THE ALWAYS MISSING TARUC

From school year 1950 to 1956, i had a classmate named Lamberto.  It was noted to be always missing in class especially during the early hours of the day wherein roll calls of pupils were done.  But, out of nowhere, he would report to the class.  Because of this, his reputation grew as always a missing person.  He was popularly known as Taruc, instead of his true name.

But, who was Taruc?  He was the founder  and supremo of the dissident movement in the 50’s known as Huks or Hukbalahap or Hukbong Mapagpalaya Laban sa Hapon.  They became outlaws because they fought against the Japanese army but was not recognize by other Americans or the Philippines.  They roamed the countryside from after the war to 1950’s.

Luis Taruc, the leader of the Huks was always hiding from military authorities.  He was always in the mountain and would only surface only if he battled with the military.  The Huks became a national threat to the country.

Luis Taruc, later surrendered to the then President Magsaysay who he learned was sympathetic to their cause.

Lamberto became our Taruc for six years.  His classmates and even his neighbours called him Taruc – Dont look for Lamberto.  Almost always they did not knowlamberto.  But try Taruc.

Where he is now, we don’t know.

ELACIO, THE TOWN’S FIRST PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 1

Behind our chapel, there lived a family of teachers.  There were two of them.  One was a spinster.  I would like to name them but if this story is read by them, they would surely deny it.  They strict, as they thought that everybody were their students.

They had a house helper named Elacio.  They called him as their “ataman”. One day, Elacio was bereft with financial problem.  He saw a sum of money.  He got this money although it was not his.

He was positively identified and would not come home even to sleep at night.  It was dark and there was yet no electricity. It arrived some fifty years, hence, the area nearby was also forested.

When darkness came, there was no Elacio.  The teachers reported the missing Elacio to the police.  He became the first public enemy no.1.  They hunted him.  There were no flashlights then.  Nobody owns a flashlights in the town.  They would use dried palm leaves of the coconut tree which they call as “bulbog”.  There were no roads.  The place was forested.

When morning came, they saw a man who was asleep atop the coconut tree.  It was Elacio.  He became the town’s public enemy no.1.  He returned the money but was brought to the municipio.  He was jailed for stealing money.

The story was never clear what happened to Elacio.

BODOY, THE WATER BOY

During the time of Pedro, the blind man, there also lived another fellow named Bodoy.  He was a big man.  But, he has an imbalanced mental capacity.  He would walk around the town and the children as well as adults cracked jokes.  He had a ready smile though.

One thing significant about Bodoy, was that he was never dirty.  Unlike other fellows with imbalance mind,   he would always wore sandals.  Most often thee are not pairs.

One day, Bodoy surprised all.  He volunteered for a fee carrying cans of water to houses – for laundry or for drinking purposes.  At that time, there was none of the so called ‘aquas potables’ or water system.

But, there were two wells in the town.  Both of them supplied drinking water.  One had a big and long wooden pump.  People claimed that water coming from it was sweet or delicious.  It came from the old water pump of San Roque.

There was also the artesian well located at San Esteban, just behind the church.  According to the inscription,  it was some 200 feet deep.  It was warm even in December.  No wonder people went there to take a bath even in the wee hours of the night.

For many years, Bodoy carried two cans of water – one in front of him and one at the back of him through a bamboo pole on his shoulder.

After many years, Bodoy bought a wooden cart.  He would deliver at least ten cans at twenty centavos per can.  He would come back and forth at least five times day.  At that time, the exchange rate was two pesos to a dollar.  So two pesos could buy a lot.  In fact, when i was in grade school, I would buy three centavos worth of school papers and two centavos worth of candies which I placed in the secret pocket of my short pants.

Bodoy became the ‘aquador’ or water carrier for many years until he died.  He became old, weak but died a natural death.

PEDRO, THE BLIND WOOD CUTTER

In the 50’s whom my mother’s young brother, Abelardo, was still alive, he had a friend, a blind man by the name of Pedro.  This refused to be a beggar.  He would approach some families to cut their fire wood.

He would feel the part of the wood where his sharp bolo would strike.  He would chop the firewood the whole day but would not complain.

Sometimes, firewood would be dried bamboo poles.  Sometimes, it would be ipil-ipil trees.  Sometimes,  he would slice coconut shells which will turn into charcoal.

But, the most challenging that he would do, which others could not do was cutting coconut trees.  Yes, living coconut trees.  Very few people with even clear eyesight could do this.

His procedure was cutting the tree from the top.  First, he would climb the tree and reach for the fruits and the palm leaves.  If he knew, by the sense of touch that all were dropped to the ground, he would climb beyond the coconut and reach atop the tree.

He would sit on the palms and cut them all.  If he felt that there were no more leaves, he would climb down.  He then would climb down.  He then would count his steps.  If he reached step 5, he would cut that section of the tree, feeling that the cut was diagonal, e.g. one side is slightly higher than the other side.  If he felt that the trunk would now fall, he would place his sharp bolo in the wooden cast called ‘sarongan’ and push the trunk down, calculating that it would not touch and hurt his knees.

He would do this procedure until the entire tree had fallen.  People would pay for his toil.  But, splitting the trunks into firewood was another contract.  This time, he would use an axe like a man with a perfect eyesight.  The trunk, if not split could be used into posts for fence, for wood bridge, for support of flooring, etc.

He died many years ago, but after having a wife.  His wife had a perfect eyesight.  They lived happily for many years.  There was, however, no information if they had children.

But, he died a happy man.  His funeral was simple but long.  The families which he served were there.

This is the story of Pedro, the blind man who refused to beg.  He wanted to earn his money through his sweat.

THE DISAPPEARING TEOPISTO

When my mother was still young and strong she told us of a story about his younger brother named Teopisto.  It was said that, Teopisto was named after a priest who once upon a time was assigned in the province of Sorsogon.  Later on, the priest became an Archbishop.

My lola’s brother was a priest in Sorsogon.  He later died of a disease.  So my lola and his children came back to our lowly town.

My mother said that she and Teopisto would play “hide and seek” when they were still young.  They were attached very closely to each other.  Teopisto was reported to hide at the back of their door.  My mother would seek for him.  He could not seem him even at the back of the door.

After sometime, Teopisto would reportedly come out from the back of the door, laughing aloud.

My mother failed to see young Teopisto.  It was said that he befriended an “anito” who would help him hide.

Do you think this story is true?

WHEN CHICKEN FLIES

All animal life is endowed with mysterious instinct

For its own well being and one of these is the ability

To sense a change in the weather

-Jacob M. Braude

In the 50’s, the former weather bureau, now PAGASA, did not have their instruments as sophisticated as today.  My region was said to be the typhoon path of the country as no less than nineteen typhoons pass through it every year.

Typhoons before were named after female Americans, such as typhoon Trix, Lorna, Jane, etc.

Since the then weather bureau could not be very well relied upon by the people, they turned to natural signals.

By nature, chicken walk.  They scratch for their food.  They were not similar to ducks which swim in the water nor birds that flies.  They are, however, classified as birds.

Ancient China bared that animals are keen to natural calamities.  They said that horses become restless when there was an impending earthquake.  Ants would climb to higher grounds before the rains and floods come. Eggs which were intended to be hatched become barren, etc.

The old folks believed that chicken flew above their homes or above the rice fields, typhoon would come.  So they would prepare their houses from the havocs of typhoon.  Weak houses are even tied to tress so they will be firm to the ground.

THE WOMAN GUARD

It was said that during the Japanese time, Japanese soldiers planned to establish their camp in the town (Nabua).  There was no garrison of the Japanese Imperial Army in the town.

It was said that when the Japanese Imperial Army was in route in the town, a small woman of barely four feet block the way to the church.

The group reportedly did not stop but proceeded to the next town and established a garrison.

It was believed that the woman was the Blessed Virgin who stood guard against the enemy and protected her deeply religious people.