by Romeo C. Alfredo, Class '65
Those were exhilirating fun- filled years! That's all I can remember of my entire high school days.
Back then ... I was kind of like a colt romping, galloping around, running here and there on the sun-drenched campus ground. A common affair to me in school snooping, giggling, and poking fun at every turn, on everyone, at my classmates, and other upper-class men that I get in contact with. Sutil ... is the more suitable word.
On intramural week, heckling, teasing, and pestering opposing upper-class men was all I could do all through out. Because, I was just too short a guy to be taken in into any game.
At that age, I had a Donald Duck-like pitch voice with a Woody Woodpecker-like frequency when expressed. Then, one day, I couldn't believe my ears hearing Ms. Burgos calling me "Billit", instead of my first name. Consequently, all my girl classmates quickly subscribed to it. And they never called me by my lovely first name, ever again.
Odd as it may seem, I became a "Savio" novice. I didn't last long, though. Reason: I barely can remember any words from that 10-line "confiteur" alter boy Latin rejoinder. But, I like the margarine sandwich pan-de-sal with hot chocolate beverage served on school's overnight stays.
Luck got me into the much sought Drum & Bugle Corps, on my second year. No longer with Mr. Caday's PMT, I enjoyed the band's occasional performance tours to the barrios and other towns in the province.
The lanky, bespectacled, Father Bouley was just that. He lived up to the sound of his name. Feared by everyone, along with those two ubiquitous gawking on-leash black German shepherd hounds.
At Christmas time, the multicolored cardboard letters greeting "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!" was always displayed just above each classroom's blackboard. And everyone participated in their respective room's decoration, while Mr. Caday and Mang Johnny toiled at the auditorium for an oversized painting of St. Joseph, the Blessed Virgin, and Jesus in a manger.
Summer ushered the advent of the harvest festival. Again, the school campus was abuzz of activity.