Manong Jaime

 

Jaime. Three years older than I. First met him in 1974 when we moved to the seminary in South Drive from Jungletown. He was the third oldest to his bunch of brothers and sisters, Boyet, Cesar, Ricardo, Gemma and Tina were kids of caretakers of a neighboring compound whom Sam and I met one morning. We saw kids peeking at us through the bamboo fence separating our place. All we knew was Kankana-ey and they spoke in a weird language, later to know it was Iloco (Ilocano). That very morning, I remember hollering "manay-ayam tako" (let is play, in Kankanaey). From the on we became friends and best friends.

I could write pages of what we did as kids but best to short-wire it. Playing was what we did a lot. Jaime was our instant leader. Master. Boss. Genius.

(to be continued)