The second level challenge: Wash somebody’s feet who has served you

Going back to the four-level challenge, the rule is to do the act of washing of feet of a specific person because you are thankful of the good deed he/she has done to you.

For that, the acts of my late Lola Marcela, for me, is worthy of emulation – She qualifies in my list of people’s feet to be washed.

I remember with great fondness the childhood experiences that I had with my late Lola Marcela. She was warmhearted, lively, prayerful, and had a great sense of humor. Despite her age, she still enjoyed the manual labor of planting herbal medicines that were really effective in treating common ailments. She was also known in the neighborhood for her generosity and for being a mananabtan (prayer leader). I even saw some unfamiliar people from distant places who visited her just to avail of her services. Her sought-after version of Chicken Alfredo, sardines with tomato sauce cooked in firewood, and other delectable cuisines often remind me of her prowess in cooking. More importantly, her generous and hospitable treatment with our relatives in family gatherings have imprinted good memories in my heart.

She was hardworking and resilient; and I think the main ingredient for being such was her ability to inject humor (and sometimes sarcasm) in every circumstance that she was into. There was an instance that I noticed her tilling in the garden and soaked in sweat, when I asked her: “Nag-unsa ka diha, lola?” (What are you doing there, grandma?). She answered: “Nagdula-dula ko, apil ka?” (I’m just playing around, want to join?). I was clueless then about her sarcastic remarks, but now I find it witty and funny- one effective way to release tension despite a stressful situation.

Lola, sometimes, becomes melodramatic every time she tells us her stories in the past and recalls her experiences during the Japanese occupation. Perhaps, that is the reason why she really looked forward watching the weekly episodes of Maalaala mo Kaya (a.k.a MMK; also known as “Memories”; A Philippine drama anthology television series). Every Thursday night, at 9:00 in the evening, she joins the entire family in the sala to watch the movie. Sometimes, there are scenes that really moved her into tears. Aside from that, her eyes were failing and most of the time she interrupts us by asking who the actors in the movie were. One time, she asked me about the actress: “Kinsa man ng artistaha?” (Who is that actress?), then I turned to her and answered: Si Ara Mina, ‘la; and she nodded and said: “ahhh, si Aramina Villaroel?”. We really bursted into laughter because of that remark. Until now, it has become an inside joke once we talk about MMK – Aramina Villaroel, the ex-wife of Rustom Padilla.

Also, her devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help somehow influenced my Christianity. Sometimes, when me and my younger brother’s disagreements become physically or verbally aggressive, she steps in and pacifies the situation by saying: Husto na! Dili jud mo kasulod sa gingharian ana inyong kalaki! (Stop it! You cannot enter Kingdom of God with that attitude.). Also, she emphasized that Mama Mary is telling us to protect our little sister and not hurt little girls.

Evidence of her devotion to Mother Mary can be found in her bedroom. At the side of her bed, there was an altar that contains the crucifix, the image of the Santo Niño and the huge icon of the Inahan sa Kanunay’ng Panabang (Our Mother of Perpetual Help). There were also booklets, novena guides, and holy rosaries that she used during prayer meetings. One time, when Lola was away, me and my younger brother entered her room to examine her religious articles and some old photos. We also jumped and tumbled on her bed’s thick mattress and imitated Ultraman (A fictional superhero) and the Power Rangers’ (a live-action superhero television series) stunts and moves. Until, the unexpected thing happened – after I did the jumping forward roll and landed on the floor, my younger brother shouted, “Hala!” and I suddenly felt something wet fell all over my hips and legs. It dawned on me that I hit something bad because of the foul smell. Goodness gracious! I accidentally spilled Lola’s arinola (chamber pot) that is full of urine unto myself and on the wooden floors! Out of fear, we immediately contained the spill with rags and wiped it ceaselessly believing that it would become dry, but it did not. So, we hurriedly applied floor wax on the floor and scrubbed it to conceal our wrongdoing. As we continued cleaning the floor, the figure of Our Mother of Perpetual Help caught my attention. It seemed that Mama Mary was gazing at me and scolding me for trespassing Lola’s room. I felt guilty about what had happened, but now that many years have gone by, this incident is already hilarious every time I recall this experience.

The only thing that triggered my genuine gratefulness to Lola Marcela is about her unselfish decision to let our family reside in her humble abode for eight years. It was already in my earlier elementary years that I got to discover about her noble act. She did not let us feel that she totally owns the house. Having that experience in my heart and mind, it builds a strong desire within me to wash the feet of the people who have served me and my family unconditionally; and one good example is my late Lola Marcela. (Francis Manayan)