Travels with My Mom, on second thought, memories of Mama

Mama was a constant travel companion. She had the wanderlust. Papa would always say she must have moles on her feet as she was hardly stationary. She wasn't athletic and I took after her in that sense. I took after her in a lot of other ways too, like my love for shopping and not just anywhere but in sparsely populated malls. In Bacolod she preferred Servando's to Lopue's though she'd also go to the Central Market, China Rose, etc., if necessary. I think there was one other reason she didn't frequent Lopue's but I don't want to make up stories which might be erroneous. So suffice it to say that she preferred Servando's. But I digress. To our travels...

Travels with Mama meant not too many places but she tried to make them special. For example, I recall we went to Baguio riding the train. Being yet so young, I don't know where the train let us off but that certainly was the first and last time I rode one. Going home that time I remember we took a bus. Oh and one other trip which was cute was this. The Love Bus, the first ever in the Philippines that was airconditioned was a novelty back then. She wanted us to try it. So we did, in Cubao I think, while she let the driver wait for us in the car in Makati. When we'd go to Iloilo she'd bring us to Villa for the lechon, the yummy bibingka. We'd also go to the Jison house for pina products. We'd watch as someone wove the cloth.

In Negros, though, Mama hardly went out of town with us. I recall but one time when the Constantinos were our house guests. That was a surprise move: she asked her friend who had a fishpond for permission for us to go to her friend's place where there was a pool. Generally, therefore, travels with Mama, except for Baguio, Manila, and Iloilo, meant going shopping.

In a sense, I guess I was spoiled because she'd always ask me whether I wanted the doll I was looking at. I also got whatever books I wanted for my teacher-teacher episodes. Back when credit cards weren't de rigeuer besides which I would have been too young to have one, she gave me signing rights in Servando's, but these rights I never abused. I did buy stuff from Servando's using my signature but what were these? Archie comics, Mills and Boon books, Tiger Beat, etc. Nothing extravagant. So okay, maybe I was spoiled but I wasn't a brat (I hope). I recall when I was in college, at La Moda. Mama picked me up from the parlor which sold blouses and other items. She told me to choose a blouse and I chose one. She said, "Get two more." I said no, one was enough. The proprietor, Amy, was shocked. She said, your mom's telling you to get more and you demur? I guess the fact that she was so generous cultivated in me the attitude of not abusing that generosity. I don't really know. But I really loved Mama and miss her a whole lot.