CREATING MEMORIES: The Visit and the Quick Escapade

“My aunt has ears that listen, arms that hug and hold, a love that’s never-ending, and a heart that’s made of gold.”
— Unknown

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The Introduction

Hi, people of Hives. How lovely is the day! Another wonderful day is gifted to us by God which is beyond measure. Today, I’m going to share a day that was remarkable since I visited my 88-year aunt who is close to me and my family and has a wonderful discovery of our property.

To some, elderlies are useless thus they were neglected and abandoned. This mindset was not practiced by our family. My aunt is a retired public school teacher, the second sibling on my mother’s side of the family. She’s great, generous, and kind to everyone. Many remembered her as a soft-spoken woman in their place with a heart full of love. She used to be a good listener and loved us so dearly. Although she is aging, our family loves her tenderly.

Let me share this extraordinary day of mine.

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The travel

My aunt is residing in a remote area the barangay Managase, Tabogon, Cebu. It takes 1 hour and 14 minutes if you opt to walk, and is 13 minutes by motorcycle. It’s 5.9 km away from the barangay where I reside. The registration of my motorcycle has not been renewed yet, thus I rode on a habal-habal (local dialect) which means that the passenger will hire the chosen motorcycle for transportation and will sit closer to the driver. It ranges from 2-3 passengers who will sit closer to each other. I had chosen to be alone because the road to going there is full of struggles.

The road is rough, the driver needs to be careful in driving due to potholes along the way. Good thing the weather was fine it’s not slippery. No road is too far for this journey since it is for my loved one. I was having fun taking photos of the green scenery around me. How calm the world is. The place is far from pollution, and perfect for relaxation. Everything is surrounded by green. The vast field used to be pasture land, and agriculture is one of the forms of living here.

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The Visit

I felt ecstatic and at the same time worried upon seeing my aunt in her state. She was able to recognize me when she saw me. I got a teary eye but I just controlled my emotion thinking that she might be hurt. At her age, she still knows me and was very glad about my visit. She did all the talks, and I'm listening to her faithfully. The sad thing about her as she shared, she is incapable of rising, she needs the yaya (own dialect which means house helper) to lift her and needs to be assisted in seating on her wheelchair. She prefers to be in bed for her safety because every time she will attempt, she fails.

I was amazed that she talked a lot. She was asking how’s my mother, where are my children why there were not with me, and talked more about her children. I got more emotional when I heard from her that her children don’t have enough time for her. They are all residing in the city, and are very busy with their work too. She understands the situation but my cousins never missed communicating with her daily, checking if everything is alright.

On my visit, I had a Vicks vapor rub on my hand. I have this every time I travel so I can smell it right away if I’m not feeling well. I had vertigo already. When she saw me smelling the rub, she asked: What is that? I replied, This one? It’s Vicks vapor rub. She answered, I’ve been longing for it, I like it. I was touched, it seemed that a child was asking and begging for something they like. I heartily responded, This is yours now. I was so delighted seeing her reaction. She thanked me religiously with an additional statement, This thing will always be at my side because it is from a special niece. Oh! I was more emotional, I want to cry but just hold it.

My aunt asked me to prepare her a lamaw (coconut juice and its flesh added with condensed milk) as she was craving this. Without any hesitation, I asked her only child who is staying with her about her request. When she was still healthy and able, she planted coconut in front of her house. Now, we can reap the fruit of her hard work. We are all benefited.

She was fond of gardening too. She stopped when she accidentally fell and got her head injured and had bruises on her arms. She was 85 years old when she left her passion for garden.

It’s almost 12:00 noon and never thought that it was lunch time. We're having fun talking. Her yaya prepared the food. These foods can be easily prepared in our province. The fish and the pork were grilled with an aid of coal. They also have mango and lato (own dialect, a seaweed) one of my faves.

I prepared the lamaw thoroughly for all of us. This was all yummy and delicious.

Lunch was served and it was special because of her presence. Afterward, she told me to have a survey of the vast field which belongs to our family. They are the heirs of this 2-hectare of land. She let me check how’s the field being cultivated.

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The Quick Escapade

On my way, I met these 3 angels who told me that there is a creek in our land. They brought me to the area and captivated me with its natural beauty.

As we bounded into the area, I was astonished by this ancient deep well. According to these cuties, this is their source of drinking. It is clean and sweet. The water in the deep well is so cool because it was surrounded by huge trees. The goodness it gives to the residents there is being free all the time. It is owned by my aunt and is open to all who need it. It is a 50-year old deep well.

As we moved forward, we reached the body of the creek. I can feel the cool breeze around, I heard the birds chirping, and everything around was untouched. What a nice feeling to be here. No pollutants and the place is clean although there are many residents around. Nature is always best. The creek is not that wide nor shallow but once heavy rains occur, it becomes deeper and the strong force of the water can drown children to death if not rescued. This time it was calm and relaxing. The weather was fine and so was the creek.

Have my photo opportunity to be reaching this creek. In my entire life, this was the first time exploring our land which has hidden beauty to be discovered. The children enjoyed our walk to the fullest.

The land was cultivated well. It has been planted with corn and peanuts.

We went back to my aunt’s house after our quick adventure from the place. It was not tiring because the place was cool and soothing. The natural beauty in it makes it more incredible. On our way, we found the guava fruits and got some of them.

We rested under the shade of the trees. Life in the province is one of a kind. Everything is great. This is what makes it beautiful.

I went back to my aunt, it was time to say goodbye. I have to go home because it was late in the afternoon already. It was such a great day.

As a Filipino trait, we value our elderly to the highest level. Everything is pampered and taken care of. With high respect, we never place them in the home for the aged. We are always there by their side no matter what the future brings. Until the end, our love for them never fades.

Creating another memory to be cherished in one day; the visit of my loved ones and the quick exploration of our land. This weekend is special and full of remarkable memories.

Thank you everyone and have a good time.