They’re getting old

A few days ago, my grandfather visited me and brought some rambutan and lanzones (longkong) fruits. I offered him coffee, but he declined, saying it would keep him awake, so I offered him milk instead.

We had a good chat. He talked a lot about what’s happening around him and his children. My grandfather is great to talk to. If you ask him about the past, he’ll tell you the whole story without leaving out any details. He loves talking about his family, his adventures, as well as the good and bad experiences of his youth.

After about an hour, he noticed it was getting dark outside and decided to head home. He walks slowly due to knee pain, and his skin is wrinkled. As I watched him leave, I felt lucky to have spent time with my grandparents.

They used to be like my second parents. During summer vacations, when my parents were working, I would stay with my grandparents. Their house is in a rural area, quite far from the city, without electricity and water. They used a lamp that emitted dark smoke as their source of light. If you stayed in front of it too long, the smoke particles would accumulate in your nostrils. This is why every morning when I looked in the mirror, the inside of my nose was always black.

They had many animals such as roosters, chickens, dogs, cats, and carabaos. Two of my uncles lived with them, and another had a house of his own nearby. My uncle, who loved chickens, gave me one. I didn’t give it a name, but I took care of it and fed it until it laid eggs and hatched chicks.

My grandfather enjoyed watching action movies, so every night after dinner, we would walk four minutes and cross a stream to our neighbor’s house to watch TV. We’d only return home after the movie ended.

Both of them always woke up early. When I woke up, my grandmother would already be preparing a simple but healthy breakfast, such as sweet potatoes, boiled bananas, or cassava. After breakfast, my grandfather would go out to gather leaves, bamboo stems, and other materials to make flower stands for the flower shop where he worked. Meanwhile, my grandmother took care of the crops in their backyard, which included sweet potatoes, cassava, Chinese cabbage, and string beans.

For lunch, my grandmother cooked delicious meals like string beans, jackfruit, and taro, often paired with dried fish. Sometimes, she would cook pork nilaga and sinigang. After lunch, we would have fruits from their trees, such as star apple, guava, mandarin, lipote, eggfruit, and bananas. In the afternoon, when it was too hot to play outside, I would play with my grandfather’s old cards. Other times, my grandmother would make me take a nap to help me grow taller, according to her.

Thinking about all of these memories makes me sad because they are getting old. Our family outings only happen occasionally, and we are often incomplete because some of my uncles live and work far away from us. My grandmother is becoming too tired to take walks in the park or go out for a swim. My grandfather often catches the flu due to his hardheadedness. However, we always make sure to celebrate their birthdays, with or without money, because it feels wonderful to see them reach another milestone. Seeing them brings warm feelings, from my childhood experiences to the lessons they taught me. They are a significant part of who I am.

My grandmother taught me perseverance. Instead of complaining about how hard life is, she taught me to take action. When we didn’t have water for washing the dishes, we would fetch water from the stream using gallons. She also taught me how to do household chores, wash clothes, and clean the dishes, which helped me become independent and responsible.

My grandfather taught me to dedicate time to the things I love. He showed me how to find happiness in what I do, just like how he enjoyed making flower arrangements. Our long walks together helped me appreciate nature, the blue skies, the green rice fields, and the sunny weather. Those walks taught me to enjoy the beauty in each step and live in the moment, because before you know it, you’re already close to your destination, forgetting how far you’ve walked.

In this fast-paced world, let’s not forget the people who shaped our childhoods. Our grandparents are getting old and frail. While we’re busy with work and studies, they are watching us from a distance, praying for our health and safety, and continuing to love us. Without my grandparents, my childhood wouldn’t have been as rich and colorful as it was.

—————-

Jorgie Jaso, 22, writes from Sorsogon City on the tapestry of her life’s journey and experiences, shaping her intricate views about the world. One day, she dreams of building a library.