It was a hot summer during the month of May. I was just 7 years old that time yet I can still undoubtedly remember my stay there.
I’ve woken from my deep slumber the first day when the summer break starts. Annoyed with my brother who shouted at my ear, his way of waking me up and pissing me off, I threw him a pillow that resulted in a morning fight. That’s nothing new. We fought almost every day, the sun would cry if we would not fight. I guess it was just like that, siblings who love each other always fought.
My mother told us to take shower and change after a good beating. That’s when I realized that their long time plan is about to happen right at that very moment. It was decided last month that we would visit my grandparents and my father’s hometown.
I was very excited and a little anxious since it was also my first time riding a ferry. People flock at the port, scrambling their way into the ferry. My mother carried me in her arms as she held my brother’s hand tight, while my father was in charge of the luggage's.
It was funny that we discovered my sea-sickness and it made me sick for a week since I caught a fever after riding a ferry. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop me to be amazed and wander the new place that I have been. It’s like I was sent to the other universe that time. I was so ignorant of everything, and everything means the life away from technologies and pollution.
The houses were in different structures from our house and the one that I was used to. My grandparents’ house was huge and old. It was made of bamboo and strong woods. The house neither had an aircon nor electric fan but it was surprisingly chilly. Fresh air was going through every space of the wall.
We fetch water, wash clothes and dishes, and even take a bath in the irrigation across the wide cornfield of my grandfather. He is a farmer and he had many pets aside from cats and dogs. Every morning, his roosters wake us up. My grandmother would prepare the meal. She would cook vegetables that are freshly picked from her garden, fresh eggs from the hens, and fresh milk from the cows. Everything is fresh and green.
After breakfast, my grandfather would give us a tour using Juno, his black huge horse. I really love my grandfather’s horse that I didn’t want to get off its back. We would stroll along under the pile of coconut trees and if we get thirsty we can drink fresh buko juice. In the afternoon, I would spend the time playing with my cousins in the irrigation to catch a fish.
On the third day, it was the town’s fiesta. Everyone was excited and all of the neighbors were helping each other to prepare. I remember how scared and sad I was when I witnessed how they killed a cow. Its four legs and mouth were tied. Two men were holding its body, one for the head, and the other one was the one who would hit the hard metal to its head.
It’s my first time seeing that one so I was scared of how brutal they were to the poor animal or maybe it was just the way of killing it? Though I also forget about it the moment I taste its delicious meat and feel guilty after getting full.
The next day we decided to go swimming. We travelled a mile and a half just to reach it and all I can say is it was worth it! The pool in Kanawa was located at the center of a deep forest. The dark blue water indicates how deep the water is and it was stone cold since the place was surrounded by huge and tall trees. It was so magnificent.
That place was spectacular, at least for me. I didn’t know how to swim yet so my cousin was trying to teach me but I guess swimming requires a lot of talent and I lack it so I settled myself in the shallow while trembling in coldness.
The last day of our stay there we visited the famous thousands of mountains where if it's a rainy day it was all green and if it is a sunny day it looks like thousands of chocolates. It was just a week vacation but I couldn’t forget about my memories in that place. It was indeed the place that I wanted to visit again. The place of Kanawa, Bohol.
