Not angry birds
Birds of a feather: The collection of Vicky Garchitorena
One phone call was all it took. In no time, she accommodated us in her spacious Makati condominium. We felt very much at home reminiscing and recalling the great rally days of the struggle. Soon, Vicky Garchitorena will be moving from her sprawling Makati home to Lipa City for cleaner air, away from the dizzying traffic and a place to be one with nature. With her will go her collection of birds in pairs.
When I was told of Vicky’s collection, I was quite curious as I did not know her to be one to accumulate stuff in a frenzy. She was known to me as a woman with a deep social conscience, more of a crusader, an advocate for women’s rights, democracy and justice. So I wanted to check out her collection. Besides, we had not really seen each other since the days of President Cory Aquino. But having been “comrades” throughout the “parliament of the streets” after Ninoy’s assassination, there will always be that bond, or that sense of closeness and purpose I had for Vicky. Yes, we had been through a lot!
“It all started when my late husband Francis gifted me with this pair of glass love birds many years ago. From then on, whenever I would see birds in pairs, I would collect them,” Vicky begins.
Vicky is the better half of the late Sandiganbayan Justice Francis Garchitorena and a retired president of the Ayala Foundation, former head of External Communications and member of the management committee of Ayala Corporation.
“I find these birds romantic, colorful and peaceful,” Vicky says, describing her pairs of birds. They come in many forms: in lamps, bells, figurines and candles. She has birds of ceramic, stone, metal, glass, wood, etc. Talking to Vicky again after both of us gained more years and pounds was quite revealing and I appreciated all of her candidness and spontaneity.
“I really don’t regard myself as too much of a collector,” Vicky claims. Maybe a different kind of collector. Vicky was never a compulsive buyer, nor was collecting an obsession.
Her collection was neatly displayed on shelves and when they were put together she was really surprised that she had accumulated so many as gifts from family and friends.
While getting the birds ready for a photo shoot, Vicky washed the pair of birds Francis gave her and broke the statue in the process. She just laughed it off, saying, “Oh well, hindi talaga ako pang homemaker.”
Vicky is gifted with a strong personality, confidence and intelligence. This, she admits, “was the cause of difficulties with Francis, as he was, too.” Deep down she, too, is a romantic. Perhaps the very nature of birds holds a strong connection for Vicky. Hence, the ease with which she built her collection; and when she transfers, they just go where she goes.
Just think of what birds are. These descendants of small meat-eating dinosaurs (maniraptoran theropods) like the Velociraptor we met in Jurassic Park are nowhere near what their ancestors were. They are also the closest living relative to the crocodile.
Plumes of rainbow colors are a feast for the eyes. Other birds easily blend with their environment, their feathers in sync, better protecting them against predators. Most are velvety to the touch. Birdsong fills the air with soothing, harmonious sounds — some have even inspired great composers of music. Birds are intelligent, too. In fact, parrots are among the most brilliant animals.
Birds are noted for their great sense of direction. Just look at pigeons. They were used as messengers as late as in WW2. Birds nurture and care for their young, are wonderful builders of their homes, most are monogamous, and communicate well with visual signals and bird songs.
Birds in flight best illustrate what freedom is. What it is to balance, to soar without fear and to know how and when to return. Knowing Vicky, she identifies with birds and realizes two are better than one. Both in her hand, and in the bush.
When she moves to Lipa the birdsong of her own collection of love birds wakes her up every morning. Her paired birds collection will be there with her as reminders of how she has lived her life. For Vicky is someone who lives hers as free as a bird, yet with both feet on the ground.
* * *
Email the author at nikkicoseteng2017@gmail.com or text her at +639974337154.
