SWEET NOVEMBER

[Memories on November 9, 2013]

Despite Yolanda’s yesterday’s havoc and anger, this month will I always consider my Sweet November. Yeah, year in and year out no other month in Kirayan is so special to almost everyone therein. Go out and get in, query around about personal data of every resident and you’ll know what I mean.

I may never know the current statistics even only at its downtown Zone 2, but there was a time in November a few decades ago, that each time a native would meet anywhere there almost any fellow, when he was greeted “Happy birthday,” each reply was “Same to you.”

Perish the thought, but in Kirayan, except in politics, there was not any shadow of grand conspiracy neither “gigantic fraud,” as in the words of the Supreme Court when it dumped Ms. Gloria's glorious initiative about “People’s Initiative” for good. I guarantee everything happened not on purpose. Perhaps coincidence plus-plus just became simultaneous.

Thus, everytime I would leave Kirayan then for long, I had to learn to distort some lyrics of an old song: “And I’ll see you in November when summer is gone… Till the good time but remember I’ll be turning back home… “

We may forget every entrance of the rest of the months of the year, but I’ll always be reminded right on its first day by my Sweet November. For each time November comes, just when the rest of the world remember the dead right in a grave site, the Kirayan birthday celebrators would whoop it up to the skies as they’d remember that in this month they all first kicked and became alive.

November 1st or “Tigkaralag” is the first sign of Christmas Season’s abundance. It’s like telling the people of Kirayan, “Hey, famine’s gone, let’s sing and dance.” Once upon a time, there was hesitation upon us to cook rice the entire November.  For the reason that right on Day One, it was as if “ginapurga kang linanta” we were, due to daily hopping until Bonifacio Day from one house to another.

              

Even among the cast of the Original Super Eight who trekked Baguio, at least fifty percent from that group are November celebrators too. That’s why they hoped that before the couple would reach their 25th Anniversary, they could retrace their footsteps again all the way to Trinidad, not Tobago.

But before the remaking of that special day, Zone 2 celebrators this year would likely up the ante. Sshhh, let’s keep this a secret, but when my mother would celebrate next week, she is planning to close for one whole day our housefront’s main street. I heard lately about this unimpeachable rumor, comes his birthday there will have at least one pig “lechon” by Tibor.

But before that, I faithfully expect along with Lec’s young people that there’ll be grand occasion some more, when it’ll be held again in his Temple the celebration of his Feast Of Eleven Bread times four (mal-am rƏn kaw noy). I suspect NêPamê would also surprise, on the 3rd or last week, all Kirayan girls and boys, depending on the availability of caterer of her choice. That is, when someone from the only Superpower in the world would hoist, to spark the festival and food melee in his usual enticing voice.

                        

If ever you may ask me about the rest at once, where have all those celebrators gone? Well, some set their sail on seven seas and onto graveyards line, while some opted to stay and write, remain alive but are only frozen in time.

But someday, when the Lord of the Harvest comes to gather, full be the joy of all those celebrators in Sweet November.

                

Whether or not you're from Kirayan, happy birthday everyone……