YOUNG AND FREE

When I was younger,  back in the days when life was easy, I closed my eyes, & prayed that it was 1980.

The house seemed so full. The sound of the coconut husk, brushing and scrubbing the floor. It was 10:00am, it is the time I usually wake up. My mama always wakes me up at this hour. Everyone was busy, just the usual ordinary day. My uncle is in the kitchen prepping my breakfast, because I was always the last one to wake up. But hey it's a Saturday!

As I sat down in the dining area. Looking at my breakfast. There is my usual milk made by my grandma, my Mama Ba. She would always make me a glass of warm milk made with that alpine with some sugar.  I liked it better than any other milk. Then there is fried rice, "tuyo", sunny side up-over easy, pandesal and butter. Yes, that is our usual breakfast. There were times it was that hamonado, or other cold cuts. But it is a daily basis having eggs on the table.

I was 5 years old. How do these oldies think I would consummate such food? I just stare and must finish at least a bite and succumbed to my favorite Saturday show - The Looney Tunes, Mickey and friends and whoever is showing on TV.

This is my typical weekend in this household... Weekend's are the best days of my when I was a child.

I only have one brother. That time he was only a baby. We were 5 years apart. I haven't had much of a memory of him because everyone adores him. I don't have much time to play with him.

As we grew up. We were like cats and dogs. We fought alot. And mama would usually say that she will just hand us a knife to kill each other. But those were just metaphors.  I love my brother.  We always play games. We were so close. But I always bully him because he was a cry-baby.  And I make fond of him all the time. 

As I remember my childhood days. It was fun. My other playmate was Diday. Our family adopted her. She was like a sister. She taught me so much. I remembered she taught me how to ride a bicycle because during those days I was just watching her and our friends riding a bike. I will just cling to her and say that I want to learn.  It was summer time. We would go to Onyx Street to rent a bike. Normally I will just ride with her "angkas".  But she would always complain how heavy I am. So we switched seats, I was in front of her driving the pedal and she would handle the maneuver.  Until such a time that we both get tired. And I told her to teach me. One night, we were in Zapiro Street, just across our home...