Marven’s First Novel, chapter17

     One early afternoon, Beatriz and Mauricia were sitting next to each other, busy with stacking freshly-fried pancakes along with other portable foods that they have prepared into a square basket as large as the cooler for drinks lying close to it. The ever-mild-mannered Oliver was also there; and he just placed some finished products on the table and is now back bent down at the earthen stove that is placed on the ground and fueled by wood at its lower compartment to oversee the cooking of its last batch in the pan. It was smoking a little bit, and he was perspiring a little bit too.

     The front yard where all this preparation took place belonged to Mang Ernesto, Beatriz's brethren in the church whose daughter, Ingrid, is her student in the public school. In fact, some of Ingrid's classmates were, at the moment, present in the house, some inside with her, some in the front yard with Beatriz, and some outside the fence near to where Mauricia's pickup truck was parked. They were about ten individuals total. Some live in the neighborhood, including Beatriz's singer, and some in the city and thus visiting Ingrid in her house in the fields.

     "What are we doing here again?" asked Mauricia away, still looking at what she was doing.

     Beatriz answered factually, "We will accompany these kids in their very-important practice. They said they are now going to polish their dialogues, and they wanted to do it in a very-free space where they won't have any distractions. They clamored about it to each other in front of me in the class. I suggested a public plaza in the city, but they said it wasn't free enough. Then one of them suggested Ingrid's house since she lives here in the fields. I then suggested to turn their practice into some sort of excursion into a meadow by the lake, and they easily agreed. So we're going to the lake. Is that okay with you, Mauricia?

     "Is that far?"

     "Possibly. I would have done it alone. But of course, I can't, me being a woman. That's why I needed help from you. And I'm glad you rode along with me on this trip. And also thank you for the little something you put in for this, you, Oliver, you, Aldo... Where's Aldo? And especially you, Mauricia."

     Oliver stared blank at the mention of his name.

     Beatriz stopped and stared at Mauricia to expect a response from her.

     Mauricia felt it, was irritated, and answered mechanically, "Oh, it's nothing. I like doing it," while continuing busying herself.

     The two friends then proceeded to bantering about mundane subjects, domestic matters, and anything trivial that concerns them.

     After this, Beatriz asked one of the students beside her to already call all of her classmates and gather them in the front yard, for they are now about to go. The student did what was requested and shouted at her classmates accordingly. In less than a minute, everybody gathered around the table where Beatriz was; and Beatriz did some sort of head count and briefing.

     While all this commotion was going on, Aldo had already come within sight, walking down the country road towards Mang Ernesto's house, and now has stopped outside its front yard.

     "All right. Get your things. Let's go," Beatriz finally said.

     As the students cleared the front yard, Aldo finally came in full view of his three friends who were pleasantly surprised at seeing him. It was Beatriz who first spake.

     "Oh. Good thing you still came. We were about to leave without you."

     "Is that so? I can just go home now."

     "I'm kidding. We need you here. Come in."

     Aldo did as told and joined his friends. "I'm sorry I'm late. I suddenly felt lethargic to go out or just move about indoors."

     "Really? Why?"

     "I don't know."

     "Are you sick?"

     "No," he loudly protested. "I'm fine."

     "Good."

     "Then he quietly added. "But I'm getting there, I think."

     "That's surprising what you just said."

     "Yeah? Because you know I won't let something like this pass. But I was just kidding a little while ago. How can I still help? It looks like you've already got everything ready."

     "Yeah. Uh... I hope you're okay with this."

     "What?"

     "Is it okay if you carry stuff?"

     "Yeah. Anything."

     "Great. Now, since Oliver did most of the work, we'll just let him carry the basket and you carry the cooler. Is that okay with you?"

     "Uh... Yeah... Sure."

     "It's heavy."

     "Yeah. It looks like it. I guess I'll just stop and rest from time to time."

     "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

     "Yeah. Sure."

     When all the students have converged in the front yard, packed up and ready to go, Beatriz and friends arose and stepped towards the head of the group. But Beatriz remembered something she forgot to do, and that is to thank their host. She stepped back into the house, and there she found Ingrid's parents and said:

     "Thanks for everything, Mang Ernesto. Thanks for letting us use your house and your utensils to prepare our food. We're going now. We'll take good care of Ingrid."

     "Do you know the way to the lake?" Mang Ernesto said.

     "Sort of."

     "Here. Let me show you anyway." Mang Ernesto stepped towards the door.

     Once there, Beatriz joined him and walked beside him. The rest of the group waited for them and let them go at the head before they started moving and followed them.

     Mang Ernesto led them a little backwards towards the west but then shortly stopped when they got to the entrance of a slightly-diagonal path that goes southwards. As is usually the case in these areas, the path consisted of a cleft created and paved by human feet in the middle of the vast grassy fields and a few huts.

     "Just follow this path, and you'll get to the river. Once there, just go by the river; and you'll get to the lake. The rest, you can already figure out for yourselves," Mang Ernesto said. Then he turned and left the group.

     "Thanks again for everything, Mang Ernesto," Beatriz said.

     Before he totally left, Mang Ernesto said to Oliver and Aldo, "Sirs, kindly help Ma'am Beatriz watch over the kids."

     "Yes, sir. You got it," Aldo proactively replied.

     Mang Ernesto then totally turned his back and made his way home.

     The group consisting of more or less ten students and their four guardians, at first, stood still and stared at the path they're about to take as if having inhibitions about going on. But not Aldo. Then finally, Beatriz said, "Let's go," enthusiastically and took the first step. The rest followed. As they started walking, Beatriz said:

     "You heard Mang Ernesto. You have to help me watch over the kids. As their teacher, I'm the one responsible for their safety. But I can't do it alone, of course. I need help from you."

     "Is that why we're here?" Aldo said.

     "Yes. Basically."

     The group broke the stillness of the wilderness with their chatter, giggles, and the stomp of their feet. Occasionally, the wind would swish, and they would distinctly hear it. Then Beatriz continued addressing Aldo, saying:

     "So, lethargic. Huh? That's a surprise. I know you like exploring. You have that peculiar wanderlust in you. I know that about you."

     "Uh... That's true. And I exercise that right to the full. Whenever there's a nice open-air alley, a green space, or a getaway to pristine nature, I'm there. I'm in it. You can be sure about that. Ha. And I think Mauricia can attest to that. Because look. It's good for the health of the mind and body. Nothing can be more satisfying than to be able to move your feet freely as you gaze at and enjoy the clean and wonderful city or nature. I suggest you try to be like me."

     "Hmm... If I follow your advice, you guys have to accompany me. Because as you can see, I can't do it alone, being a girl."

     "No problem." A moment of silence followed, in which, Aldo coughed suppressingly. It was genuine and not artificial.

     Beatriz took notice of this and said, "Are you sure you're okay?"

     "I'm fine."

     "Did you say you were sick?"

     "I didn't say I was sick. I'm fine. My throat just suddenly got itchy and sensitive during these past few days. I don't know why."

     "So you have a cough."

     "Maybe just a mild one. It's nothing. I'm still strong. Though I'm not really. I don't have a strong physical force. This trip might exactly be just what I need."

     "Do you want to exchange burdens with Oliver?"

     "No. The man is already overworked. I got this. I'll just stop and rest if I get tired."

     "All right. I'm sorry, Aldo."

     This time, a male student interposed. "Are we going to the Clamshell Beach, ma'am?"

     "Clamshell Beach? Where's that?"

     "At the southernmost tip of this landmass. It's beautiful there, but it's very far. It's really going to be a trek if we try to get there, and we would have to cross several brooks."

     "Really? How do you know? Have you been there?"

     "Yes, ma'am."

     "What do you think, Aldo?"

     "You know it's no problem with me. But we can just settle on the nearest lakeshore if you don't want to walk that long."

     "All right. Let's see."

    The more-or-less ten teenagers and the four young people, their guardians, whiled the seemingly-monotonous trek down that semi-diagonal path by bantering. The early-afternoon sun shone from their right, the heat of which, was lessened from time to time by the wind that blew from their left. The blades of grass slightly scratched their clothing as they went. After walking for some distance, they reached the river. Beatriz told everybody to stop, partly to give Aldo time to rest and partly to assess their next steps. Beatriz looked left and right the river and saw that its bank, on which, they were at was lined up with short trees from infinity to infinity without fail although there may be large gaps in some areas.

     "So we follow the direction of this river and go along its length until we see it end up in the lake. Is that it?" Beatriz said as she swept her pointed finger from left to right."

     "Yes," Aldo replied.

     The group rested for more or less than a minute. After that, Beatriz already told everybody to resume movement. At this point, the students from the city started making comments about the surrounding that is set around them and compared it to where they live and even told some stories. Their conversation was lively, and their voices were raised as if quarreling. Their comments were mostly positive.

     As they proceeded further, the elements of nature in that distant outskirts of the community opened before their eyes. There were the river, of course; the trees along the bank on their side; some cottages afar off to their right; and very-few cottages to their left, about two to three, on the other side, on the landmass beyond the one they were at the edge of, very close to its bank. In those cottages to their left, there lived individual families, the fathers of which, could be seen on board a canoe or bangka fixing large nets, suggesting they were out to fish in the lake or just went back from it. Also, Aldo saw a placard staked on the ground, made of thin plywood nailed to a thin lumber, on which, is written what seems to be the ancient name of the river, leading him to say:

     "Interesting."

     "What is?" asked Beatriz curiously.

     "I just found out something."

     "What is it?"

     "Could it be that this area, specifically this river, was more active in the past hundreds of years ago than it is today?"

     "Hundreds of years ago."

     "Yeah. Hundreds of years ago. Hundreds of years ago, our ancestors might have been traveling through this river and going out fishing in it or in the lake like those gentleman on the opposite bank."

     "It's possible. But I'm not a history teacher."

     "Okay. But even so. Teachers must be the wellspring of knowledge about just anything valuable, even not related to your field.

     "Really?"

     "And you must know about it more than the rest of us."

     "You're demanding that from me? Fine. I'll start reading books on history starting right tomorrow, and I'll focus on that thing that you just brought up."

     "I have a friend at work who has some knowledge in history. She said that, hundreds of years ago, our ancestors would normally travel by water because it was safer than on land which was then wilderness like this one. And thus, the rivers and esteros never lacked activity, and ships making regular voyages from Manila to provinces around the lake and vice versa were like normal everyday occurrences. Because Manila seemed to have been the only place that had civilization when everything else were mere towns of mostly wilderness."

     "I'd like to meet this friend of yours and chat with her about history in addition to my personal reading. It seems I would learn a lot from her."

     "Then visit me at work if you have time."

     "You'd have me visit you so that I can chat with her? Okay. I'll think about it."

     "You already know where to find me. Right?"

     "Yes. You already told me."

     "I'll be expecting you. Now where was I? Oh. Now in those former wilderness are nice compounds or districts, in which, stand skycrapers and, in one of which, I even dreamt of being able to work. But fate put me on the shores of the Pasig River."

     Those skyscrapers or modern buildings that Aldo was talking about cannot be found in the city of Manila, not even a single one, because the city is not meant for such. It has a different destiny and a distinct character that separates it from the rest of the cities not only in the metropolis but in the entire country. The only kind of building that it will ever hold in its sacred grounds are grand edifices that reflect its rich history. Therefore, Manila cannot liken itself to the other cities, unfortunately. It has to remain true to its call. Its call is to represent the entire country's culture, bear and scream out the identity of the nation and its people, perpetuate the same for the future generations, and be a repository of its artifacts.

     Those business districts that Aldo was talking about are nice places, but outside of them is the real condition of the proud metropolis yet oblivious of its deplorable malady. Its skies are black with air pollution and spaghetti wires. Its environs are dingy and disorderly. Its roads and highways are ever beset with heavy traffic in any given day and hour because of the overabundance of private cars and lack of efficient and seamless mass transportation that is supposed to carry multitudes in single sweeps. Its streetscapes totally discourage people from wandering around on foot and biking when this is what they really need because, for Pete's sake, sedentary lifestyle and always sitting in freaking cars, thinking they can maintain their dignity that way, already made them obese and diabetics. Why strain our muscles in the gym when we can just walk around the city. We get our best exercise that way. This, in addition to mass transportation because the metropolis is overpopulated and its space is too small the number of its people. Everything about the metropolis is awfully wrong. The modern urban living that it boasts of is a total joke. It is deservingly a laughingstock. If only it had remained a wilderness.

     This shows that we Filipinos over the years have proven ourselves to be good at only one thing: turning paradise into hellholes. In the name of progress and modernity, we despised nature and heritage and instead built horrible structures that desecrated them. It's a fallacy, of course, this so-called progress and modernity, because what it only did is to make things worse and pull down our nation centuries backwards; and it continues to do so. And we and our little ones continue to be reared in this monstrosity; that is why, with each passing day, we become worse and worse people than our ancestors. The nobility of character that they once had has totally disappeared in us. We pride ourselves with having kept up with the advancement of the technology, but the quality of our character remains that of a caveman. Thus, technology is wasted on us. For instance, even today, ugly dwellings sprout like mushrooms out of convenience and without planning, and even the simplest skill to contain them is lamentably lacking. This is where advanced technology has brought us. Great countries don't rely much on technology but more on the quality of their citizenry and their ability to think and produce good things out of their good nature.

     Maybe things would have turned out differently if we only had integrated nature and heritage in our quest for progress and modernity. But we have no time for such trifles, don't we? Such romantic and sentimental undertakings. Such stuff for the softies. As if machismo carries the day. But we have seen that it does not. It failed bring us to the 21st century. Because it simply does not fit in a modern society. It belongs to the trash bin of the grimy chapters of history. Modern manifestations of such stale and outdated concept simply makes me sick to my stomach. I know a certain people who have turned swamps into vibrant cities and communities despite nature being their enemy. Ours is not. We are blessed with beautiful nature. And yet we are inexplicably hostile to it and just want to destroy it. They like cars, yes. But they like buses, trains, and cable cars more, I think. But we have very few innovations. Let me emphasize VERY FEW because we almost have none. We got nothing. Anyway, we have certain innovations like the LRT Line 2. LRT Line 2 is sleek, while the MRT3 is such a freaking bulky mess. All of MRT3's stations are total eyesores. That's exactly what they are. They're ugly with no tinge of aesthetics at all in its every part including staircases and they have such profuse use of concrete.

     As Beatriz and the gang went on, they noticed that, instead of moving in the southward direction, they were actually moving in an eastward direction because the river curved bit by bit to the left until they found that the sun already shone on their backs and they were moving closer and closer to the mountain range although it is still very far, of course, because they would still have to get to the civilization at its foot.

     Halfway from where they started to the nearest lakeshore was some civilization just when the river curved sharply eastwards. The grass disappeared and the field became dominated by cracked soil. To their right, they heard chattering voices of a multitude and what sounded like a parade or dance music breaking the stillness of the wilderness and transforming the area into something which it is not on a normal day. Curious, the group cast a glance into the commotion and saw a large canopy or tent staked on four corners and hovering over a large square of pure soil, covering it from the heat of the early-afternoon sun, with numerous chairs in it, on which, seated people in a contemplative mode, crossing their arms and staring listlessly on the ground or before them. Others were standing up and chatting with each other. The people in that square looked two kinds depending on what they wore: those in their everyday work outfit tilling the fields and those dressed for an event. Only field owners and their families lived in that entire area, and they were not that many. So those dressed for an event were probably visitors from the neighborhood or other places outside.

     After observing these scenes for a just few seconds while continuously walking, the group turned their heads again back before them and set their eyes towards their destination which they can already see from afar. The ground they were marching on again slowly resumed its foliage or leafy texture, and the sound from the villagers' square grew less and less audible as they went further. At this point, the river has totally turned left at a 90-degree angle and they were now directly facing the east and approaching the mountain range. Slowly and bit by bit, the field became increasingly picturesquely rural. When the surrounding became quiet again, Aldo turned to Mauricia and said:

     "Mauricia."

     Mauricia turned her head towards Aldo and replied, "Yes?"

     "Do you remember the time when we were kids when giant heroes and monsters used to fight in this field."

     Not understanding what he said, she frowned and said, "What?"

     "Fine. You didn't. I'm sorry. Well, when we were kids, giant heroes and monsters fought in these battle grounds. I witnessed one of those fights one sweltering morning before noon. I managed to take a picture of the victorious hero who even gladly posed in a fighting stance for me. I still have that photo with me in the house. I'll show you when when we get home."

     This time, Beatriz already chuckled to her ears, scratched her semi-tearful eyes, and said, "Oh, boy."

     "What is it?" Mauricia asked Beatriz curiously.

     "You don't get? I'll whisper it to you."

     Mauricia drew her ear towards Beatriz as the latter did so. Then she drew her head and walked upright again and said, "My goodness, Aldo."

     "It was a good bit. Right? At least I got you thinking. Come on."

to be continued...

from The Simple Adventures of a Simple Simpleton

by: Marven T. Baldo