Sauna Bus Ride:
It was literally a 12 hour bus ride from Manila to Sinait, Ilocos Sur. We left at 8am and arrived at 8:30pm. I am never EVER taking the morning trip again. The bus stopped so many times and the afternoon heat penetrated the windows leaving most of the passengers sweating buckets. It literally felt like a sauna. My face was plastered to the air-condition vent from noon till 5pm. When I got off the bus, I was definitely not a pretty sight to behold.
To top off the heat, we were also stuck in traffic because most Filipinos in the city were clamoring to get out with us to enjoy the Holy Week break and there were also numerous processions occurring on the side of the road that re-enacted Jesus' final moments. I guess it was wrong to have gone during Holy Week but Cebu Pacific airline tickets were too expensive and it was the only time I could get time off from work.
Regardless, we arrived safely.
Grandma's House:
My grandma's house has a nice big porch that overlooks the front lawn. It's big enough to seat at least ten to fifteen people and that was where my mom had received and entertained visitors and friends, from long ago, during the weekend we were there. People came, literally every hour, just to see her. I was surprised people weren't getting a number to wait for their turn.
The following day we went to the nearby wet market to buy fresh fish and vegetables. It was scorching hot, but my mom wanted to be fancy and wear her nice dress and cute hand bag. People from her past stopped her to hug and kiss her. She was sweating a lot and I could tell she wanted to get out of the heat. Regardless, she continued on--entertaining old classmates, neighbors, and distant relatives who bumped into her in the market and were surprised she was back in town.
The whole weekend was a celebration of her return, which consisted of the most amazing food and a weekend of karaoke.
Grandpa's Eldest Sister:
On Friday afternoon we visted my grandpa's eldest sister. She's blind, paralyzed, has no teeth, and is bed-ridden. She almost died three times, but for some reason she survived and outlived her parents and siblings. My mom sat on the floor next to her, stroked her head, and said "I'm here now auntie". Then all of a sudden, I heard her whisper my mom's name, "Rosie." My mom cried and I got teary as she stroked her hair and talked to her, grateful to see her once again. Most of my lola's and lolo's siblings passed away. To have one remaining is a rarity. For me to meet her was a blessing.
A Ghost Touched me:
On Saturday, after visiting Badoc to book our bus tickets to Manila, I was overcome with nausea and dizziness. I didn't know why or how I got sick. I realized it couldn't be the food because no one else got sick. I realized it couldn't have been due to car sick because car sickness does not last for 4-5 hours. I literally slept in bed for an hour and woke up to the most debilitating nausea I had ever experienced in my life. My grandma came to me, felt my arms and legs, my aunt came to me too and felt my ears and neck. I was clammy and cold even though I felt so hot. I reached over to my mom and asked if someone had put a curse on me (apparently superstitious stuff like that happens there). She said no, but my grandma and aunt thought my nausea was due to my dead uncle being near me or touching me.
As a solution to alleviate my vomiting and nausea, my lola gently rubbed mallungay leaves on me. Then they took some leaves, also known as Attis (sp?), and made me sniff it constantly for 30 minutes. The leaves smelt like Vick's. Then my grandma mixed a teaspoon of gasoline with salt and rubbed it, like ointment, onto my legs and forehead.
After an hour I vomited the remaining food I had in my stomach and slept for a half hour. When I woke up I felt fine, like nothing had happened. Weird but true.
Mother-Daughter Bonding:
At the end of the day, after the exhausting introductions to her best friends, close cousins, and her aunts and uncles that took care of her when she was younger, I sat on the porch with her. My legs were up on her lap and as she stroke my feet, she told me stories about her teenage days growing up in Sinait and how all the boys followed her around like love sick puppies. She told me stories about her best friends and the mischief they got themselves into and what they would try to gossip about when my lola wasn't around. She told me stories about how she use to sell kerosene, fish, vegetables in the market from morning to night. She told me stories about her first love and how she broke his heart. I caught a glimpse of her childhood: the hardships, pains, and joys she faced. Moreover, I was astounded by the immense sacrifice she made for her family at such a young age.
It was indeed a beautiful moment. Something I wouldn't have been able to share with her if she had not made the decision to visit me.