The Ratiles Fruit: A Reminiscence of the Proud Flip's Childhood

It's nice to be back after a few-day hiatus, and I'm also glad to destroy any suspicions that I already took suicide after studying "Gloomy Sunday".

I remember our family reunion in a nearby province of Tarlac, and the venue is so rural I could really breathe out my stress due to taxing school work then. But what struck me most are the trees planted around the house of my uncle, the "ratiles" trees!

Oh, how adorable they are, especially their sweet fruits! It reminds me of my childhood days, when I spent tireless hours with my playmates gathering bunches of ratiles of different colors, ranging from reddish yellow green to full red, and eating with my friends. Then we would play a wide range of street games from patintero in the morning, moro-moro in the afternoon, and taguan pung in the evening, and we would eat some of the fruit in between, even to the point of having stomach aches due to overeating.

But these days, I couldn't find some of my friends I used to play with. Some have their own families, others went abroad, still others settled in places far from our hometown. Oh, nobody loves me except the ratiles tree (Hey, I sounded horrific!). Just kidding, guys. How I wish I could still feel the presence of the tree and the fruit anywhere, like the ratiles flavored delights such as ice cream, candy, and others. Although, every time I come home to Bulacan (our hometown), I would glance at the talling trees that are reminiscent of my childhood. Sometimes, I couldn't help but have my tears rolled down secretly. I also observed how the children in our place nowadays spend their hours playing network games, which make them more idle and have less personal contact with others their age.

Well, that's an inevitable fact I should face. Times are changing, but nothing is sweeter than to re-live the memorable past that moulds you to whoever you are at present.