Revisiting the birthplace.
It was almost three weeks before I celebrate my 40th birthday and I had the rare opportunity to go back to my birthplace. I still remember the rugged road leading to the place. It is still the same road although the public cemetery has expanded and the wooden bridge is now elevated and made of concrete.
A fork lies less than two kilometers from the barangay proper. We took the one on the right only to find out that we had to go back and take the other one. A few minutes later, we could already smell the morning breeze from the sea. We were in the right direction! I could see from the road the river we frequented to swim and gather freshwater shells called "paros".
The house was no longer the same old house we went to when I was a small kid. There may be more houses and other structures now but the landscape looked just like before.
Mixed emotions filled the air when I saw my cousins. They could not help but cry upon seeing us. Who wouldn't? It was such a long time since we last visited our hometown.
Kuya Mar was seated by the door, unable to stand up and welcome us because of a mild stroke he suffered almost four months ago.
After an hour of "kumustahan", we bid them goodbye.
Much as I wanted to feel the sand on the beach nearby and reminisce about the happy childhood experiences while strolling along the shore, I simply did not have the luxury of time for my daughter and I had to catch the late morning trip of the Supercat bound for Batangas City and finally to home.
Satisfaction stirred my heart for the opportunity of bringing my daughter to the place where I was born and where I grew up before our family migrated to Calapan City in the late 60s. It was a gratifying experience to spend time with my relatives no matter how short it was and to extend help to them in the littlest way I could.
As we boarded the van going back to the city, I wondered, "When will I set foot on this place again?" 12-05-04
