To my beloved Lola in heaven,

I am sorry for my absence when the time you needed someone to care for you. I was a long-distance from you, I know you understand me a lot ever since when I was a kid. You treat me like your daughter that I can not sleep before when I am not beside you, I am sorry when I need to leave you for I had got to do it. Hopefully, I can visit you this year though not physically but already you are in your grave and I feel the guilt for not being able to see you for the last time I know you are in God's hands now and you meet already Leah (her daughter)and my beloved grandfather. I love you and I miss you.

Though you can't read it this comes from the bottom of my heart.

Your loving apo,

Thank you for reading!