day pajarillo

Sirena sa Lawa

Medium: ACRYLIC
Size: 18″ X 24″

Sirena sa lawa. I grew up in Quezon City because my parents worked there. When I was a little girl, we spent our summer vacations at my maternal grandparent’s house in Talisay, Batangas.

I lost a cousin when I was 2. He was my playmate and he looked after me. I can’t recall what he looked like anymore. I know I called him Kuya Uweng ( Uweng was short for Ruel) and I was his favorite cousin. Whenever we were at grandma’s house, we were always together. 

According to my mom, the day we lost kuya Uweng, he and I were playing. Mom saw a white halo on his head almost covering his whole face white. My mom didn’t know what to make of it. That night, he didn’t come home. The next day people found his body on the other side of the lake. Rumor had it that mermaids live in the lake and claim the lives of kids, tourists, fishermen, or anyone they fancy when they see people swimming. 

I paint mermaids because of that memory. There are so many fascinating tales about them and I don’t really know if I believe they exist or not.