Passing Time and Childhood Memories

I woke up at 6 in the morning. Said a little prayer and got out of bed. I gathered some calamansi leaves from the tree in the front yard to boil for Sweetheart's bath. This is to ease the itchiness that the rashes brought because of the unusual high fever he had for the past two days. Thank God, he's okay now except for the itchiness.

Since it's Good Friday, I was taught as a child to abstain from eating meat on a day like this. So for breakfast, we had tuna omelette and fried dried fish. Although still weak, SH's sense of taste has returned and is now able to appreciate the food.

I arrived in the office before 9:30 AM. Some people in the night shift are still around. Wanted to play praise and worship songs without using my earphones but had to refrain. Not because I'm embarassed of my playlist but because I'm only being considerate about people's music preference. Remembering my childhood, we weren't allowed to play songs from the radio. Instead, we we're told to be quiet and observe the holiness of this particular day. Televisions are limited to a few channels which do not broadcast anything on until around 6 in the evening. So what we do then to pass the time was to read and go to church. Nowadays, you could easily pass the time by watching cable televsion. Or like me, go to work... posing as being productive and taking advantage of the double pay.

There were also Good Fridays before when we go to my paternal grandmother's house to spend the whole day and watch the "Penitensya". These are men who wore black veils on their heads to prevent their identity being known. They do penance by striking themselves with a whip, and once in a while they soak the whip in a vinegar. There are stations in which they have to kneel and pray. Seeing them as a child was not a favorite past time and I believe it won't ever be.

Old women from my family used to say that when you extract coconut oil by cooking coconut shredded meat on a holy Friday, the oil will be a good cure for some body aches. For me, I just love the smell of a fresh extracted coconut oil. One thing I know, it's good for my hair... Yes, old school hot oil hair therapy.

Reminiscing old childhood memories makes me nostalgic. Oh, how I wanted to be in the province at this time... Perhaps next year?