When I was in college, I had quite a number of friends. Though, I didn’t go out with them, I am quite satisfied with my peers. I never go to birthday parties, debut etc. it’s not that my parents didn’t want me to go, but it’s my choice. I didn’t have the dress to wear, I didn’t have money for the transport. I didn’t want to burden my parents with those expenses. I only attended Chirstmas parties at school.
Since grade school to college, I remember I was good at saving my meager allowance. My allowance was 25 cents /day in grade school and P1.00 /day in high school and P2.50 /day in college. I would eat a lot at home so that i wouldn’t spent my allowance. I was able to save around P500.00 till college. That was a lot during those days. This one beautiful trait i could say, I owe to my mother. She taught us the value of saving.
My mother only bought us new dress/shoes on Christmas time and when we had honors received each school year. I am proud to say that I was a consistent top 3 students of our batch during my grade school years. I was always looking forward to the school ceremony wherein I will be awarded a medal. My mother would buy me new dress and shoes and what I want most of all was the hair and make up from the nearby parlor. Oh! I really looked pretty.
We only went to public school in grade school. Semi private in high school and a fairly good university in college.
My mother was a very hands on mom. Whenever we go out except to school, she would choose what dress we should wear. Moreoften, the dress we were wearing did not fit the occasions we were going to. We even argue with her but she wouldn’t listen. Still she would insist on her style.
She would go with us to parlors and instruct the hairdresser what style /cut was best for us. I remember so many times, after the haircut i was always in the verge of crying. I really didn’t like the style. My father would ask me why I was crying and tell him I don’t like my haircut. My father would confront my mother about it but my mother would reasoned out as usual why she picked up that style and again nobody wins against my mother.
When I was in grade school I had a number of admirers. I am not that pretty, but maybe because I’m quite tall and fair skinned, I had caught the attentions of the opposite sex. During my grade school years, inspite of my difficulties at home, the excitement of seeing my crushes in school made me happy and forget all about my private moments. Funny thing was, maybe God’s gift to me, if ever I had a crush , I would later know from a friend or in a slumbook that this guy has a crush on me as well. Even, our Mr. Valentine or Prince Charming though I was not his partner during the festivities would have a crush on me. I would know because they sent me love letters. What a feeling! Nice to be young and in love.
Whenever I tell my mother about my suitors and letters received, she would giggle as well. She didn’t scold me. Perhaps, I assumed she missed out this stage in her teenage life. Never experience to be in love as I did. I wanted to see her smiling so I always tell her everything about my love life. She enjoyed it very much.
During my high school days, it’s quite different. Only about 2-4 guys I think ever got noticed of me. And they were not my crushes. Perhaps my magic has flown away. But never mind. I just concentrated on my studies but high school was quite tough, i was only able to get medals until 2nd year.
Since there were no malls and fast food chains then yet, I remember my parents would bring us to Luneta, Fort Bonifacio, Manila Zoo when we had good grades and or honors received. Or we would watched a double program movie. My gosh, I remember after the movie my eyes almost red and double crossed. Sometimes the movie house was a standing room only and for 4 hours we are up on our toes. The funny thing was that, I thought then that all movie houses show two movies, as we had never experienced to watch a first run movie. But we as a family was very happy though. After the movie we would eat in a panciteria in Echague area. Oh! the pancit guisado was superb! the favorite of the whole family.
