Summer Time

It's the first day of summer around these parts and it's hot. So fitting I think. Today makes me want to reminisce some summer pasts.

Growing up, summer meant:

• long daylight hours make for longer play time
• waiting for the dirty ice cream vendor @ 4 pm
• running after the fishball vendor
• waking up to my mother's yakking about how late the hours is and how high the sun has been
• carrying mom's basket while she goes marketing
• shatung, patintero, tumbang preso
• Cathecism
• excursion to the beach
• annual pilgrimmage to Our Lady of Manaoag
• Holy Week services + procession in hot conditions

We didn't go anywhere when I was growing up.  We had to endure the heat and "boringness" of the 2 months at home.  No one in my neighborhood went away for vacation either.  Everyone was home helping out with chores and after lunch we all play at Peia's yard. They have a big yard and it has no plants in it.  It was perfect for playing. We could play sports there, like soccer or baseball if we wanted to or knew how to. 

They have a big gigantic acacia tree in front of the house with large trunk that could shield us from the sun's rays.  It was perfect. 

I cannot believe how nostalgic I am of that acacia tree now that I started to write this. I hope it's still there. I know Peia and family moved out since they didn't own the land. 

I've spent many summers in my family's home, which btw has suffered major damage during the quake of 91 or 90?  And it's begging to be taken down/demolished.  It will be soon.  Out of the many summers, one could easily stand out. It was the summer where either I was finished with Grade 5 or Grade 6, that part I couldn't remember.

But it was the summer where almost all the neighborhood kids banded together, girls and boys, and played.  We never all played before nor after that summer.  So that was what made that summer special.

I remember we played shatung a lot. I was masterful at that game.  We also played patientero.  And when the summer was ending, I organized a disco at my front yard.  Could you believe that?  It was a spur of the moment decision.

I sprung the request to my mom at around 3 pm and by 5 pm we have the stereo playing loud music and kids dancing in our yard.  We had no food but we danced the evening away.  I still remember my verve at asking permission for this boy, about 4 years my junior, from his sister because his folks were not in the house at that time. I can't recall why I have to since I know this boy stays out later than the 5 pm party time, but I still did.  And the funny thing is his sister is only about 4 years older than I am!

Another thing that I remember about that day was my friend's mom came to the yard and asked my mom what was the party about?  And my mom told her the kids wanted to dance :)

We sure did dance the summer away!