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Words and photos by: Mariel Escarcha
If you ask me to tell you about my childhood – I would probably come up blank. From age seven and below, I only have a handful of core memories: My mom and dad taking me on a vacation to Cebu, an accident that caused me to have stitches on my chin, the pink hue from my mom’s curtains as she sang me to sleep at night, and my reputation as an avid snacker.
My grandfather had a sari-sari store in Makati. It’s known to others as Belen Store – named after my late grandmother. For our family though, it was lovingly known as tindahan ni tatay.
Due to my well-known love for snacks, my mom limited my access to it (up until now, if we’re being honest). What she can’t control though, was my grandfather’s knack for spoiling his grandchildren. One “’Tay, pwede po ako kumuha ng Marie sa tindahan?” (Pa, may I get a Marie from our store?) and I’m suddenly munching on the soft milk biscuits I couldn’t get enough of.
We even had a running joke in the family – that I would cry if you took my Marie biscuits. It really was THAT snack for me.
My 3rd year in high school was a big change for me. I went from studying in Manila during my early years to transferring schools in Muntinlupa, the southernmost part of the Metro. I was lucky enough to find a fun group of friends though. Unfortunately, I was placed in a different section from most of them.
That’s why recess was so important to me. Sure, we would always hang out after the final bell rings. However, there’s something so fun about cramming the walk to the canteen, lining up to buy biscuits, and eating them with your friends in under 30 minutes. The choices would always boil down to Rebisco Choco Sandwich, Extreme, or Hansel Crackers for me.
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