My maternal grandma is as fierce as a lion, but her grandchildren are her weakness. Lola fights with fierceness, but she loves with warmth.
Leonila, that's her name, they call her 'Nila', but we call her Lola.
Lola likes fun, she dances like no one is watching, she drinks and cries. She loves chit-chats, she loves plans.
Unlike any other homes, she has always had a gazebo (Pajag) on her front yard for passerby to sit and rest. If it goes old, she rebuilds it anew.
Her ancestry were farmers and merchants, and that she had passed unto us, her grandchildren.
In their hey-days with my late Lolo (Grandpa), even if farmers were tagged as poor and only professionals and overseas workers can live a comfortable life, they were living a good life too.
They bought a big lot and built their home, they were harvesting around a hundred sacks of rice every harvesting season.
While my late Lolo was laboring in the rice fields, watering the crops, or perfecting his Tuba or coconut wine, Lola was selling in her store.
It's called sari-sari store, meaning she sells assorted dry goods, from hygiene to canned goods, etc.
They both were able to send their children in expensive private schools back then, they were in middle-class for a time.
Then they both get older and times get harder. They were losing what they had before. Once they were living comfortably, after, they are going into hardship.
Before they can serve banquets to serve many, but that remained a history. Prices rose, knees gets weaker, eyes get cloudy, hearing gets difficult.
Grandmas are sweet, even if they don't have much they will make you full. They will give what's left and makes you feel special.
It's been around five months since we last talked in person, after this pandemic, I'll visit her home and bring goodies.
I miss our long chats about everything in life. I miss her hugs, I miss her kisses on my head. Even if I'm an adult now, she always makes me feel that I'm her little boy.
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About Me
 | Onie Maniego was born in Leyte, PH. He grew up in a rural area with a close-knit community and a simple lifestyle, he is often visiting his father's orchards during summer and weekends, which has a great impact on his works. |
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