For a Change

Cabloy packed his lunch in his woven backpack (passiking), preparing to go to the farm. He stepped out of the house and keenly listening for something unusual noise. (beliefs about sneezing in his village is a bad omen, one must step back again and drink water and sit for a while before starting to step out of the door again*) After being satisfied, he continued his steps. When he reached the elevated part of the pathway going to the farm, he peered down from where he came from and rested a bit. His beloved village.  He breathed in the delicate breeze of the morning wind and before his perspiration evaporated off he stood and began his excursion once more.

In the middle of his way to his destination, he met his cousin Emilio and chatted about his visit to the field while they made a short rest and at the same time chewing their tobacco. "Appears that lumawig has cast his rage upon us. Pests are so ruinous this time again. There's nothing left in my ricefield, so with my neighbouring fields, I think we should do our ritual and make appease with our bathala next planting season. Let's see what our elders will say about this." Cabloy nodded in approval. But in his mind, he has something in his thoughts. His cousin is right, field mouse caused a lot of damage to their crops. The previous years were a total crisis. They were to plough a sky wide ricefields and expected to carry home how many gimatas of their crops during harvest however lamentably they only brought home few bundles tied in a wooden stick or half of the sack only. How devastating it is for a farmer like them who only rely their living on their yields alone. How will they feed their family on these coming days?

He arrived in his ricefield and after a moment of wandering around the paddy field, a look of dismay was pasted in his wet face. There's a recently eaten stalk when he checked it out.

He started to cut the weeds and sunflowers in the embankment that encompasses the rice field. When he stared up the sky, the sun was above his head. He wiped his temples with his elbow. He then proceeds to an oak tree nearby where he hanged his passiking. After he slumped in the protruding root of the tree, he drank from the aluminium water container given by his cousin who was an army. He remembered how he persuaded him to join the army too. He has a good muscular built of a man and with brains too but unfortunately he stopped going to school when he was about to enter college when his father was paralyzed and no one to tend their fields. His brothers and sister were still young and he has plans for them.

This cousin of him was his companion in going to the field a few years back but was disappointed when the crops are getting scarce. He left the village and secured a post in the city until he was recruited to join the army. Now he decided to accept his cousin's invitation. He will discuss it to his mother later.

The water tastes heaven. He just fetched it this morning from a spring on his way to his field. He noticed Dongael drawing closer, his neighbour and friend since his cousin left. "Come, let's have our lunch, we worked excessively, it's time to feed ourselves too"."Right, who would take care and eat these crops when we die hahaha!" Dongael joined him in his seat and burst out laughing. It's their common jokes.

Feeling some growlings in his stomach he unpacked his bag and from it, he took out his lunch. Rice with salted meat and boiled beans was a delicious meal in the field. It is still enjoyable even it's only a wide-eyed salt or a lump of sugar for a viand😁. Farmers knew the feeling. Dongael also laid his meal on the ground. Boiled sweet potato and "tupig" boiled glutinous rice mixed with peanut enveloped in a woven sugarcane leaf and his viand a "gajiw" or river fishes boiled with "tapey" a rice wine. Both the men were enjoying while sharing their meals.

They had a healthy chat and after their heartful meal, Dongael bade goodbye to continue his clearing task. Cabloy stood up as well but he planned to collect firewood the whole afternoon because he remembered his grandmother was short of firewood for her fireplace that keeps her warm at night. She reminded her yesterday. Good thing it didn't rain that night. The woods are dry and usable as soon as he brings it home.

He arrived home earlier as expected. He met his mother in the doorway holding a pale full of hog feedings. His younger brother was chopping firewood while his sister is pounding rice. "Bring this firewood to grandmother Miguel, she had been expecting it before her last firewood burned up. " He motioned his brother to help him with his load. Miguel nodded and placed the axe down, approach his older brother and carried the firewood's to their grandmother's house.

Dinner was served. It's been hard for Cabloy to voice out his plan and leave his family but he has to do it for their future. His mother was reluctant at first but later realized he has a point. They can't remain in this situation wherein they only rely on what their fields could give when they have already done their part. They had a solemn dinner after that.

*** The cock crows in the neighbourhood. Cabloy was already prepared. His things were already packed by her mother last night. He was awake for hours. It's excitement or something painful inside he doesn't know the exact feeling he has right now.

He stood still for a while listening to sounds. Good omen. He saw her sister fighting her tears behind his brother. He held her shoulder so with his younger brother and left them instructions to take care of their parents and their obligations in school and tend the fields. The moment he ventured out of the door, he felt something new. This time he has a new mission. Not to the rice field but rather to the outside part of his world. Someday, perhaps, he will bring progress to this family and his village. May God guide him on his journey.

(*1) if you are cooking rice, you should put the fire out and put it back again after a few seconds.

(*2) sneezing implies bad luck. For men, they might cut themselves at work while for women, they'll get penetrated in the foot.

This is a typical story of our life here in our village.

>Xzeon<