by: Lumad Aloranon
KOTI is another popular toy kids growing up in Aloran in the 1960s play.
Though KASING in some places, in Aloran there is a big difference between the two, and I am going to describe that here.
Cut a 3 inch diameter X 4 inch long branch from a guava, or jackfruit, or aroma tree.
Drive a 3/8 inch diameter nail at the center of the cross section.
Then start shaping it oval top-to-bottom, allowing the nail to protrude like half-inch.
NB: THIS IS WHERE KASING DIFFERS FROM KOTI.
With kasing, you need the branch an inch longer, from which you will shape into arrow like instead of driving a nail like you do with koti.
As soon as the nail protrudes, cut its head then smooth it by rubbing on a hard surface.
Then make a rope out of dried abaca or banana skin, abaca being stronger is preferred.
Make the length such that when you wrap it around your koti from the nail,
it is like from quarter to half way to the top, also leaving a few inches so you can spin your toy handily.
This is the hapos. Now you are ready to enjoy your toy.
I know I am making it sound easy making koti, keep reading and you will know that skill is also required.
OPPPSSS! I ALMOST FORGOT.
Though it is optional, your toy is way cooler if you color it.
What color do you want? Any color, as long as it is red-orange.
Suetes or asuetes, from the science garden at central (Aloran Central Elementary School) comes only in red-orange.
SIMPLE PLEASURE.
RISK FREE.
Spin your koti on the floor and enjoy looking at your labor.
Some spin like they are nailed on the floor.
UTOK, that is the word. And the humming sound, hagong! Wheew! Ecstatic!
You can add spinning-life by putting your hapos in an arc close to your koti and pulling it in an earth-wise direction with the hapos touching the kotis side,
or if you are a pro, you can whip your koti with the hapos in that direction.
But some can not stay in one spot for even a second.
KARAT!
Kotis that are karat have no place in a newly-waxed and scrubbed floor. That is exactly why I said skill is required.
Some of us, actually most of us are skilled enough to spin our koti on our palm, even on our back!
KOTI.
This is the most elementary battle of skill between two players.
You take turn.
One spins his, while the other hits it with his, with the aim of inflicting maximum damage.
When one is hit at the main body with the nail-part of the other, that is when a nail-mark is made, that is talo,
and in some instances, a part of your tops is actually detached.
You are lucky if the damage is only talo.
You can retouch it by hammering the affected part gently with a stone, or you can scrip it with a broken glass.
WHALAA! You are ready for battle again.
THE ULTIMATE WEAPON! TINIGIB!
Flatten the nail, shape and sharpen it like a chisel, hence Tinigib!
One can only imagine the potential damage it could inflict on your koti, if it is not your day.
The Ultimate War! Mayor-mayor!
This is a multi-player game. In most cases, Tinigib is allowed entry.
Some of us are brave or perhaps foolish getting into the ultimate war without the ultimate weapon.
SUICIDAL!
WE TAKE RISK!
A cross is drawn on the ground and we make a mano. Each will try to hit the line-intersection with a nail mark from the koti.
The guy farthest from it is the mayor.
A circle is drawn on the ground, the mayor spins his koti in the middle where the rest of the warriors are bent on the destruction of his koti.
Again, if you are lucky, you can repair the damage with a stone or a broken glass. In some cases, the damage is beyond repair.
The worst is when it is hit by the ultimate weapon, your koti could be split in two!
That is obviously beyond repair. But hey! You can salvage the nail and make another one.
The koti-making genius!
I ran into Berting a few years ago and we had a chat.
The years must have taken toll on his body. I reminded him of his golden age of making koti.
He did not comment on it, but I knew he remembered, fondly I must add, he smiled ear-to-ear and I noticed water in his eyes.
THE STIGMA.
One summer, an uncle from far-away province popped-up home. It was still koti season.
Do not get me wrong, he is a tough guy, he cleared hectares of forestland for farm and I know he meant well when he made a kasing for a cousin.
KASING?
For goodness sake, what was he thinking? We were all around when he proudly handed our cousin the kasing.
Even at that age, I could already see the humiliation in our cousins face.
Plus all the mocking he got from us, the astig boys, in todays lingo, he never got over it.
It breaks my heart thinking that we did not even got the chance to apologize before he took his last breath.
Sorry bro!
As I said earlier, I ran into Berting few years ago, and he said, have fun with your kasing over there.
Hahahaha!