A Parade of Palms - A Day in The Life of Freya
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"Lia? Lia!" She heard her Aunt Petrushka call from outside her window. "Hurry up! It's almost time."
"Opo, Tita!" Freya replied, finally zipping up the back of her white Sunday dress and scrambling to fasten on her matching white sandals. "I'll be down in a second!"
Taking a look at herself in the mirror, she fixed the hem of her dress and adjusted her puffed sleeves. Her hair seemed to be in bit of a mess though, so she grabbed a nearby brush and ran a few quick strokes through the wavy blonde locks.
"There." She smiled to herself, satisfied with her appearance.
After replacing the brush on her desk, she made a mad dash out of her room. Before long, she was making her way down the antique wooden steps of their house's porch. Aunt Petrushka was standing by the house gate, dressed in a sunny yellow blouse and a white knee-length skirt. Her short, coffee brown hair was decorated with a yellow, satin hairband. In her folded arms was their palaspas.
Petrushka ushered her niece to hasten her steps. "Did you lock the front door?"
"Opo, Tita." Was her niece's curt reply, and she swung the gate open for both of them to step out, then locked it.
It was still early morning, around five thirty or so. The sun's rays were barely seeping through the clouds, casting small, random pools of light around the town as the two women made their way down the street, hand in hand.
"Our palaspas is so pretty." Freya remarked, her royal blue gaze twinkling as she examined how the young palm leaf was folded, bent, and cut at just the right places, finished with a decorative ribbon by the handle. "Where did you get it, Tita?"
"Oh, a vendor was passing by the house earlier, so I bought one. I thought this was the best one." The twenty-seven-year-old woman smiled, leading the two of them around a bend.
When her aunt came to a sudden stop, Freya was made to do so as well, and she looked on at the dozens of people crowded together, moving as one down the street intersecting the one they were on. Young and old, each held their own palaspas high.
It was a parade. A parade of palms.
"The Unsana!" The young girl exclaimed, running forward to take a closer look. All the different varieties of palaspas, wonderfully laid out in front of her. In different shades of yellow and lime, styled in so many ways she couldn't even begin to count.
A light tug on her hand drew her attention back to her aunt.
"Come on." She began pulling the both of them back to another street, this time climbing a hill. Freya was meaning to ask her aunt just what she was up to, but when they came to a particular spot atop the hill, her thoughts were silenced by the incredible sight that met her.
From where they stood, they could see the entirety of the parade as it stretched on in all its glory. The young girl chuckled to herself upon seeing the parade was being led by Father Anthony, who was sprinkling holy water left and right.
How did she know, you ask? Well, let's just say his shiny bald head was hard to miss in any crowd.
Seeing that the parade was nearing the local parish, the aunt and niece pair wasted no time in making their way there as well, for if they didn't, they'd be forced to hear the first Palm Sunday mass from outside.
They managed to beat the parade to the church premises, and sneaked their way in through the choir entrance.
"Oh, Freya!" Santino, one of the sacristans greeted. He directed her to the choir stands. "Hurry! They'll be here any minute, now."
Nodding to her aunt, they parted ways, and Freya followed Santino to the stands. Some of the other members were already there, and she squeed upon finding Cerise and Diana among them.
"You ready?" Cerise asked as she took a seat beside her. Freya nodded cheerfully.
"Yeah!"
The church doors swung open to the people.
"Then let's do this."
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Notes:
1. Opo - A respectful way of saying "yes" in Tagalog.
2. Tita - Aunt/Auntie
3. Palaspas - Decorative palm fronds. Part of the Catholic celebration of Palm Sunday.
Thanks very much for reading!
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...
"Lia? Lia!" She heard her Aunt Petrushka call from outside her window. "Hurry up! It's almost time."
"Opo, Tita!" Freya replied, finally zipping up the back of her white Sunday dress and scrambling to fasten on her matching white sandals. "I'll be down in a second!"
Taking a look at herself in the mirror, she fixed the hem of her dress and adjusted her puffed sleeves. Her hair seemed to be in bit of a mess though, so she grabbed a nearby brush and ran a few quick strokes through the wavy blonde locks.
"There." She smiled to herself, satisfied with her appearance.
After replacing the brush on her desk, she made a mad dash out of her room. Before long, she was making her way down the antique wooden steps of their house's porch. Aunt Petrushka was standing by the house gate, dressed in a sunny yellow blouse and a white knee-length skirt. Her short, coffee brown hair was decorated with a yellow, satin hairband. In her folded arms was their palaspas.
Petrushka ushered her niece to hasten her steps. "Did you lock the front door?"
"Opo, Tita." Was her niece's curt reply, and she swung the gate open for both of them to step out, then locked it.
It was still early morning, around five thirty or so. The sun's rays were barely seeping through the clouds, casting small, random pools of light around the town as the two women made their way down the street, hand in hand.
"Our palaspas is so pretty." Freya remarked, her royal blue gaze twinkling as she examined how the young palm leaf was folded, bent, and cut at just the right places, finished with a decorative ribbon by the handle. "Where did you get it, Tita?"
"Oh, a vendor was passing by the house earlier, so I bought one. I thought this was the best one." The twenty-seven-year-old woman smiled, leading the two of them around a bend.
When her aunt came to a sudden stop, Freya was made to do so as well, and she looked on at the dozens of people crowded together, moving as one down the street intersecting the one they were on. Young and old, each held their own palaspas high.
It was a parade. A parade of palms.
"The Unsana!" The young girl exclaimed, running forward to take a closer look. All the different varieties of palaspas, wonderfully laid out in front of her. In different shades of yellow and lime, styled in so many ways she couldn't even begin to count.
A light tug on her hand drew her attention back to her aunt.
"Come on." She began pulling the both of them back to another street, this time climbing a hill. Freya was meaning to ask her aunt just what she was up to, but when they came to a particular spot atop the hill, her thoughts were silenced by the incredible sight that met her.
From where they stood, they could see the entirety of the parade as it stretched on in all its glory. The young girl chuckled to herself upon seeing the parade was being led by Father Anthony, who was sprinkling holy water left and right.
How did she know, you ask? Well, let's just say his shiny bald head was hard to miss in any crowd.
Seeing that the parade was nearing the local parish, the aunt and niece pair wasted no time in making their way there as well, for if they didn't, they'd be forced to hear the first Palm Sunday mass from outside.
They managed to beat the parade to the church premises, and sneaked their way in through the choir entrance.
"Oh, Freya!" Santino, one of the sacristans greeted. He directed her to the choir stands. "Hurry! They'll be here any minute, now."
Nodding to her aunt, they parted ways, and Freya followed Santino to the stands. Some of the other members were already there, and she squeed upon finding Cerise and Diana among them.
"You ready?" Cerise asked as she took a seat beside her. Freya nodded cheerfully.
"Yeah!"
The church doors swung open to the people.
"Then let's do this."
---
Notes:
1. Opo - A respectful way of saying "yes" in Tagalog.
2. Tita - Aunt/Auntie
3. Palaspas - Decorative palm fronds. Part of the Catholic celebration of Palm Sunday.
Thanks very much for reading!