Journey down the memory lane….
Just came from visiting my grandfather living with my T’yong Enong [San Miguel] from the corner of Apolinario and Arguilles streets. On my way home to J. Victor, I happily skipped the tiers of the railroad track, then makes a short cut by crossing the downstream part of the Medina [Monroe] Creek via a 5 meter plank on that portion now occupied by the Yulo Plaza .
Oblivious of anything, there’s only one thing in my mind; search for a big spider [gagamba] in the aroma shrubs along a path which is now known as Estacion Road. I must find a big one to fight with the group of the Bacamantes and Binays of Parada.
2:00 PM; time to go the Don Bosco for our afternoon catechism, our group, the Cruzes, Samontes, Zapantas, De Leons and Callejas slowly threaded our way by the side of the creek [now Fernando street] going to Pasong Tamo.
But first, before we proceed to Don Bosco, we have to take a few dips and dives and enjoy the deep clear water of Amorsolo Creek. Our favorite diving spot is at the top of a big boulder [on the side of what is now known as Sunvar Plaza] hidden from the prying eyes of the Don Bosco Priests, who always chased us out of the creek.
5;00 PM; after our catechism we happily jogged back home with a whole can of American cheese and carton of milk powder courtesy of Don Bosco [Fr.Buscariol, Bro. Luis] as reward for attending the catechism and playing with them.
“Sige ayusin ninyo na yung mga kangkong para madala sa Libertad.” [Okay, bundle all the tops of water spinach for delivery at Libertad] My Pop instructed us, after we have harvested kangkong [water spinach] tops at our staked portion of the canal along Pasong Tamo side, now known as, Goldilocks. Where we also lined our kankungan [water spinach clusters] portion with “bingwit” [fishing rod] made of bamboo sprigs.
“Hey the moon is up, let’s play patintero.”
“Ok”
And we made the grid lines of patintero [line tag you're out] on the gravel road using the water from the open canal to mark the gridlines.
8:00 PM; “Gabi na magsi-uwi na kayo.” [It's already late, go home all of you. ]Reminded Lola [Grandma] Miling wife of Lolo [Grandpa] Jorje Cruz.
“Dadayo daw ng softball ang taga McKinley.” [The McKinley group will play softball with us] Headed by Qiel Marcelino.
Sige, prepare natin un ball [made of socks’ scrap materials from the dump site of IHI, now known as Plaza Fair]
There’s a heavy rain…“Yeheey umaapaw na ang Amorsolo!” ["Amorsolo is overflowing!"] flooding the rice paddies along its western side [Mile Long] full of fishes.
We lined ourselves along the sides of Javier Street, just after Pasong Tamo, where the overflowed water from Amorsolo passed going to Medina [Monroe] Creek. And everyone tried to catch the fishes such as; dalags, gurames and occasionally, hitos that swam with the current water.
No matter how heavy the rain was, the flood will subside within 20 minutes at the most. And everything, water and fishes were discharged into Medina [Monroe] Creek to our disgust.
Our consolation after the flood; the fishes that were trapped and stayed in the steel culvert of Javier crossing J. Victor, and there were plenty of them to catch.
"Marami ba kayong nahuli? [Did you catch plenty of fishes] Yes Mom, here are my share of dalag, gurami, and martiniko, ng tumulong ako sa paglilimas sa [I helped in drying up portion of] Medina [Monroe] Creek." A creek almost 5 meters wide and chest deep, teeming with variety of fishes.
“Oy dalian ninyo ang pagkain papasok pa kayo” [Faster on your lunch, you have to go to school] my Mom reminded us. After lunch my brother and I went to our respective schools at Bangkal [wala pa kasing school sa Gitna at Dulo] [no school yet at our place]. The annex was near the church of Jehova Witness surrounded by Bamboo clusters on the corner of Calhoun and M. Reyes[?].
Miss Binay announced the winners of Pio del Pilar Elementary School [Main] Declamation contest [Class of ‘59]. My prize was an unabridged Webster English Dictionary courtesy of Mr. Castro of McKinley Street.
After Pio, it was Jose Abad Santos High School [JASH Class ‘65] of Arellano University at the corner of Taft and Buendia. Riding a 5-passenger AC jeepneey along the route Pasay Road-Taft-Buendia-Pasong Tamo for a 10-centavo one-way fare!
“Ano tapos ka ng mamili? Sa akin ka ipinag-bilin ng Mommy mo ’wag kang sasakay kay Tony.” [Are you done with your marketing? Your Mom told me to take care of you, so don't ride with Tony] It was Maeng our suking kutsero [coachman] waiting for me to finish my marketing at Libertad every morning. Back then, I usually did the marketing for our small sari-sari store before going to school.
On our way home from Libertad and passing Bert’s Place on the corner of M. Reyes, I always marvel at the horizon of talahib [tall grass] on San Isidro because from where we were, I could see some vehicles cruising along Buendia.
Time goes on and in the pursuit of growth I entered the portals of Mapua Institute of Technology [BSCE Class of ‘71] riding either MD or Super Transit along the route from Quiapo Taft left on Buendia then right on Pasong Tamo towards Highway 54 [now EDSA].
Ahhhh….those were the days when Pio was known as Culi Culi….the Culi Culi I have treasured in my heart and mind…
But life must go on…my Culi Culi must grow from gravel streets, lined with Gumamela shrubs as fences; deep clear water creek of Amorsolo, and kangkong [water spinach] vegetated creek teeming with various varieties of fishes of Medina [Monroe].
And now, in the name of progress…my Culi Culi, saan ka patungo? [where are you going?]
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