Gold in the Mud

Characters: Divine, Emanuel, Mrs. Annie

Mrs. Annie: Does Manuel know?

Divine: (shaking her head) No, Mama. I don't want him to know. Besides, he might just convince me again not go.

Mrs. Annie: But you should at least tell him. After all he is your fiance.

Divine: (thinking) Maybe it's better if you're the one who tell him after i leave. My flight is this afternoon and i don't want an obstruction.

Mrs. Annie: (thinking about Manuel) Poor Manuel. Divine, i am afraid of what this will cost you.

Divine: (holding her mother's shoulder with her both hands) Don't worry Mama, it's just for the better. If i don't do this, we will live in mediocrity forever.

TOK TOK TOK (knock on the door)! They hear the voice of a man from outside. Divine was sure who it was Manuel. When he entered, he greeted Divine with his sweetest address.

Manuel: Good morning, my love.

Divine: (half-heartedly) Good morning. What brought you here?

Manuel: Oh, nothing. (grinned) I...ah (quite shaking) I have something to tell you.

Divine: Me too.

Manuel: Really? Oh, great.

Mrs. Annie made a slight coughing and found a better way to excuse herself.

Mrs. Annie: Ah, you to sit in the rattan and i'll go to the kitchen to get you something to drink.

Manuel: Thank you Mrs. Annie.

Mrs. Annie: You're welcome, Hijo (giving him a wry smile).

Divine: So, what is it Manuel?

Holding firmly the little velvet he is inside his pocket, Manuel began to sweat. He's about to say the word when he caught the pieces of baggage lying on the floor.

Manuel: You're leaving, my love?

Divine: Yes.

Manuel: When are you coming back? Are you going to have your yearly visit to Aunty Maureen in manila?

Divine: red

Manuel: (his face turned white) Don't tell me...

Divine: Yes Manuel, I'm leaving for the States.

Manuel: I thought we've talked about this before?

Divine: Yes we did. But I never said i will not leave.

Manuel could not hide the anger rising from his chest. He held tighter on the small piece of velvet case inside his pocket.

Manuel: Why didn't you tell me?

Divine: I know you would protest.

Manuel: Of course I would protest! Divine I am your boyfriend for 3 years.

Divine: But you have no job.

Manuel: What are you talking about? I work in my father's farm everyday. Every month, I earn money from the harvest. I have Ang-ang, my carabao, and her children who helped me in earning my living as well as my family's. I can buy things for myself as well as for you.

Divine: And you call it a job? A farmer? All work, no pay farming? Manuel, I don't want that kind of life!

Manuel: I have given you everything. I don't know why you keep on degrading our simple life.

Divine: I don't want this! I'm so sick and tired of all this month in the farm, all of stinky smell of carabao waste everywhere. Everywhere I look, all i can see is mediocrity.

Manuel: (trying to calm himself) But, how will you get there? I know that getting there is too expensive.

Divine: I have Nick who will help me.

Manuel: And who is that Nick?

Divine was quite for a while before she was able to speak again.

Divine: He is a Canadian who helped me. And we'll get married as soon as i get there, so that i could have my green card.

Manuel was totally shocked. It took a while before he could absorb what Divine had told him.

Manuel: Are you crazy?

Divine: Manuel, if you really love me, you will understand. You know how i badly want this dream. I just want to be rich. I don't want to be poor anymore. I just want to feel the luxury of splendid living. Besides, Nick and i are getting married just on papers. I will live there and work, and when i earn enough money, I will come back and we'll get married. I just need his surname to get my green card.

Manuel: Curse them! Those Bourgeois, look what they have done to you?

Divine: No, Manuel. It's good that they are rich. I really don't know why poor people get mad at them. Cursing them yet they wanted to be like them. I pink they are envious. They are envious because they are hopeless and they know they won't be able to taste the food rich people eat, nor wear the clothes they wear, nor hop on the car they ride on. Not even in their dreams! But not me, Manuel, I have dreams. I want to be one of those rich people. I want to have money and fame. I want to have everything. And i won't have them if i don't leave poor place.

Manuel couldn't believe what is happening. Her sweet lovely Divine, her one and only love, is now leaving her to marry a bastard rich foreigner! The thought of Divine in somebody else's arms makes his head feel like blowining

Divine: You must go now, Manuel. My flight is this afternoon. I must pack some things... please understand, my love. I just don't want to make things harder for us.

Manuel was about to face the door when Divine spoke to him for the last time.

Divine: Wait, you were trying to tell me something earlier, what is it Manuel?

Manuel: Divine, when you get there, and you get all the richest you ever wanted, which I'm sure you will because, you're a great woman, full of courage and ability, and yet you weren't happy, you can always come back to where you came from or at least remember one man who dwells in the land full of carabao's waste, one man who may not be able to eat rich people's food, wear rich people's clothes or ride rich people's cars, but still a man who can give you something that cannot be compared do all the richest in the world, something that is as genuine as diamonds on your rich husbands fingers.

With those last words, Manuel turned away and kept himself not to look back. While walking on the muddy road, he took out the small velvet case inside his pocket and opened it. The golden ring lustered on the strike of midday sunlight. He doesn't know if her beloved would still come back. He looked at the ring while deciding what to do with it. He can never use this while working in the farm, it will only get dirty and will loose its luster. Maybe Divine is right, a thing as beautiful as the golden ring he is holding doesn't belong with the mud.