A Journey of Retrospect: A Homecoming Special 2

A Journey of Retrospect

As I helped the tricycle driver unload my suitcase, the quiet surroundings of my village greeted me. I excitedly looked around and saw some dogs furiously barking in front of our wooden gate while a group of puppies was shyly hiding at the corner of a decaying wooden mango bench. I reached for my purse and handed 300 pesos to the driver for the fare. It was the first week of August when I decided to take a 1-month vacation from my work in the city. I needed a break from the stressful customary schedule I have. I needed to get away from the tumultuous city life.

As the tricycle drove off, I took a deep breath and had a moment to look around my old village. I felt like I was on a time journey. The old Ponkan tree that my friends and I used to climb when we were kids still stands in front of our house. Across the narrow cemented street stands the bungalow house one of my childhood friends owned. But what caught my eye was the public deep well under a huge ipil ipil tree. We used to fetch water in this well for laundry, drinking, and cooking. Almost all households depended on this public well. I looked around and had a moment to reminisce. Despite witnessing and going through countless events and changes, our old family house still stands proudly and has remained steadfast throughout the years.

As I walked to my house, I was greeted by my excited nieces and nephews. They ran towards me, eagerly shouting, "Auntie Libet is here." I was so happy to see them. They still have the most genuine smile I have ever seen. Innocence and contentment about life radiated from their eyes. They helped me with my suitcase and they were probably excited about the "pasalubong" I had brought for them from the city. News travels fast. The next thing I knew, I was serving cups of brewed coffee and traditional rice cakes to my cousins who came to see me. I had never felt so happy and alive. They gave me time to rest after some quality time catching up with them. I took a 2-hour nap and when I woke up, it was already noon. One of my aunts called me to eat lunch at their house.

Vegetable soup seasoned with homemade fish sauce and adobong native chicken was served. It was a hearty lunch. I remember when I was a kid, I used to hate this vegetable soup popularly known as "dinengdeng". The strong smell emanating from the fish sauce was just too much for me but as I grew older, I came to appreciate the unusual taste of this local dish. It has always reminded me of home. After the delightful lunch, I had the chance to have a chat with my aunts and cousins.

The next day, I had lots of free time to look around my hometown. I heard that a lot of things have changed in the past few years since I have been gone. We used my cousin's motorcycle to skirt around my hometown. I was feeling extremely nostalgic as we gradually toured old and familiar places. We visited places in my hometown that hold special memories as they are part of my wonderful childhood recollections. I have noticed that most people have their motorcycles. Way back when I was young, we used to ride on "kuliglig" or on a tractor to go to places we intended to visit. We visited my hometown's local market and there are more small shops placed around the main market establishment. Various goods are sold at the market ranging from fresh farm products to household necessities. But what caught my attention was a store with walls partially covered with glass and in the cabinets, some cosmetic products were on display. My memory brought me back 15 years ago when I was just a shy teenage girl. A few dabs of Johnson Baby powder on our sun-kissed caramel-colored face and a gentle rub of strawberry-flavored lipgloss were our secret-to-go makeup.

Then, we stopped by a small local restaurant located in front of the main entrance of the public market. Various local delicacies were served, but their best seller was probably pancit batil patong, a noodle dish, topped with ground beef, pork liver, diced onions, mung bean sprouts, cabbages, scallions, and eggs. Nearby hardware and farm supply shops and workers from the municipal hall are lining up for a hearty meal. Way back when I was much younger,  local eateries like this only operated during the market days which is every Monday and Thursday but now, not only this restaurant but all the snack houses near the market area are open all week round to cater to the growing number of customers in our small agricultural town. Before we headed back home, my cousin decided to buy some groceries in the nearby shops. As I waited for her, I looked around the marketplace. A new small laundry shop caught my attention. It is situated right next to a convenience store and a small drugstore. In front of it is a long line of snack houses, boutiques, and kitchenware shops. I was surprised because I couldn't imagine how a small laundry house was able to convince the need for the existence of a laundry shop in a small rural community of industrious and hardworking people. Before I got lost further in my thoughts, my cousin was done buying necessities so we headed back home.  As the motorcycle wended its way into the cemented highway, reality seeped in. The town I grew up in is no longer the same place that I used to know. A revitalized town with a very promising future is what I saw. A once secluded and less traveled municipality is now advancing towards economic progress with the aim of promoting both agriculture and commercial success. 

I thought the laundry shop was not an out-of-place structure but rather a positive manifestation of a progressing economy. The once graveled roads are now cemented highways with very few gasoline stations along the way. Before, we used to buy gasoline in a 1-liter bottle of Coca-Cola and directly pour it into the motorcycles and car's gas tank. My town has come a long way. As we arrived home, I had a glance at my childhood friend's house. I remember the house used to be small with wooden pillars and half of its structures were made of old santol wood but now it has become bigger and wider with cemented pillars and brown-colored tin roofs. I could only utter, "Well the future is bright." and I smiled as I approached my mom waiting in front of our old house.