Twin Popsies and enchantment in an evening breeze

In October last year, before super typhoon Yolanda hit and wrought havoc on lives, properties and plans, I was blessed to be part of the workshop "Writing the Story: Communicating from Biblical Perspectives" at the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture (ISACC). All the resource persons, Miriam Adeney, Frank Gray and Melba Padilla Maggay, set the participants at ease and helped us sustain the flow of words. There's something to writing in a group - too much solitude can be a pain sometimes. I share something short and hopefully sweet, instigated by Adeney's writing prompt: the ice cream cart. Read it through the un-seasonal showers that continue to tap on the roof tonight.

This blog is affectionately dedicated to pianist Najib Ismail and music lover Joseph Uy for reasons only they know. Najib, who was equal to Sumi Jo's lyrical singing early last month, will again collaborate with two Koreans, soprano Yun Kyoung Yi and baritone Daesan No, in "Enchante," an evening of bel canto and opera music, on March 27 at 7 p.m. at Makati's Ayala Museum.


Source of image: http://have-a-fun-time.tumblr.com

Once upon a time, in the Year of our Lord 1965, the same year Marcos was elected President for his first term, a fourth grader from St. Paul College of Quezon City always counted the jingling coins in her skirt's side pocket. She had no wallet then. But she knew that if she let herself go hungry at lunchtime, she could reward herself with Twin Popsicles bought from the Magnolia ice cream vendor who parked his cart outside the school gates at dismissal time.

She knew how to tame her hunger in such a way that for certain days of the week, she had enough for orange Popsies. Later, as the coins grew in number, she had enough, too, for a bigger treat and a wider choice - the pinipig crunch or the ice cream sandwich

Once upon today, that convent-raised girl is now lactose intolerant, and the reward she looks forward to at the end of each day is the coolness of the breeze as she lays her head down for a well-earned rest. A rest now made possible by the sound of "Ombre Legere" from the comic opera Dinorah and gaily sung by Yun Kyoung Yi.