One of my cousins invited me to a property on a mountain which she was assigned as caretaker. It has been years since the last time I visited that place so I agreed. I told her that I will meet her there after I attend the mass celebration in the morning.
When I arrived, I was surprised to see that the yard surrounding the old cabin is cleaned of weeds. My cousin do not live there. She just visits once in many months so I was expecting grasses taller than me and covering the cabin. I was wrong. She must have come just about a week ago.
That tree in the middle is guava. There were so many overripe fruits that fell under yet there were still many to pick on the branches. The fruits were noticeably small like marbles, a few were just a bit bigger. I looked up, jumped to catch a branch and inspected the fruits. They were ripe. It is just their nature to be small. I wonder what variety it is.
I can't wait picking so I started with the branch I was holding. My cousin handed me a bag to put the fruits into. When I can't reach anymore of the other branches, I climbed. My cousin had to push my butt to help me finally pull myself up on the branches.
I was enjoying picking while on the tree. I can"t help reminiscing the good old days...
This was my life! My elementary childhood days were revolving around farm living which I was used to farm produces. Climbing trees was just as normal as playing. More so with fruits that were my "source of income" at a very young age.
Almost every day during those times, I carry to and sell in school a bag of whatever fruit my mother had gathered from the farm the previous day. Guava and passion fruit were the most common. I was allowing credit back then. I remember a classmate who still owe me since our first grade.
Since I was selling in school, I did not have to ask for daily allowance from my mother. There were instances when I was the one giving money from my sales to her when I got home. Not asking for daily allowance was something that I later heard from my mother starring to others. I felt proud. Just to be clear nobody asked me to do the selling, I just wanted to. I was actually conscious when fruits were not in season so I asked what else I can sell. My mother would help me with rice delicacies or kakanin as alternatives.
The first bag got full. My cousin was quick to be handing me another empty bag as she reached up to take the full one. Apparently, she was observing me.
I was shy at first that she might thought how shallow I am. But then the moment cannot pass without having a remembrance. I asked her to get my phone from my bag in the cabin and take a photo of me while picking up on the tree.
She handed me the phone to be unlocked. Since it was already with me then selfie on the tree was only proper. 😁
I handed her the phone down. She called me monkey while taking my photos. I just laughed continued picking. I do not recall how many shots she took. I had to delete a few afterwards. At least, she gave me choices.
Ah these shots... again, this was my life!
My cousin noticed the fruits that I was not able to reach and she handed me a stick to poke those towards the farther end of the branches. She must have noticed my enthusiasm that she's inspiring me to be able to pick more.
When the second bag was finally full, I jumped down. A few steps away from the tree and I noticed my right leg felt heavy. Something seems hanging by. I looked down and saw the collateral damage. The sole of my bought-from-the-US-but-made-from-China shoe gave up. It may have been when I was pushing my right leg so hard on the Y-branch to keep the balance. I was already feeling uneasy with the shoe but I ignored. The Y corner may have bent the sole so hard.
I looked back up at the tree and there were more that I missed picking. I tried to jump for more but eventually gave up when the sky turned dark. It was time for lunch break after all.
While in the cabin, I kept looking back at the tree. If only time permited, I could have climbed again. I could have just stayed up on the branches to enjoy the view of the valley below (though it was cloudy) while looking back to those good old days; those days that molded to who I am and who I will be.
This was one real good Sunday that is well spent and something to look forward to again.
