Memories of Iloilo

Lolo lived in Iloilo and we visited him a lot summers. This noon, as I was being wheeled homed from the grocery, I saw two Magnolia carts plying their wares. Their drivers were riding a bike, the cart in front of them, a tune, probably electronically produced, calling attention to the ice cream. Seeing and hearing them evoked memories of Iloilo and how excitedly we'd step out of Lolo's house to buy popsicle whenever we'd hear and/or see the Magnolia cariton bell tinkling. The Magnolia man didn't ride a bike but pushed the cart the whole day. He had a counterpart, the dirty ice cream man but we were forbidden to buy from him, the operative word there being "dirty". the few times we were able to (furtively, I think), we enjoyed the experience. Very yummy.

Another maglibod in Iloilo was the corn person. Corn was placed in a kaing lined with newspaper. The corn was smoking hot. We'd always ask the maglibod if we could peer at the corn so we could check if the corn was soft enough or if the kernels weren't too far apart, though I preferred the latter to closely placed kernels that usually spelled "tough". Corn then was not the sweet corn or Japanese variety. It was a pale yellow and very sticky. Since those days I've only eaten the likes of it once here in Manila.

Memories of Iloilo meant walking to the shore near Lolo's house. I liked soaking my feet in the water except that as the shore was littered with nipa huts, I saw human waste along it once. So I'd wait for Mama or the driver to take us to "cota" where we'd walk on water and pick up different shapes and hues of stones. Very refreshing experience that. we'd also buy some inasal in the kiosks around. One time as we were seated on one of the benches, my sister and I decided we'd speak English. Suddenly I blurted out, yawning "I'm so tuyo". yes the English term for it slipped my mind - sleepy. I was so embarrassed.

Iloilo also meant going to Villa Beach to buy lechon manok, lechon and sticky coconut bibingka. Lechon was bought per kilo, chicken as wholes. Mama and I wouldn't wait to reach Lolo's' house to eat. we'd start eating in the car. Sometimes we'd stop at the house of the Jison family (Hizon?) to buy pina or jusi for Papa's barong. we'd also stop to watch the lady weave. sometimes the owner would give me a wallet for free which had the word "Philippines" spelled out. Sometimes we'd buy some ourselves for pasalubong to the maid. Pasalubong. That was a Mama practice. She never failed to buy something to bring home to the maid, driver, boy whenever we'd go to Manila or Iloilo.

Sometimes we'd go to Panaderia de Molo where Mama would buy cans of their bakery products: the green can without holjaldres, the red can with hojaldres. We'd also go to Lucy's pinasugbo where we'd get to sample hot pinasugbo right off the pan laced with sugar.

Oh, for those days, mama and Lolo.

Oh yes, we also went to Asilo de Molo, an orphanage where Mama had a gown(?) made for San Nicholas de Tolentino, our town's patron saint. we had his statue at home which Mama lent to the parish on his fiesta.

we'd also go to the bodega where Lolo's 4 caros were kept. We'd watch as the encargado of the farm led the men in trying out the generator and checking the bulbs of the caro. We'd help fix the flowers of the caro and sometimes, we'd go up the Last Supper because it was huge.

And on the feast of Sta. Rita, we'd go to Molo church to decorate the altar with daisies we bought from one of the gardens in the outskirts. we'd also arrange roses for giving away on aluminum trays.

One summer, Lolo was sick so Mama stayed an entire month in Iloilo to take care of him. I joined her and enjoyed going to two stores there: Central Trading and Fatima where I'd get books for my teacher-teacher.

As I try to remember those days, more memories come back but those I've written should suffice for now.