Our town fiesta (pista) was never complete without the perya with tsubibo as the main attraction. Sometimes its popularity was eclipsed by Ang Babaeng Gagamba, And Lalaking Apat ang Kamay and some freak or monster sounding attraction. Because we probinsyanos were madaling mauto, we really thought those were not humans. Only when I was already in college did I realize, that those who performed at the perya were not aliens or monsters. They were either midgets, twins, triplets, extra-tall or fat guys, or handicapped people whom the operators put in cages to make them look freak or monsters. That’s horrible.
Ferris wheels and other rides were set up two weeks before the actual fiesta.
Once festive night, I was probably 10, my eldest brother (15 years older than me) Kuya Junior came home from school (UST). After dinner, he brought my sister and I to the town plaza some 50 meters away from our house.
He bought tickets so we could ride the tsubibo. He was excited to bring Len and I there so we could have fun.
Eto na, nakasakay na kami. The metal seat was rocking back and forth, it was so flimsy. There was a thin bar that that ran across to serve as harang or hawakan. But it was so flimsy tila isang pitik mo lang eh bubukas na.
Len and I got very scared upon seeing how high we were. We started screaming while clinging tightly to Kuya Junior. When we hit the very top part, the ferris wheel stopped. They were probably letting some people ride. The seat was swaying which made me scared the more. We continued to scream and this time with tears. Kuya Junior panicked and he too started screaming, and waving to the guy below to stop the tsubibo.
“Hoy, hoy, bababa kami, hoy, hoy, tigil!”.
Kuya was disappointed with what happened. He never brought Len and I again to ride. And we never did because we were both traumatized by that experience.
Until April 27, 2015
The dinner cruise was done by 8 pm. Too early to retire for the night. The weather was nice and our adrenalin were still high.
My kids and I were surprised when I said “let’s go ride the tsubibo”. Oyen thought I was joking. I was seriously in the mood to ride.
Their Ferris wheel looks sturdy unlike those in the perya.
Instead of the open metal chairs that rock back and forth, their cars or cables are enclosed in glass case and again, they look matibay naman.
Oyen asked again if we’re going to ride. Sure? Sure na sure.
My daughter was not sure what we were doing. She was worried about me.
Selfie first.
We did it. Ayleen had overcome her fears. Nag ka meron na sya ng closure from the Ferris wheel trauma in Binangonan some forty plus years ago.
