Early 1950's....my dreams would be the earliest memories of my childhood
that I could still recall. I was probably only three or four years old
then, the 3rd in a brood of already four siblings. Two brothers and a
sister would eventually be added to the family.
As
a growing child, I had that strange experience of having the same
dreams that would come repeatedly night after night throughout our stay
at our rented house in Pandacan, Manila. I vividly remember having two
recurring visions. It's always preceded by the image of Jesus
Christ nailed to the cross. This would be followed by a vision of
myself as a winged child, nonchalantly
enjoying the feeling of freedom the experience of flying gave. In the
interpretation of dreams, it is said that flying dreams are
indications of a yearning to be liberated from something. At that
very tender age, it was beyond my comprehension to
grasp the meaning of all those dreams. I have no recollection if I
ever told anyone in the family about it, but I certainly relished and
looked forward to those visions every time I prepared to go to bed.
I can still remember the time I was chosen to play the role of
the child Jesus during one of those religious reenactments staged in
the community. I'm not sure, but I think it was a Lenten activity. And I don't know if Mom recommended me for the
part, or her lady friends were just taken by the aura of innocence I
projected. Lol! Looking back, I wonder if any of those experiences
was a foreshadowing of the church service that I would get involved into
later on in life.
I
understand that we had earlier resided in Zamboanga City, in southern
Philippines, when Dad, a naval officer, was assigned there. But I was
still too young to have any recollection of our stay there. From
Pandacan, we would be staying in housing units of the Navy inside the
Cavite Naval Base and the Plaza Militar Compound until Dad bowed out
of the service. [See earliest photos]
[Yesterday Young and Reckless]
