Philippine Childhood Memories: Living In A Farm

Just like a gentle breeze of wind, memories would sometimes pass by our thoughts, bring us back to childhood memories and leave a smile on our faces.

Either I am trying to fall sleep at night or listening to mom and dad's reminiscing, it feels good to go back in those times. Those childhood times with the kerosene lamp, radio, and the rice fields.

Back then,

I would wake up everyday as early as before 6 am. If I remember it right, I have to be at school at 7 am, if not by 8 am and I have to walk for school.

Down to the three steps bamboo made stairs, I would see mom and dad on the right side table preparing ingredients for the sweet rice desserts mom use to sell on my grade school for recess. Those early mornings were peaceful and they are always sweet to greet me with, "Good morning daughter." They would usually be chit chatting about how things went the other day, expenses, what they expect for the day or their childhood stories.

Our dogs wagging their tails is their way of greeting me or showing they're happy to see me up. Oh! I just love those dogs. I think we even have three dogs at one time and that's when the pups grew up.

At this time little brother was still sleeping. I am usually the first one to get up. I would sit next to mom and dad and watched them chopped and wrap things. I enjoy watching mom and dad prepare for cooking. The dessert is called puding (similarly pronounce as pudding) and is made of sweet rice and they use the banana leaves around the farm. We live in a farm rich in banana trees and is surrounded with rice fields too. Only us in the area thou. The closest neighbor is across the river and we have to cross the bamboo bridge dad had made when we settled in the farm. That way, or we could either use the rice field dikes to get into the main road.

Aside from the sound of passing vehicles on the main road, only the breeze and the rattling of the bamboo trees break the silence. But of course there's some few birds chirping too or hopping from the bamboo trees. But mostly, it is quite.

I remember we use to rely on radio for news and entertainment. And a gas lamp provides us light when night time breaks in.

But what gets me excited in the morning to get up is when there are chicks! Yes, chicks. I would get up and visit mama hen. I would reach under her feathers, touch her chicks, pick one and feel the soft baby feathers on my cheeks. And of course me being in there would make the other chicks go with their clucking sounds.

We also had started a vegetable garden. Long beans, eggplants, and yam are growing on the empty space near the river. And pineapples line the pathway going to our house. There's a big tamarind tree too that's been there for quite a long time maybe and been giving fruits every year. Dad would get some young tamarind leaves when mom feels like cooking a recipe that requires the fresh leaves or the young fruits. And I always enjoy the ripe tamarind fruit. Now, I can only have such fruit in the grocery store. Things really changed and time flies but still, reminiscing can make you go back in those happy times.