Philline R.

Pelejo

A Perezian’s Life
One night, I was feeling lonely, alone and hurt. I was curling up in
my bed, listening to my favorite music; I reached for my old photo
album that is sitting for years across my bed and then a wave of
flashback filled my mind.
There was a little girl who loves to play outside, instead of
dressing up dolls she prepares to play langit-lupa, tumbang preso, tagu-
taguan and many more. She didn’t care if it is raining or the sun hurts
her skin as long as she is happy with her playmates. Every time she goes
home, her father will scold her for being sweaty and smelly but she
didn’t mind. She will cry but she’ll forget about that the next day and
she will laugh freely again; no worries and no anxiety. As for the people
in her hometown, they are very resourceful, they like to plant vegetables
in their backyard. Their way of living is so simple yet wondrous that
even though they are poor, they have dignity. They will work hard for
their family to eat three meals a day. They are a genuine people with
warm hearts.
The girl lives in a small town known as Perez, located in Alabat
Island. Her mother is a simple housewife and her father is both a farmer
and a fisherman sometimes. Her father cooks really well, and her mother
has the kindest heart a woman can ever get. She has three siblings, one
brother and two sisters. She is the eldest. Even though, she is not the
type of a child that is not good at expressing feelings with words, she
knows in her heart that she really loves her family. Mornings are her
favorite, she will wake up early to see how the sun rise and scattered
beautiful tinges in the sky. And when the night comes, she will fall in
love again and again with the glowing stars and the bright moon in the
night sky. She has a simple life. Happy and contented.
 But as time goes by, her heart yearns to live and experience the life
in the city. She wants to spread her wings and explore the beauty of the
world. So, when her graduation came, her parents decided to let the girl
study in the university that she chose. She was so happy that she
immediately told her friends about it. The time came that she needs to
leave, she was happy and sad at the same time that she will leave her
family on the island. On her way to the city, she was mesmerized by the
tall buildings and beautiful landscapes that she saw. This is the dream
that she promised to herself to fulfill. The first week was hard because
she was not used to be apart with her family yet she endures it. It was
not easy living alone but she overcomes it. She became independent and
strong, and learned how to live the life in the city. Now that years had
pass, she wants to go back. She wants to live that simple life again, away
from the busy streets and the loud noises of the cars. Less stress, less
drama.
She missed hanging out with her old friends, having a good laugh
with her family and chasing ocean waves. She missed them very much.
She missed the feeling of being a Perezian girl again. And she promised
to herself, that she will come back, back to the hometown where her
hearts’ truly desire.