Siloo Part 2

On Christmas and New Year's Day, everybody would gather in the plaza for the celebration.
There was food of every kind that the people can afford  to share with the whole barrio.
There were singing and dancing and drinking locally made wine or "langkuga".
Merry making that would last until the wee hours of dawn.

Barrio fiesta was also a well attended festivity.
People would don their Sunday's best to attend mass.
There will be picture takings because this is the only time that the photographer would be in the barrio. His old-fashioned camera would produce black and white photos.

It was during one of those fiesta days that Papa and Mama opted to reaffirm their marriage vows, this time it was solemnized by Fr. Joseph Venere with all the barrio folks in attendance
The vows were the same then and now.
And both times there was love.
Though they were unable to measure its intensity, LOVE is most definitely there.

Papa's leadership qualities was truly manifested with the way he managed Siloo and it's barrio people.
Everyday except Sundays, a big bell whose sound would reverberate throughout the barrio would ring three times.
First bell would be at 5 o'clock at dawn when everyone except the babies and the infirm would wake up to prepare food  and start the work that needs to be done for that day.
Second bell at 6 means that everyone has eaten their meal and will leave for the farm or what labor awaits them.
The third and final bell at 7 o'clock means that classes are about to begin and pupils should be in school already.
Failure to adhere to these rules means a tongue lashing from Papa unless there's a valid reason for being late.

Life in Siloo was idyllic, very ordinary and undemanding.
But the future looked bleak and dreary especially for the five of us who had never seen any means of transportation.
Vic once asked Mama what a bus looks like. Or if it looks like Handsome (Mr. Berial's horse).
Mama looked for a picture of a bus, car or jeep in one of the school books and showed it to all of us.
It was at this point in time that Papa and Mama realized the despondency of the situation and decided that we have to return to civilization.
All for the sake of our future.

Having made a firm decision after thorough consideration, we packed up and left for Tankulan, leaving that tranquil part of the world, Siloo, with all its happy memories behind.

Our family bravely said goodbye, giving up the security of family ties and the comforts of our old life for the promise of the new.

Five years in solitary confinement with only the towering mountains, azure skies and wild animals for companion have made a fine imprint in our young minds that can never be eradicated with the passing of time.

Siloo is already a part of our lives.