I Remember Lola

*Note: If Filipino words are used, they are translated below

1. Playing cards

Lola‘s cards. She didn’t want to throw them away even if they were faded and she already had new cards.

Lola used to play solitaire because she wanted to keep her mind active. It is the only solo card game she knows. If it looks like she will not win the game, she will cheat by turning over certain cards even if that move isn’t allowed. When I was younger, we used to play tong its together using mentos or stork as bets. Lola likes the red cards to be really red because if it isn’t, it looks violet to her, and she’ll confuse it with the black cards.

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Tell Another Story

Scheherazade, the character in Arabian Nights, was able to elude death by telling stories.

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Playing Around the Coffin

            Mentos, Storcks, and White Rabbits in wooden bowls were being passed around. Candies were unwrapped, and the room was filled with the crunch of plastic like telephone lines reaching their static end. Zooming here and there were my cousins who were following my orders. Grab the Zestos. Grab the cheese pimientos. Grab the Marie biscuits. Everyone had to be fed and fed properly. Our little feet bumped into chairs as we played waiters and waitresses. The bright light bulbs blared, and the crickets chirped. Family members and guests sat in front of kuya Paolo. There was chatter all around. Only kuya was silent.

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