Saturday, February 17, 2007

8. Early Recollections


Ed at three
 When I was about more than a year old I could remember tagging along with my older brothers, Pete and Dado, when they went into my grandmother’s orchard to gather fruits. They were atop a guava tree and I could see them picking the yellow ripened fruits some of which were stuffed in their mouths and most went into the billow of their tucked-in shirts. As I couldn’t join them in their perches I must have made protesting sounds that prompted one of them to throw a green unripe fruit that I hurriedly picked up and put in my mouth. Since I didn’t have enough teeth the fruit just rolled in my mouth whole and unbruised even for sometime. I was still nibbling at it when we got home. My mother asked me where I have been. I told her that I was listening to the local musician, Mang Emong, practicing his clarinet. I don’t really know whether this was a true account. I vaguely remember this incident but it was an oft-repeated tale by my mother. It seemed to suggest that I was a precocious yarn spinner and an early music lover. My mother loved to tell this little anecdote to anyone who was willing to listen.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello again, Halcyon

I don’t know what to say, all these recollections of yours of things gone by are simply amazing. I felt like I was a part of them as well, but only watching in sepia color while standing unnoticed on one corner. Your entry with the mesmerizing story about your grandmother particularly hit me, it’s so magical I can even smell it. I heard those kinds of stories from my grandma too and it brings back good memories of my childhood. Once again, thanks to you.

And I loved listening to DZMB when I was still living in the Philippines. When I was a teener, my summers were usually spent at my maternal grandma’s in the province north of Manila, and we would always tune in to DZMB to listen to great music that it always aired.
I love your entries!

Ed Roa said...

Thanks for dropping in Minerva.
Seen with adult eyes I would probably have been skeptical about the legend that grew around my Lola. My recollection of these things were through a young boy's eyes and I did believe what I saw and heard. Every now and then it would be nice and refreshing to suspend our disbelief.