Journey of Purpose

A barber who once owned a bowling alley

They grew up in Olongapo City, life was easy in there, if you want to eat you can plant fruits and vegetables pn ypur backyard. Ask for fish from your neighbours, and give them a basket of fruits in return. If you have a big family life is easier, the old ones can help you tend to your business, let's say a small farm, a vineyard, repair shop or even a bowling alley. My grandfather for a few times would talk about the glory days of their bowling alley, how peaceful a sound of a strike was to him, the right roll of a ball, that sort of thing. He seemed to loved reminiscing about those days, but even back then he would just sit back in his chair and read that day's paper.

When the japanese army arrived life changed for my lolo and his family. The American forces arrived to provide "aid" or so they say, but they have driven the Filipinos from their homes to use as a base camp for the war. Now it just feels like they wanted to conquer our land but hid their true intentions under the promise of 'helping' us to rid our land of the cruel invaders with guns with bayonets in them.

My grandfather lost their home and had no other choice but to take his young wife and three children to Manila. They walked for days and rested during the night, they would carefully tread the land while hiding through the thickness which were the woods. Perusing the forest for checkpoints of the American soldiers who can help them cross borders with ease. At times they would travel with the soldiers on their trucks for a few miles at a time. They would rest on these large abandoned pipelines in the middle of nowhere by the mountains for shelter. They would eat out of the can of goods for plates are one of the rare commodities of that time.

One of my uncles would always tell us their time during the war, how eating pork and beans out of the can seemed so wonderful for him since he saw a soldier do it during his youth.

Grandfather never seemed the same during those days as Nanay (my grandmother) would speak of it. He never liked the idea of being hopelessly incapable of living a normal life during those times. How unspeakable were the crimes of our conquerors, against both humanity and nature. A few days after the war has passed, they found a small house near the city. Never bothering to come back to their old home, they left that life behind, for they habe a new one now. Little did they knew though that the Americans returned the ruined homes of the Filipinos at Olongapo City. Even paid them for the trouble of losing their homes, like reimbursement or something. Of course it is not uncanny for people to have a little bit of greed for after a few years, my grandmother came back woth her grandchildren to their old house near the bowling alley. A resort was now standing by their old home, with swimming pools and cottages, but Nanay was sure that the exact view from that place was once the very spot where their house stood ages ago.

A barber, that was his only choice in the big city. With a fourth child on the way and a small amount of money to start their lives over, my grandfather and his wife left their old lives and started a new one. They bought a house by this one street where most of us grew up in and built a small but fine looking barber shop. Beside it was a small convenient store, and they were all set.

I miss Lolo Juaning. I never truly knew him, but by God I wish I had. I wish I had a chance to talk to him for a whole afternoon.