That’s the home I grew up in. I often romanticize how this shack came to be. I’d like to think Tatay lovingly built it by hand. How Nanay must have asked him to add one more room and another year after year.

I was used to sleeping on the floor. First where the sala was. Then next to my sisters’ papag. Then next to Nanay’s room. I didn’t really have a bed of my own until I went to University. But I did graduate from floor to papag to cushioned bed by the time I entered high school.

Our first pieces of furnitures were a mixture of hand-me-downs and DYI. An old office table was used for dining. Tatay made two long chairs that aren’t really benches. We had an old black-and-white television which occupied half of the living room because of the size of its wooden casing. We ram it with our fists to get better reception.

The routine was simple growing up. Each of us had a chore and since I was the youngest, I have the “easiest” tasks. I wax the floor and buff it with cloth and bunot (coconut husk). I swear that’s the reason why my calves are pamalo ng palos in size. I was on “morning duty” too. That meant boiling water, buying pandesal and butter, fetching water from our poso and filling our water jars. From memory our drinking water was cool and sweet but I don’t think I’ll dare drink poso water now, even if it comes from the cleanest tapayan. (more…