Santos Village III

second day at the same internet cafe. listening to one of my favorite radio stations (ae.com radio. very teen-y but i dig the tunes). and reflecting. i was looking around today as my cousin and i walked around the neighborhood trying to remember faces, places. there was an old man with cane and some missing teeth who i'm pretty sure was my bus driver in the 1st and 2nd grade. i liked to surprise him by crossing the street by myself and coming to the jeep early instead of waiting for him like the other kids did. this way, i got more time to putter about the market and buy my after school snacks.

i hung out with a childhood friend named Lady (short for Melody). i spent a lot of time at her house when i was little but i think they must have gotten it remodeled because i went there and didn't have any memories of it. Lady now lives in Italy and has a little 5 year old boy with another on the way. Lady, as fate would have it, is now my cousin through marriage. Her aunt married my uncle. It was good to chat and kind of catch up. i envy her having her family but at the same time rejoice in my freedom.

i spotted other things around the neighborhood too. my crush from nursery school's house. the house where my mom liked to get her clothes sewed and or hemmed. the gutter where i once dropped a 2piso coin and went home crying.

it's nice to be back back in the neighborhood and have everyone know me but at the same time i feel lost. more on this later. internet time is up and we're going to go visit another childhood friend who lives in a different neighborhood