Nature Appreciation Part 1

This year’s Nature Appreciation venue is Tolosa, Guisao. Sounds very far-flung to me. So I wasn’t surprised to see splashing water and a lot of green all around. But before getting there, there were… unfortunate events. Unfortunate, but worthwhile.

Instead of heading to school, I decided to wait for them at a store right beside the highway. There is no other way to get to Guisao but to pass through a line of barangays along the Maria Clara Lobregat Highway, which I believe is the only highway that looks like a highway in this God-forsaken city. One of those barangays is Divisoria, so they would pass here. I sent a message to Ate Mich to pick me at Nonong Store. I sent another message just to specify where exactly it is – a few steps after a distinctive blue house at the right side of the highway.

After eating a hurried breakfast, I fixed myself one more time and rushed to Nonong Store. It was around 7:40 A.M. I expected them to stop there soon. The scheduled departure time at school is 7 A.M. It’s a 30-minute ride from the civilized city proper to Divisoria. But since the ACILians are hopelessly Filipino, I expected them to leave a little late. And I was wrong.

Growing impatient as well as anxious, I headed back home. I forced a missed call on Ate Mich’s cell phone. After a few minutes, I received a message from her that said something like, “Hintay lang J. Magdispose pa sa amin si Bro. Ogie. Miss call lang kita.” “WHAT?!” I thought. It was past eight and they’re still in school! Very Filipino! I should’ve expected much more. But that was better instead of departing early, leaving me behind.

So I replied, “OK thanks. Miss call n’yo na lang ako kung malapit na kayo Divisoria.” After a few minutes, no missed call but another message. At last they are here, in front of the new chapel... which is meters away from Nonong Store! How could they miss that store? It's a good thing that the chapel was at a walking distance from where they were supposed to stop. I had to speed up my pace to get on the jeep as soon as possible.

And off we went to Tolosa.

*to be continued