Marky Story: Gold is on the Ground (Part 1)

Ever since my father passed away, I have enriched the farm he left with my mother and my two siblings. With my alertness and diligence, especially with the help of the Lord God, I was miraculously reaping a bountiful harvest compared to my fellow farmers. By the time I was 18, my mind was numb to the word poverty. I don't want us to be poor for the rest of our lives.

Father Joning was right— “gold is on the ground”. Wealth is on the ground. Development is on the ground. ”

“Berto, promise me that you will not sell or mortgage our farm no matter what happens. That is all I can pass on to you. Enrich even a little because that will lift you out of poverty, ”my father said before he lost his life.

Dad passed away due to stomach and liver disease. He is a tomador. From the crowing of the chicken until dusk, he could not avoid drinking gin and tuba. Dad was kind. However, there is no good that is not affected by the disease, especially with vices.

Ever since my father was buried, I have changed. I am no longer run errands and gangs. Because before, I was just in the morning and at night when I got home. I am fully stretching my bones for mom Jasmine, Gina, and Boyet.

And every day I stayed on the farm, I prayed fervently to God that our rice crop would not be perfect when there was a storm. As well as crops of corn, cassava, sweet potato and vegetables such as alugbati, okra, ampalaya, cabbage and pumpkin. Spinach was also planted in a creek made by my father back then. Every year when our town is hit by a typhoon, the floods are severe and the rice plants are submerged. There was no harvest. Not good.

I stopped studying to take care of our farm. Gina and Boyet study first. Second Year High School Gina and Grade Six Boyet. Because of the good harvest and sales in the market, the two are very happy because their money has increased. Only then will I continue to fail when I go to college when I save too much. But, when I rest on the farm I do self-study.

I have books I read during my nap. I trip to read Philippine and World History even though I studied it when I was in High School. Sometimes, I read old comics, the Funny Comics Bata Batuta and then the "Grandma's Stories" that Dad used to buy from me at the capitol as a greeting with a box of donuts. After reading, I went on a trip to answer a crossword puzzle.

So in my case, every time I go to the farm, I bring a backpack that I used to wear when I was in High School as if I came from school. And when the farm work is done, I also get the internet in the village to be the latest in showbiz happenings… I mean what is happening in our environment… all over the country and the world. I'm obsessed with new gadgets that I target to buy. Just gather the opposite. About 4 boxes of rice maybe when sold.

Mom was very happy with my big change. My son and brother have become responsible. Became serious in life.

"Mom, I don't mind working in the fields as long as we can get out of trouble. We will build this hut. We will cement it so that when there is a storm, it will not be blown away by strong winds. It’s always like that every year, ”I said positively to my mother.

My mother sells my harvested vegetables and corn and sweet potatoes in the market. And while I was working on the farm, my bestfriend father Mang Karyas, 55, helped me. Mang Karyas also gave me water-resistant rice seeds. That when submerged in the flood is still okay.

Can still be harvested. I just found out that there is already a variety of rice grains. That is a big help to our farmers. He also helps me sell and offer buyers my farm produce. I also raise chickens, ducks, pigs that sell meat in the market.

If my skin used to be unfamiliar with sunlight and soaking in the mud. And with every ray of sunshine hitting the paddy field, it was my pleasure to watch it like a golden grain waving at every wave of the north wind. The grain of rice is what my father says in his parable that will be the way to lift us up in life. I thought at first it was not. It was strange that I used to dig in the field to fight in case there was buried treasure.

To Be Continued...