BUSINESS DOWN THE STREET

by Aron Shane A. Aurea (created January 14, 2022)

Every person has had at least one memorable experience in their life. Memorable experiences

are memories they hold onto dearly, cherishing those meaningful moments inside their hearts. These

memories don’t have to be something grand or majestic. Rather, they can be something simple and

modest yet highly significant in people’s lives. As for me, one memorable experience was having to

behold a busy and beautiful scene of a construction site down the street.

One of my most memorable experiences took place on a Sunday in January, in our

subdivision. I was on my way down from my house to a sari-sari store to buy some ice, and I

stumbled upon something that caught my attention. I came across large and beefy men on a gigantic

construction, clothed in dirt and oil, hustling and bustling with their hammers and saws. I saw some of

them I knew, as every crow of the rooster I go outside passing by them and offering my greetings to

anyone nearby. Manong Sammy in his forties, with a boy probably five years younger than him, was

occupied in sanding mountains of coarse gravel and cement, sweating blood. And then there was

twenty-six-year-old Kuya Andong, his handsome aura still radiating even when covered with grey

powder. His eyes and hands were very much fixed to the pile of wet cement, unbothered even by the

tiniest of flies. I just can't help but gaze at his glorious visual, -- I wish I had something gorgeous like

that. Of course, I can't forget the famous and well-respected elder of the group, Lolo Eddy. He sat at

the foot of a birch tree, in front of the whole busy scene just across the road. He looked as if he was

seeing the bright future of his children's children. His eyes were frowning, and his lips a little crooked

yet smiling. "Good morning po, Tay Eddy!" I passed at him as I came near. He replied with such a

sweet tone, "Good morning liwat, doy!" I worked up a quick smirk at him, and ran as fast as the wind

on my way, as a memory of what I was supposed to do popped up. I never knew why Lolo Eddy was

just sitting there, but I sure remember his sunny beam that made my day.

Having to experience that scene was refreshing, and brings a whole new flavor to my world. I

realized that everyone has their own story to tell. It makes my perspective explore the wonders of

people’s lives and their interconnection in a whole new spectacle. It is such a significant and

transcending sight to see, as it is a memorable experience to me. As Joshua Foer, a journalist and an

author of nonfiction, voices, “What makes things memorable is that they are meaningful, significant,

and colorful.”