Golden Hours of Childhood

Flipping of pages was heard. Moments later, a laughter enveloped the room. She suddenly feel reminiscent of her childhood. Her mind then wandered on that day. On the time of the day where the sun is about to set, children are gathered in the front yard, waiting for their friend to go out. As soon as she step out from the house, they started to run and shouted, ”Ikaw ang taya! (You are the tagger!)”

At this time of the year, children enjoys the smiling sun and the long vacation they usually have. As soon as the sun starts to hide, they will come out to play their favorite games. However, as pandemic arrived and surged in the country, children has been locked up in their houses. Because of that and because of some people who grew up fidgeting their gadgets, the games that children played back then, started to fade. Let us go back as we unfold the lessons each game taught us, which we never knew would come in handy in the life we'll live years after.

Children of the succeeding generations might miss how to play Patintero that taught us how to guard our bases properly, prevent someone from escaping and move fast as the wind for one’s team to win. Agility and excellent teamwork could result to a win in this game. Patintero, is a game often played outdoors. This game involves two teams. One of the teams would be the “it”, they will stand on the perpendicular water lines in the middle. The other team will be the runners, they have to avoid getting tagged or trapped by the “it” and should be able to cross without getting caught. Once the “it” team catches a runner, even if it is only one of the runner team, the functions of both teams would be reversed.

Tumbang Preso, taught us how to be cautious and protective of what we possess. This game is about protecting the pamato, which is commonly a shoe or a slipper. Once the pamato is thrown and the can moves away from its place, the one who threw the slipper should run as fast as he can to go back to the starting point or the point where they threw the slipper, or else he will be the new prisoner.

To be keen and attentive is what Tagu-taguan, or widely known as Hide and Seek, taught us. This game involves at least two participants. There would be an “it” who would try to find the other participants who hid in different places. If ever placed as an “it”, one must have keen eyes to spot the people who hid just like how we keenly review every document we submit, may it be for academic purpose or for work. However, one should also be attentive, because your friend might have deceived you by hiding on their own homes.

Our strategic and competitive spirit was ignited by Siyato. Hitting the wood placed on a small hole is the highlight of this game. The player from the first team would try to hit the wood as far as he can to score bigger point while the player from other team would try to catch the stick hit by his foe, in order to nullify the scored point. The winner is decided based on who gained bigger points more, on each team.

Sipa, Philippines' former national sport, enhanced our focus on things. Sipa, also known as Sepak Takraw, is a game that uses a washer which the player should prevent from reaching the ground once tossed. Depending on how many kicks the player did without the “sipa” falling, the winner would be decided.

On the other hand, our flexibility and endurance was tested by Chinese Garter. This game sometimes uses a Chinese garter which led to the game's name or tied rubber bands as a replacement to the Chinese garter. Commonly, the participants are divided into two teams. The players would decide who would jump first and who would hold the garter. In this game, two people from the other team stand on both sides to hold the garterand the members from the other team would try to cross it by jumping and leaping. This game has levels, it starts on the ankles until the garter reach the top of the head of the poles. Flexibility can be very useful in this game especially if the garter goes higher than you, for the players are allowed to do cartwheels. Whenever you are the mother, you should have great endurance. In that way, you’ll be able to bring your team back once they die from a certain round.

The next game is a matter of luck and a little bit of calculation skills. Unlike the games presented above, this is often played indoors. Sungka uses an oblong-shaped board that consists two rows of seven small bowl often called, “bahay” and two separate stores on each side. Often, the game goes as the first player starts to distribute the stones from one of the houses, moving clockwise. In the distribution of the stones, the player should include her store on the pits she'll put her stones is, while passing by the store owned by her opponent. In order to win, one must have more stones on her store than her opponent. The game only ends when the small pits are emptied. Indeed, mathematics plays an important part of our life, even back then.

Luksong Baka tested our flexibility just like how Chinese Garter did. This is played outdoors with an “it” acting like the cow, bends his/her body from the lower level to the higher level in which the “it” is standing. The players who are not the “it” should cross the “it” without touching even a small part of the “it”. If the player touched the “it”, he/she would be the new “it”.

Even then, music played a big part on our lives. This game enhanced our ears to be attentive, focused and on the beat. Bahay-kubo, a game named after a Philippine folk song. It involves four people that is divided into two groups. Each group should come up with different clapping routine. After coming up with the routine, the opponents While singing bahay kubo, the pairs would face each other and perform the routine. However, as the song reaches the middle part, the pairs are required to play the routine made by the other pair.

Tempting the “it” to catch the player going down is the highlight of this game. This tested our patience and resembled how we are easily tempted with things. Langit-lupa is a game often played outdoors where there are low level stairs. In this game, the ground where the “it” is in, is called Lupa while the higher level ground where the players stood is the Langit. If the player goes down from Langit, which is the safe zone, he will be chased and tagged by the “it” and soon, he’ll be the new tagger. This game taught us how to givean opportunity a go at times and back down when we think it’s not the right time yet. Indeed, all these games we had been used to playing long ago, did not only made our childhood, memorable and fun, it also taught us different lessons that we may apply in the reality where we are no longer a child who can cherish every moment like it was the last. We did not know it would be like this when we dreamed of growing up fast back then. Nevertheless, it was worthwhile being a child.

We may have different views about our childhood. We may have taken different paths that led us here. However, I wish all child in this world can experience how beautiful those golden hours had been to some. Children living like a child is ephemeral thus, they should be able to cherish it like how we enjoy watching the sun set in the golden hour these days, where we used to play freely long ago.

Now that we are experiencing pandemic, it’s heartbreaking to see that some children have been robbed of the childhood they should be enjoying because of the virus. Hopefully, someday, they could go out freely and mingle with their friends again. Gasping for air, the children lined up to stare the sun slowly going down and the sky slowly turning to black. They were freely resting from the tiring games they played and enjoying the view when one of their friends has been called to go home by her mother.She bid goodbye to her friends and shouted, “Bye! Bukas ulit! (Bye! [Let’s play] again tomorrow!)”

Her smile faded as soon as she came back to her reality. She closed the album and put it back on the cabinet. She smiled nostalgically. She’s no longer a child, but a lady who should work hard to reach her dreams and provide for her family who needs her.