I bought a 950 watts generator for the carosa of St. John the Evangelist. I hope it will not let me down. It must keep the carosa’s lights on from beginning to the end of the procession which I estimate to be two hours since Pila-pila’s roads are shorter than in Poblacion.
Sales guy———— “Mam, may gasolina kayo?”
Omb—————— “Huh, anong gasolina?”
Sales guy———– “Para ma-test natin”.
Sino kayang tao ang naglalakad sa kalye na may baong gasolina sa bag?
Omb—————– “Bakit wala ba kayo dito? Kayo ang nagtitinda, di dapat meron kayo dito?”
Sales guy———– “Sige mam, ako na lang ang bibili?”
Omb—————- “Bibili ka pa? May sasakyan ka ba? Nagmamadali ako. Ano ba yan”.
Sales guy———- “Tatakbo na lang ako mam, dyan lang”.
I delivered the chandelier, spotlights, and generator set to the house of LG but he wasn’t there. His mom, Gloria, was the one who graciously received me. Close relative pala namin sya. I didn’t even know. She told me she called my mom Lola Felicing. Her lola and my mom were first cousins pala. That makes her my niece.
LG also mentioned to me that Kuya Ben called him pamangkin.
Her husband died of heart attack a few years ago at the age of 50. she told me she’s still grieving from the death of her eldest son, 27, who also had a massive heart attack two years ago. Nalungkot naman ako sa kwento nya.
The one in pink is Ester Gondra. I was standing by the gate when all of a sudden she appeared, said hi to me, then hugged and kissed me on the cheek. She said my parents were very kind to her and that she dearly missed them. She was staring at my face trying to determine daw if “kamukha ka ba ni Tyo Cardo or ni Tya Felicing”. She’s very fluent in English.
A dozen people greeted me, some were riding the tricycle, some walking by. “Hello tita Annie, tita, tya Annie, Ate Annie. Nadyan ang anak ni Tya Felicing….” It’s heartwarming that these folks still remember my parents even if it’s been decades. And I was surprised that they do remember me too. I very seldom came here before. Sometimes once in a few years.
Gloria brought me to their one hectare farm at the back of their house, to show me the carosa. The place is so maluwag and relaxing.
I found the carosa too big but the one in-charge said that that’s the ideal size. I think smaller is better considering that the streets where the procession would pass are very narrow.
This would be the wheels where the wooden platform wood be placed. It looks like a tricycle.
That bald guy, Petz, was the one who fabricated this. He told me that he used to work for my brother, Kuya Ben. He was the one daw who fabricated all the iron works at Kuya Ben’s house. Naawa naman ako sa kanya. Patay na ang kuya. Inisip ko tuloy ano kaya ang pwede kong ipagawa sa kanya? Puno na ang bahay namin ng bakod. When I got home, I asked Edmund,
“Tart, nakilala ko yung si Petz, taga Pila-pila. Tao pala sya ng Kuya Ben, tila naawa ako, pag meron tayong ipapagawa, can you hire him?
Edmund———“welder sya?”
Omb———— “oo, marunong syang maggawa ng trusses”.
Edmund——— “Ayun, ipagawa mo yung mga bakod sa Binangonan”.
Omb———— “Wala naman akong kailangang bakod”.
There’s a small creek parallel to Pili-pila’s main road. It’s fully cemented like a dike but it’s getting filled with garbage.
From Pila-pila, I went to the house in Libis to drop off the plastic tables, chairs, 4 containers of purified water, etc. I also wanted to see if the workers have finished installing the toilet tiles, etc. I was just looking at my phone, nagka-ligaw-ligaw na naman itong driver. He’s been here a dozen times.
We were not able to enter the house because the key was missing according to Elsie. I’ve seen dozens of cigarette buts and two big bottles of liquor beside the door. Sa lagay eh nag-iinuman dito yung mga trabahador.
We couldn’t pass through the street kasi there’s a pabasa. They set-up tables, tent and chairs in the middle of the street.
The hosts recognized me and invited me to take a closer look at the santo. They also invited me to dinner. I politely declined.
The owner, Roland Cerda has a collection of santo pala.
Their pabasa started at 11 am and would end until the next day around 6 am. Kuliling-kulili siguro yung mga kapita-nahay nila. Puyat mag-damag.
I ate sinigang na ayungin and lumpiang sariwa in Ate Elsie’s house. She and son Angel are planning to go to the US soon for vacation.
I left at 9:30 pm.
When I told the driver “alis na tayo”. I rested my back, relaxed and closed my eyes. Biglang naramdaman ko, he turned left, supposed to be straight. When I opened my eyes, kinabig naman nya manubela to the right.
“Ano ba yan Nars, ang tagal-tagal mo nang pabalik-balik dito, ang liit-liit lang nitong bayan. Napapansin ko sa halip na humusay ka, paurong ang driving mo,
Ang hirap-hirap sa akin, hindi ako maka-relax. Ako na lang kaya ang magmaneho.
Nung isang araw, tumigil ka sa gitna ng EDSA, dahil hindi mo alam kung aakyat ka sa flyover o ano, isang daang beses na tayong dumaan don”.
Idikit ko kaya sa noo nya ang bagong memory stick?
