By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
The fruits and flowers of May!
May, in my youth, was always a joyous month. As a young girl, the month was something to look forward to. For me, the month meant vacation time and more play time. And what’s more? During this month, I was always assured of a new dress for the Flores de Mayo. May, during my young age, was also the time to meet new friends because of the Escuela Catolica in church held in the morning before the repaso para sa Flores de Mayo. We took seriously our participation in the Flores de Mayo. There was Nong Tekyo, Ingko Lumen, and the Cantoras for the songs of the Flores de Mayo.
Today, the month of May is happiness at home. At the front yard, the plants in our garden seem to jibe with season. These plants have perked me up from some kind of house arrest due to community acquired pneumonia. I’m planting more veggies, herbs and fruit bearing trees. And each plant has its own story to tell.
Let’s have the salmon coloured camia, I got it from my co employee in the University of the Philippines, Tacloban. This was the souvenir he gave me when I went to the place as an aftermath of the Yolanda fury. This was before the new year of 2013. My co employee, Ponso, a neighbor of my son in Tacloban gave the plant to me.
Then I have the passion fruit. The passion fruit is harvested from the trellis made by Romeo, who tends my garden. We have also laurel plants coming from a former student in Tacloban. Laurel comes from the family of cinnamon. It’s called kalinga or mana. We had those trees on our way to our school in Pisong kung mohapit mi ug pangitkit.Unya abugon mi sa tag-iya.
There is also the red kalachuchi which came from Orlando Diola, a very good friend who travels a lot and who collects different species of plants like the cactus.
My bananas are the fruits from seedlings distributed during COVID. Mga sab-a gyud ni nga saging. Thank you to my cousins, Daria and Nanie for this.
I also have the white flowers. The white flowers are from the vine called beaumonche, coming from my cousin Lailets Pamaran Klainatorn.
The joys of gardening in a way, clean the soul. Remember that poem, “Allthings bright and beautiful?” It’s a beautiful poem and it could be your prayer of thanking God for what He has always been giving us.
Here is another piece of joy I wish to share with you during this month of May. When I surfed the FB pages the other day, there was that message which I saw from the FB wall of Congressman Chatto. I salute the man for his graciousness in defeat. I hope there will be more politicians with his kind of Character. He is a true example of a gem, who like the plants that healthily grow in our garden will continue to flourish even with the passing of time.
