My Sweet Potato Story (Kamote)

Sweet Potato planted on a hill

Looking back from the past, my family relied on farming sweet potatoes and cassava for additional income. We cultivated a portion of our land on a hill, where we planted sweet potato stems. It typically took 3 to 4 months and for cassava 9 months before it was ready to be harvested.

During the harvest season, I asked my brother to accompany me to gather some sweet potatoes. He brought along a bolo (a type of knife), and together we headed to the hill. Upon arrival, we noticed some sweet potatoes starting to sprout. I reached for the bolo he was carrying, intending to use it for harvesting. He resisted, but I was determined to take hold of it. In the struggle, I accidentally nicked his forehead with the bolo, causing it to bleed. Fearing his reaction, I hastily retreated home and hid inside a large bamboo basket to avoid facing my father's anger. Despite their efforts to find me, I remained silent and concealed within the basket for an hour. Surprisingly, when they eventually discovered me, my father didn't scold me as I had anticipated.

Whenever I encounter sweet potatoes, memories of the incident with my brother come flooding back. Although the scar on his forehead remains faintly visible to this day, he simply laughs whenever I recount the "sweet potato story."