Suhol

Papa and Tatay on my first birthday

It's Papa's birthday. He would have been one hundred years old today.

He used to buy Magnolia ice cream for us. He filled the freezer of the small refrigerator in their house with it. There were twin popsies and drumsticks and my favorite, the up and down icicles with yellow pineapple flavor on top and orange flavor on its bottom half. He kept it there to keep his grandchildren visiting his house. He was, after all, living with the woman who constantly laid the piano, reading, and math lessons on the aforementioned grandchildren.

Ice cream was bait.

(Hmmm... dad? Do you think this explains why your children are never hyped up over ice cream?)

One evening, a very long time ago. I was the only one left doing Mama's lessons. Everyone else had either finished their lessons or were called home. I was in Mama's bedroom and Mama was sitting with me on the couch where the window is, right in front of the grotto.

I remember I was wearing one of those dusters she bought for us on one of her trips to Divisoria. It was sleeveless, had a teeny pocket right in front and was printed all over with little blue flowers. She had me reading Dick and Jane to her.

It had gotten really late. Papa had already finished watching television and was getting ready for bed. I was getting tired from reading and was feeling resigned as Mama seemed to be intent on making me read the book from cover to cover. My throat was getting scratchy and dry but I kept reading the words on and on...occasionally misreading a few and Mama would correct me and have me redo the story over.

I guess Papa had been looking at us and was feeling rather sorry for me but he knew Mama derived a great satisfaction from teaching us and what made her happy, made him happy. Still, that particular night. He felt bad for me.

I know this because after our reading session. Mama finally allowed me to get up and go home. I kissed her goodnight and she walked towards the bathroom. Papa had just been standing in the middle of the room and Mama reminded me to give Papa a kiss before I left.

As I went over to Papa to kiss him, He bent over and stuffed something in my pocket. Mama turned around just at that moment and saw him. He was still bending towards me and and suddenly whispered something in my ear...

"Run!"

I started running. I heard Mama snap "Ano yan?" and I kept on running. Only when I got home did I check what he had placed n my pocket.

It was a crumpled up, crisp Twenty Peso Bill.

I was thrilled.

(If you were a young girl who had a seven peso weekly allowance, you would have been too.)

Happy Hundredth Papa.

Thanks for the twenty pesos :)