THE BOYS' FAVOURITE AUNTIES ddkted to: The ice-droppers & shoe-shiners of Aloran & Oroquieta in the 1960/1970s

Being an ice-dropper and shoe-shiner during my pre-teen years are among the memories I always recall fondly. At times, with tears in my eyes, I remember my buddies who no longer can reminisce with us the good old days. Besides enjoying pan-monay with Royal Tru-Orange which were luxury at the time, "going to a movie" was about the most luxurious. There were three movie houses in Oroquieta those days. Gem, Oro and New Oro. Gem Theatre was owned and managed by an old gentleman and two old ladies and if I remember it correctly, they were siblings-Chinese. We call the two old ladies, Tiya. Typical those days was two-double features. In the morning that ends at noon and after lunch til afternoon. Door was just 25-centavos, but if you didn't have a good week, it's not easy. It's during the second showing that outside the movie house you see The Boys hanging around. Tiya, hapon na, dies na lang! (Auntie, it's already late in the afternoon, can we get in for 10 centavos?). By this time, the movie must have been running for half-an-hour already, when The Boys become restless. That's when you hear that plea over and over again. I don't remember being declined. Thank you Tiya for the gift of kindness. May God bless your soul!