I had so many quiet moments in High School, especially during siesta and late in the afternoon. It is those moments that remain vivid in my memory.
I remember lying in bed during siesta, fully awake. Siesta was required. You have to stay in the dorm, on your bed, even if you can't sleep and you have nothing else to do. I would simply weave stories in my head, listen to the occasional sound of tricycle, watch the clouds forming strange figures, while waiting for the bell to ring, signalling the start of afternoon classes.
I developed a passion for reading. Unfortunately, I didn't have the resources to buy even a single book. I was though glad that a well-to-do classmate, Raul (we called him Iking), got hooked after introducing to the Hardy Boys novel, The Shore Road Mystery. I immersed myself in the adventures of those daring teenagers, imagining myself to be one their friends in solving crimes and mysteries. Siesta wasa good time to read those novels. (Today 1/1/19, I receive news that Iking died of cancer.)
Later when Iking bought almost all of the 64 novels in the series and I had sated my desire for adventure, my attention went to learning the piano. I learned the basic chords from Recera, and I started playing on my own playing and singing the Beatle song, "Let It Be" in the auditorium when nobody was around. I really didn't have a musical talent. But that didn't deter me from learning. That was how I occasionally spent my afternoon before Angelus, alone in the auditorium or sometimes in the chapel with the organ.
One of the lessons I learned during this period was to fight it out when you're angry with someone and not hold a grudge. That's what happened one afternoon when RamCims asked me to come along to the back of the building near the auditorium. In the middle of the bushes was a small clearing near the coconut trees that the mananggot climbed every morning to attach the sanggot and in the afternoon to gather the tuba. Earlier he had a misunderstanding and got angry with Ariston, so he invited him to a fight. He wanted me to go with him. So with bare fists, they slugged it out. It was bitter, but fair. He ended it with a right jab to Ariston’s face, with the words, “Ultimatum ni!” And that was it. They stopped and went on their separate ways. They didn’t fight after that nor held any grudge.
Another lesson I learned was resourcefulness. Meal was served on our plates. It was always "not enough" for a growing teenager. So, we had to scour the kitchen for mantika, asin, limonsito, and sili. We would mix them with plain rice to create our concoction for a feast. It was out of necessity for us who, unlike some of our classmates, didn't have the luxury of having enough allowance to last the entire week.
Harvest time was particularly a boon for us. I remember one siesta time in 3rd Year High school when RamCims told me about the harvested mongo stored in several sacks just lying unattended on the first floor corridor below the dorm. We sneaked out of the dorm and got two handfuls from a sack and hid in the bushes near the basketball courts. There we used a washed empty can of sardines, built a fire, boiled water with the mongo inside, and waited until the mongo was soft enough to eat. We didn't even have sugar or salt for the mongo, but we ate to our hearts content and enjoyed a quick adventure before the afternoon classes.
I remember lying in bed during siesta, fully awake. Siesta was required. You have to stay in the dorm, on your bed, even if you can't sleep and you have nothing else to do. I would simply weave stories in my head, listen to the occasional sound of tricycle, watch the clouds forming strange figures, while waiting for the bell to ring, signalling the start of afternoon classes.
I developed a passion for reading. Unfortunately, I didn't have the resources to buy even a single book. I was though glad that a well-to-do classmate, Raul (we called him Iking), got hooked after introducing to the Hardy Boys novel, The Shore Road Mystery. I immersed myself in the adventures of those daring teenagers, imagining myself to be one their friends in solving crimes and mysteries. Siesta wasa good time to read those novels. (Today 1/1/19, I receive news that Iking died of cancer.)
Later when Iking bought almost all of the 64 novels in the series and I had sated my desire for adventure, my attention went to learning the piano. I learned the basic chords from Recera, and I started playing on my own playing and singing the Beatle song, "Let It Be" in the auditorium when nobody was around. I really didn't have a musical talent. But that didn't deter me from learning. That was how I occasionally spent my afternoon before Angelus, alone in the auditorium or sometimes in the chapel with the organ.
One of the lessons I learned during this period was to fight it out when you're angry with someone and not hold a grudge. That's what happened one afternoon when RamCims asked me to come along to the back of the building near the auditorium. In the middle of the bushes was a small clearing near the coconut trees that the mananggot climbed every morning to attach the sanggot and in the afternoon to gather the tuba. Earlier he had a misunderstanding and got angry with Ariston, so he invited him to a fight. He wanted me to go with him. So with bare fists, they slugged it out. It was bitter, but fair. He ended it with a right jab to Ariston’s face, with the words, “Ultimatum ni!” And that was it. They stopped and went on their separate ways. They didn’t fight after that nor held any grudge.
Another lesson I learned was resourcefulness. Meal was served on our plates. It was always "not enough" for a growing teenager. So, we had to scour the kitchen for mantika, asin, limonsito, and sili. We would mix them with plain rice to create our concoction for a feast. It was out of necessity for us who, unlike some of our classmates, didn't have the luxury of having enough allowance to last the entire week.
Harvest time was particularly a boon for us. I remember one siesta time in 3rd Year High school when RamCims told me about the harvested mongo stored in several sacks just lying unattended on the first floor corridor below the dorm. We sneaked out of the dorm and got two handfuls from a sack and hid in the bushes near the basketball courts. There we used a washed empty can of sardines, built a fire, boiled water with the mongo inside, and waited until the mongo was soft enough to eat. We didn't even have sugar or salt for the mongo, but we ate to our hearts content and enjoyed a quick adventure before the afternoon classes.
There was another time when we just enjoyed the fruits of our labor, never bothered with any worry whatsoever. It was siesta time in 4th high
school. While most of our classmates were sleeping, and some were surreptitiously listening to a radio program, we would roam the field and occasionally climb one of the coconut trees. It was towards the end of our high
school since we were given a lot of freedom. RamCims and I got a couple of botong near the grotto, but instead of opening them right there in the open, we decided to enjoy the coconut at the payag located right at the center of the rice
field. It was empty at that time; the farmer was plowing some distance away. So, we
borrowed a bolo and ate like hacienderos to our hearts content. It was a sunny day and the breeze was mild. Several maya birds were frolicking amidst the swaying grass, rice stalks and scarecrows, providing a soothing sound while we enjoyed the cool, refreshing botong. Nothing disturbed our peace as we enjoyed the moment. We were not in a hurry. We just talked and enjoyed every moment of it, right in the middle of the rice field,
while everyone else was asleep.
Siesta and late afternoon in IHMS were always quiet moments for me. Mostly alone and sometimes with a classmate, I remember those times as quiet and lonely moments. That's why even now I still love these times of the day. And I have come to be at peace with my loneliness. It reminds me of IHMS.
(nox arcamo)
(nox arcamo)
