Psst: Fiesta parade in lockdown

May 1 is the traditional fiesta in our town here in the Philippines: Usually the shops and palenke are packed, and the town is full of visitors, coming from where they work, not just in Manila but from overseas.

Lolo always flew back for the fiesta and met with his friends. They would drink whiskey, play cards and swap stories, and then, on April 30, they would join the other World War II veterans and lead the parade: which included floats with beautiful women, various civil and school groups, and of course, marching bands

Alas, as years went on, they became fewer and fewer: Finally they just joined the parade in cars, and alas after Lolo was 85, he even didn't do that. Sigh. They are all gone now.

But this year, no visitors: Luzon is in complete lockdown, and last week it got even stricter: Whereas before we could go out and shop for necessities with a pass, now we can only do that two days a week, depending on your barangay.

I had to go to the bank, and the traffic was heavier than last week: Mainly tricycles (Motorcycles with side cars that are local taxis) but also trucks and cars, even though most of the stores are locked shut.

It is "tag init", i.e. hot season, so when I went to the bank at 10 am it was already almost 90 degrees: Luckily I went with Joy, who is pushy, and got the guards to allow me inside the air conditioned bank to wait my turn. Seniors here have priority, so I didn't have to wait long. When you go in, they check your temperature and spray your hands with alcohol. Of course, everyone has to wear a mask.

Some bad news: The distant cousin who was coughing and having chest pain was admitted to the public hospital in the next town, and was doing well and was expected to be discharged when he developed another heart attack: they did CPR and intubated, but an hour later the arrhythmia returned and he died.

sigh.

I wondered if it was the covid virus, but apparently he was not in isolation, and he suffered from diabetes. He left three children and a wife: the oldest child is old enough to work, but no work here due to the lockdown.  Sigh.

Usually they hold a wake for several days before they are buried, but now we aren't allowed visiting but I suspect the maid and cook will attend the burial anyway, walking to the cemetery keeping the distance between people.

The mayor is again giving out money to all families, along with bags of rice. This will help, but we still have a lot of beggars at the door. Most are the usual ones asking for money (i.e. professional beggars) but some are just asking for help to buy medicine or asking if we can give them rice.

We don't live in a gated community, but in the center of the older town, so it's middle and working class here, with poor people living near the river about a mile down the road.

Since we are in the midst of a strict lockdown, there is no fiesta

However, yesterday afternoon there was a small parade near us downtown, and the secretary's kids went out to watch, as did the cook and the maid. Me, I stayed inside: It was about 95 degrees outside by then, and I am getting too old and lazy in my old age to watch parades.