leepenzium25
Part 1: The Borrowed Camera
The year was 1996, and my eldest brother, Rey, was about to graduate from elementary school in our hometown of Dauis, Bohol. Back then, we didn't have electricity, and gadgets like the famous Kodak camera were luxuries we could not afford. So, my mother, Elena, decided to borrow a Kodak camera from her sister, Catalina, who lived one barangay away.
It was the afternoon, around 3 p.m., when my mother walked to my aunt's house to borrow the camera. As she arrived, she and my aunt caught up, talking for hours as the sun began to set. Catalina, who was a bit well-off due to her husband being a ship captain on a local shipping line between Bohol and Cebu, had more than enough to offer, and my mother appreciated her hospitality.
However, as dusk approached and the light dimmed, my mother realized it was time to return home. The roads at that time were still just limestone, rough and uneven, and very few vehicles passed by. It was quiet by 6 p.m. and, to be safe, my mother carried a sharp machete with her for protection from wild animals or potential threats on the dirt trail leading back home.