A Dream, A House, A Home.
Lazi
Siquijor Island
The Philippines
"My Parents' Dream"
After the end of WWII in 1946, my parents decided to build a house and call Lazi, in Siquijor Island, our permanent home. This, instead of Tanjay, in the main Island of Negros, where my father's family came from.
Sadly, all plans took to a stand-still, when my father all so suddenly died of a heart attack in January 1949, whilst bathing with my older brother Jerry, at a river bank in Tanjay.
I was barely three years old.
In spite of all odds against her... of only a 4th grade schooling, and no income to fall upon, yet with the help of my older siblings who took to odd jobs as College students in the big City of Dumaguete, my mother still, decided to pursue my father's dream.
In a property purchased earlier by my parents... column after column and piece by piece, in a little corner of Lazi, a house was slowly beginning to stand.
Of a main door with no lock, of missing walls and of missing shutters, through these long and lean years of the mid-50s, this skeleton of a house stood proud and strong for us all.
It would also still take a few more years for a roof in place, to cover the whole house.
A distant horizon far beyond reach to complete, it was then realized that only one large room would be safe and comfortable enough for us younger and early-school-aged siblings... a safe haven for everyone to live by.
In a storm, wind, rain and the cold, would fill our room through open walls and missing shutters... and yet, we endured.
For a change we knew, in the calm of evenings, a gentle breeze, the sounds of crickets, a flicker of moonbeam and dancing shadows of leafy fronds... these and beyond would instead rule over and lull everyone of us to a state of dreamy slumber, to welcome a new morrow.
In what would later be the Miraflor Manors, at 52 Jose Romero Street, in Lazi, Negros Oriental, this two storey house, of missing walls, of open windows, of missing shutters, a single room... stood as the pillar that held us together, for those long and lean years.
But alas, wear, tear and a fading horizon would then take over my parents' yet unfulfilled dream.
The house... our pillar, still remained unfinished, losing its fight and deteriorating fast against time. It needed repairs. But it was just too out of reach for all, of the never-ending challenge to pursue and catch the dream.
Soon and in the mid-60s... a family decision was reached. With a new Architect in the family, it was then decided to start fresh, over again.
Although of similar odds on limited resources, brighter days and happier times were seen ahead. It was then time for a new beginning, a change for a better life of happy days.
A renewed future and then... a new house was born.
It has now been over 50 years since.
Today, we the living continue to pursue the dream our departed parents and our departed siblings, have always and ever wished for.
Perhaps soon enough, this dream will now finally come true.
And I will make sure that it does...
In memory of all our dearly departed. - Island Lures
Photograph by : Alannis Richen aka Lazi
Original print : Island Lures, Family Archive
A Dream, A House, A Home.
Lazi
Siquijor Island
The Philippines
"My Parents' Dream"
After the end of WWII in 1946, my parents decided to build a house and call Lazi, in Siquijor Island, our permanent home. This, instead of Tanjay, in the main Island of Negros, where my father's family came from.
Sadly, all plans took to a stand-still, when my father all so suddenly died of a heart attack in January 1949, whilst bathing with my older brother Jerry, at a river bank in Tanjay.
I was barely three years old.
In spite of all odds against her... of only a 4th grade schooling, and no income to fall upon, yet with the help of my older siblings who took to odd jobs as College students in the big City of Dumaguete, my mother still, decided to pursue my father's dream.
In a property purchased earlier by my parents... column after column and piece by piece, in a little corner of Lazi, a house was slowly beginning to stand.
Of a main door with no lock, of missing walls and of missing shutters, through these long and lean years of the mid-50s, this skeleton of a house stood proud and strong for us all.
It would also still take a few more years for a roof in place, to cover the whole house.
A distant horizon far beyond reach to complete, it was then realized that only one large room would be safe and comfortable enough for us younger and early-school-aged siblings... a safe haven for everyone to live by.
In a storm, wind, rain and the cold, would fill our room through open walls and missing shutters... and yet, we endured.
For a change we knew, in the calm of evenings, a gentle breeze, the sounds of crickets, a flicker of moonbeam and dancing shadows of leafy fronds... these and beyond would instead rule over and lull everyone of us to a state of dreamy slumber, to welcome a new morrow.
In what would later be the Miraflor Manors, at 52 Jose Romero Street, in Lazi, Negros Oriental, this two storey house, of missing walls, of open windows, of missing shutters, a single room... stood as the pillar that held us together, for those long and lean years.
But alas, wear, tear and a fading horizon would then take over my parents' yet unfulfilled dream.
The house... our pillar, still remained unfinished, losing its fight and deteriorating fast against time. It needed repairs. But it was just too out of reach for all, of the never-ending challenge to pursue and catch the dream.
Soon and in the mid-60s... a family decision was reached. With a new Architect in the family, it was then decided to start fresh, over again.
Although of similar odds on limited resources, brighter days and happier times were seen ahead. It was then time for a new beginning, a change for a better life of happy days.
A renewed future and then... a new house was born.
It has now been over 50 years since.
Today, we the living continue to pursue the dream our departed parents and our departed siblings, have always and ever wished for.
Perhaps soon enough, this dream will now finally come true.
And I will make sure that it does...
In memory of all our dearly departed. - Island Lures
Photograph by : Alannis Richen aka Lazi
Original print : Island Lures, Family Archive