Summer Memories

Kauna ang Mayo is summer vacation. Tyempo sa hampang kag Flores de Mayo para ka namon nga kabataan of the 80s, kag ang balay-balay ang amon pinaka kalingawan.

May 18, 1996

At times like this, when the sun is not so frying, and it's vacation time, we used to build playhouses.

I can't remember the number of them. Plenty, I guess. And in various places -- beside the fence, under the table, the sewing machine, the mosquito net, the haystack, between banana plants, and when we were older -- atop trees.

The housing materials were twigs, banana leaves, sacks, depending on the house's location. May it be outdoor or indoor. Indoors we used towels and other clothes and usually get a scolding for the mess. But the fun continues!

I remember one time when Manong (Simon) and I built a playhouse... It was already past noon, around 1 in the afternoon and we haven't had our lunch yet. We were that eager to finish the house not to mind if we collapsed with hunger.

At that time, there were only four of us at home -- Lola (Tora), Lolo (Binoy), Manong and I.Both Nanay and Tatay were out somewhere. Our next-door-playmates were also there to help but since it's lunchtime, they went home to eat. Lola was annoyed with manong and I. She kept calling us to eat lunch right away and mumbling about naughty kids who disobey deserved heaven's wrath. Meanwhile, Lolo was also growing annoyed with her because he can't have a peaceful siesta with Lola yelling like that.

We were so engrossed with the flooring of the playhouse that we hardly noticed lolo's menacing approach. He carried with him an iron bar which was our home's improvised "door lock". It was too late when we realized our doom. With just three strikes, our little house was turned to dust. we scrambled out like frightened rats when the roof fell in. It was like being struck by a super typhoon, only it was Super Lolo.

After bestowing the calamity, lolo walked back to the house without a word or a backward glance to his two victims and their mangled playhouse. He went back to sleep like nothing extraordinary happened. And lola got what she wanted, we finally had lunch.