Excerpt from CECILIA'S DIARY: 1962-1969 (ANVIL)

Hi, I'm sharing an excerpt from CECILIA'S DIARY: 1962-1969 (ANVIL), which will soon be available in Kindle and Nook.  The school I attended was St. Theresa's College, in San Marcelino, Manila, Philippines.

 Enjoy, Cecilia Brainard

~~~~

Saturday, March 23, 1963

Dear Sharon,

            This morning we carried the flags. All went well. The skirts of the seniors were long, according to the fashion nowadays.

            While we were waiting outside the chapel, Sister Ma. Miguela talked to us.

            "How dirty your shoes are, Cecilia. It seems as if you walked in mud," teased Sister.

            "Aba, Sister, Evelyn's is dirtier," said I.

            "Nah, I had it polished," Evelyn said.

            Then Sister shifted the topic to the flags. She said we must never let them touch the floor. She said the Philippine flag should be cared for especially. "It's a symbol," she said.

            She turned to me: "You, Cecilia, are carrying Pope John XXIII."

            "Wow! Pope John! Wow!" I said.

            Laughter pealed.

            "I'm carrying President Macapagal," Chit said, holding up the Philippine flag.

            "And I'm carrying Sister Miguela," Evelyn exclaimed, waving the STC flag.

            We all laughed.

            After the morning ceremony, Evelyn and I left right away. At home I read to kill time. I was reading Madame Curie when I fell asleep. Later, I woke up because of the terrible heat. It was around two thirty. A funny thing entered my mind. I thought it was morning and I had to go to school to carry the flag. I was so frantic but then I saw the time and I calmed down.

            I bathed and dressed. I had a difficult time with my hair but managed a childish hairdo. In school in front of the auditorium, we grouped ourselves like gossips. 

            "Look, ang cute," Chit said.

            "Yah, from the neck down," Guia said.

            "No, only the coat and tie," Chit said again.

            In another case, I said, "Ang cute, glasses only!"

            A very funny incident happened. Araceli's brother came with the boyfriend of Araceli's sister. The girls began swooning over this tall guy. They thought he was the boyfriend. Well, he was Araceli's brother. So we all kidded Araceli. I told Araceli I'd like to trade brothers with her. Her brother really was cute.

            We walked properly, I think. The tragedy happened when the guest speaker, Perfecto, began talking. I tell you, he was taking his time. And meanwhile our feet were aching, but what could we do? Sister Hilde was watching us like a hawk.

            When I stood solo for the Papal hymn, my knees were shaking. I was actually scared. Afterwards, I brought Chit to Lyceum and brought Guia to her house. I then dressed, ate supper, and here I am writing.

            A while ago, while dressing, I thought that somewhere, someplace, a boy is sleeping or eating, or doing something. That boy will, in the future, be my husband (if I marry). I prayed for him and wondered when we'd meet. What would happen, I thought. Would we become friends? Would one dislike the other? Will he feel that I'm the one? Will I know? I wonder how old he is. I'm sure he's older than me, because I can feel it. I hope he's right for me, and I for him. How will he propose? What will I say, do? If he's a foreigner, where will we live? I'd like to live here in the Philippines before living in his place.

            All this silly talk. I'm too much of a dreamer. In Cimarron, I read a part that said, "Let the boy dream." In my life, I shall dream too. Make your life a dream, and make the dream a reality.

~~~
tags: Philippines, Philippine, literature, Cebu, author, writer, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard