Tayo na sa Antipolo

Antipolo Cathedral

Every May, we used to go all the way up to the Antipolo Cathedral.

Actually, just to be truthful you know? Mama had to lug us kicking and screaming (not to loud though or else we'd get pinched) to Antipolo City.

May is the festival month where everyone would go on pilgrimage to see the Birhen ng Antipolo, more formally known as Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.

It was said that the statue helped travelers be safe in their journeys.

So every May, (and every single time Dad would go abroad), we would trek on to Antipolo to celebrate Sunday Mass, pray in devotion to the Virgin, as well as for safety when traveling abroad (whenever it applied)

The problem though, was that every single May, everyone else would also be there and the place would be teeming with people. It got very hot, and crowded, and one wrong step and you would spend the rest of the mass trying to find where everyone else has gotten to.

To prevent this, the "buddy system" was upheld every single time. Usually I would be "buddies" with Jo Ann and Eric would "buddy" with Mom. Sometimes, when I was fighting with her, it would get problematic. When Dad yelled "buddy system,"(which happened as soon as we were parked and the door was opened to let us out) I'd grab at Eric as my buddy. This never worked out very well since Eric always went with Mom anyway and if I had "buddied" with him, I would have gotten stuck with Mom and would not have been able to freely walk about. Also, Eric had a tendency to get lost. If I was his "buddy" when this happened, I would be in trouble. So unless I was really really mad to Jo Ann, I was stuck with her. The alternative was pretty boring. I'd only do it to spite her anyway. If I "buddied" with Eric, she'd get stuck "buddying" with Mama. You should know by now how that would go.

Early on, when I was just old enough to be left alone without adults always holding my hand, I got into a bit of a situation. Upon entering through the gates, I was surrounded by a lot of women. They crowded me, pushing and shoving. One woman pinned a cardboard medallion onto my shirt then asked me for a "donation." I told her I didn't want the medal and as I unpinned it, she said it would be an affront to the Virgin if I declined her "gift." Feeling intimidated, I emptied my wallet of the money I had (all of twenty pesos) and gave it to her.

Eventually, I found out that all this was a trick to get my money. The next year, I was a bit older and wiser. I gave my wallet to Jo Ann to gain safe passage through the gate. When I passed the gates, I was again assaulted by various women brandishing medallions. When they asked for the "donation," I could truthfully say I had no money on me. They would then take back the medallion and go on their way.

That year, as I proudly got through unaccosted, I waited at the front door to meet up with Jo Ann. After a few moments, she met me there, gave me my wallet and said " I owe you twenty pesos" when I asked why, she replied, "because there were these ladies at the gate...."

Later, we found that the best way to safely pass through the gates was to wait aside for a minute until another person passes through the gates. The women then would converge on the poor person leaving the gate unobserved. At this point, Jo Ann and I can freely go through to the church unmolested.

After entering the church and after hearing Mass among droves of people, we used to go and line up to see the Virgin up close and personal. I never really understood this. But since Mama was going, we went along for the ride. It was a strange thing, you line up, you step forward every couple of minutes, you climb up a wooden staircase, pass alongside the wall. You step forward a bit more, and on one portion of the wall, you can view the back of the Virgin. You keep stepping forward until you're out of the building again. If you weren't paying attention (like me), you'd completely miss it.

Most of the time, instead of looking at the back of the Virgin, I just realize that I'm up high, near the ceiling, and right above the altar. I see that there is a gap in the space where the virgin is, and the wall of her cubicle. So, when we get to the virgin, instead of praying, I'd peer down though the gap between the virgin and the wall, to scan below for people I knew. Then barely a second passes, and I'm past the Virgin and am now in a line to get out of the building.

Another feature that was a must during this festival was the purchasing of Kasuy. Papa loved Kasuy. It used to come in these brown paper bags, all warm and nutty smelling. One bag would always be opened for eating and another one would be all wrapped up closed for later. It was really good. Papa would take home quite a lot. It was such a tradition that to this day cashews, any kind, even if it came in a can, would always remind me of Antipolo.

Outside the church, there would be all sorts of things to see. There were candles in the shape of the Virgin Mary or sometimes, in the shape of a cross. They had various colors to it. I remember asking why but the explanation came out all confusing. Such and such shape meant this and such and such color would be for that. It sounded like witchcraft-y spells so I never tried it.

For us kiddies though. Mommy used to buy us these mini terra cotta pots and burners. For playing house with. They were very sweet but they lasted only for a short while. Little kiddie hands can be very clumsy you know.

It such a pity they are no longer available though. The last time I saw them sold was the time Mom bought them for us, only, the really tiny ones were not available. So she bought ones that were just a little larger than we used to have.

Juliet, Mely, Maritess, Otel and Gloria decided to go ahead and play with them one day.

I caught them in the corner of Nini's terrace all huddled together and giggling. As I approached I saw that they were cooking. The little terracotta stove was all aglow with teeny coal and bits of dried wood. Upon it was a covered pot witch held a teeny portion of boiled rice all bubbling and steaming. They had a little bit of meat all prepared and they reheated it atop the pot which held the nearly cooked rice. After the cooking was done, they used banana leaves as plates and they ate the rice as well as the meat for merienda.

It was sooo cool.

The next time we went I went looking for the terracotta pots and pans but they were never to be found again.

Hmmm. On the other hand. it has been twenty years. Maybe they are available again.... I wonder who I can finagle to go there and take a look?

After all it is May...(hint. hint)

Tayo na sa Antipolo
at doo'y maligo tayo
sa batis na kung tawagin
ay Hi-hi-hinulugang Taktak
at doo'y kumain
ng mangga
kasuy at balimbing
kaya't magmadali ka at
tayo ay sumama sa Antipolo.