HUBAD NA BAWANG
Kuwento ni Percival Campoamor Cruz



Manunulat si Felix. Nakalilikha siya ng mga pambihirang kuwento. Nakalilikha siya ng mga kataga na kung tawagin sa english ay metaphor - "a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid."

Sa mga katha ni Felix, nagkalat ang mga metaphor -  "kasingputi ng porcelana", "labing malarosas", "singtaba ng balyena,"  "mabilis pa sa ipu-ipu",  "hanggang may katas ang niyog", "taas na di maabot ng uwak", "madaldal pa kay Apeng", at kung anu-ano pa.

Propesor si Felix ng literature sa unibersidad. Sa pagpapaliwanag kung ano ang metaphor, sabi niya sa mga estudyante niya, "Magbigay kayo ng halimbawa ng metaphor."

Isa-isang sumagot ang mga estudyante: "Sa dulo ng walang hanggan", "kastilyong buhangin", "pagputi ng uwak", "simpait ng ampalaya", "matalas pa sa matsing", "sunud-sunuran na parang anino", "maputi pa sa multo", "matigas pa sa marmol", "mahaba man ang prusisyon", "singtalas ng labaha", "mahirap pa sa daga", "mabangis pa sa tigre".

Matandang binata si Felix. Humigit-kumulang 41 anyos ang edad. Ang hinuha ng mga kamag-anak at nakakikilala sa kanya ay bakla siya. Hindi ito totoo sapagka't siya'y naaakit sa babae.

Nguni't siya iyong lalaking hanggang tingin lamang. Wala siyang lakas ng loob na manguna sa pagsisimula ng isang relasyon. Takot siyang magkaroon ng responsibilidad sa pagiging isang asawa, isang ama; ang pananagutan na magtaguyod ng isang pamilya, gayong maliit lamang ang kanyang kinikita.

May mga gabi na si Felix ay pumupunta sa Velvet Club upang doon ay magpalipas ng kalungkutan dala ng pag-iisa. Sa Velvet Club ay may magagandang babaeng nagsasayaw at naghuhubad sa entablado. Sa paraang panonood sa mga hubad na babae ay nalulunasan ni Felix ang hapdi dala ng pag-iisa. 

Sa malimit na panonood ni Felix ay natandaan na siya ni Claudia, isa sa mga mananayaw. Kahi't na madilim sa dakong kinauupuan ng mga guests, naaninag na ni Claudia ang pagkatao ni Felix. Sa isip ni Claudia ay namuo ang larawan ni Felix - isang kaakit-akit na lalaki na malungkot ang buhay; isang matalinong lalaki, matalas ang pag-iisip, nguni't dungo o bobo pagdating sa pakikutungo sa babae. Siya'y lalaking mahinahon, may respeto sa kababaihan.

Sa tinagal-tagal ay natipuhan ni Claudia si Felix. Si Claudia naman ay isang dalawampu't pitong gulang na dalaga na napilitang pumasok sa trabahong walang karangalan sapagka't kailangang buhayin niya ang inang may karamdaman. Ang ina at siya na lamang ang natitirang nabuhuhay sa pamilya nila. Ang ama niya ay maagang namatay.

Walang boyfriend si Claudia; hindi ibig sabihin na wala siyang karanasan sa lalaki. Hindi na siya birhen, nguni't hindi siya nagbibili ng aliw, katulad ng ibang mananayaw. Siya ay tao lamang na paminsan-minsan ay naghahanap ng pagmamahal. Maingat at mapili si Claudia. Hindi siya nagkaka-relasyon sa kung sinu-sino. May sapat na katalinuhan siya na maintindihan na  maaaring siya ay gawing laruan o pampalipas ng oras lamang. Sino nga ba ang iibig nang tunay sa isang mananayaw na naghuhubad?

Balak ni Claudia na maghanap ng ibang trabaho at nang magkaroon siya  ng normal na pamumuhay.

Isang gabi sa Velvet Club, nagpasiya si Claudia na kakausapin niya si Felix. Nagpasiya siya na kahi't na alanganin na ang babae ang lalapit sa lalaki, ang palay ang lalapit sa manok, gagawin niya ang pakikipagkilala at pakikipagkaibigan kay Felix.

Inabangan niya ang pagtayo ni Felix. Sa isang sulok ng club, patungo si Felix sa men's room, ay doon niya hinarang at binati si Felix.

"Excuse me. Ako si Claudia."

"Hi, kilala na kita. Ako si Felix."

"Pakiusap, Felix. Puede mo ba akong ihatid sa aming bahay?"

"Oo, bakit hindi."

At ang dalawa ay sumakay sa auto ni Felix. Sa kumbida ni Felix ay tumigil sila sa isang fast food upang kumain at magkape.

Ang unang pagkikita ay nasundan ng marami pang ibang pagkikita. Isang gabi, kahi't na walang paghahayag ng pag-ibig, kahi't na walang pangangako, ay nagkasundo ang dalawa na pumasok sa isang motel at magsiping sa iisang kama. Naging gabing mahirap malimot ang gabing yaon. Nagka-katubusan ang pangangailangan ng dalawang kaluluwa na kapuwa uhaw sa nakagiginhawang lunas ng pag-iibigan.

Pagkatapos ng gabing yaon ay kapuwa nagkaroon ng palaisipan ang dalawa.

Sila ba ay maaaring maging tapat sa isa't-isa? Pag-ibig ba ang nararamdaman nila o panandaliang lunas sa pangangailangan ng katawan lamang? Kaya ba nilang magsama at kumita nang hustong halaga upang sila ay magkaroon ng maginhawang buhay? Handa ba silang isuko ang kalayaan at maging nakatali sa isa't-isa?

Nang gabing nagpasiya si Felix na handa na siyang ipagtapat kay Claudia ang kanyang nasasapuso - iniibig niya si Claudia, handa na siyang makipag-isang dibdib kay Claudia o kahi't sa pagsasama muna sa iisang bubong kahi't walang kasalan, at ayaw na niyang makita pa si Claudia na nagsasayaw at naghuhubad; matagal siyang nakaupo sa harap ng entablado ng Velvet Club nguni't di niya nakita si Claudia.

Nang mainip na sa kahihintay ay kinausap niya ang manager. "Bakit wala si Claudia," tanong sa manager. Tugon ng manager, "Nagpaalam na. Di na raw siya babalik."

Hindi makapaniwala si Felix na si Claudia ay gagawa ng pasiya na hindi siya sinangguni. Nakaramdam siya ng lungkot, pagkabigo, at kirot sa puso. 

Hahanapin ba niya si Claudia o ipagpapalagay niya na ayaw na ni Claudia? Si Claudia ba ay tila bula na naglaho sa hangin? Isang maikli nguni't magandang panaginip? Si Claudia ba ay isang metaphor lamang...

Bawang. Bunga ng halamang allium sativum. Pampalasa sa pagkain. Mabisang gamot sa karamdaman katulad ng ubo, sipon, at infection. Inihahalo sa juice at nagpapa-anghang dito. Kapag isinangag at naging malutong na butil, ibinubudbud ito sa ibang pagkain.

Maputi, makinis, mabango, bilugan, mainit, maanghang. At hubad. Iyan si Claudia - hubad na bawang, isang metaphor.
​

​TATIANA TERESHKOVA
Short Story by Percival Campoamor Cruz



Tatiana Tereshkova, a tall, beautiful ballet dancer had developed and mastered the art of defying gravity. If the painter’s medium was the canvas; if the musician’s medium was silence; the ballet dancer’s medium was airspace – how to float in airspace and defy gravity.

The art of ballet as practiced by Tatiana was the creation of graceful, impressive, awesome forms and movements, the projection of the body, arms, feet and the total person as an object of art interacting with airspace and gravity with the goal of delivering a story and a unique experience to an audience.

According to the yogis, one of human beings’ five life forces was buoyancy or udana vayu. A living person was buoyant and the one who could master this force could levitate.

​Tatiana went to study under the tutelage of an Indian guru and tried to learn from him as much knowledge that there was to know about udana vayu.

Tatiana became the talk of the town. Her ballet performances attracted big audiences. She was a theatrical and financial success. A critic once wrote about her performance, “The visual experience, the flights and landings; so theatrical, can’t be described in plain words.” Another one said, “An ordinary mortal, her grace and prowess, are those of an angel.”

A fouette was a “whipped throw” and, one of the most difficult turns in ballet dance. The dancer passed the working leg in front or behind the body while spinning. This dance move was hard to master and took a tremendous amount of determination to keep doing it. To Tatiana the fouette and the other movements - relever (to rise), sauter (to jump), elancer (to dart) – seemed so easy and perfect. But she craved for more perfection.

She learned about St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663).

St. Joseph of Cupertino experienced levitations that were witnessed by his brothers in the Franciscan Order. A witness stated that: “Not only during the sixteen years of the Saint's stay at Grottella, but during his whole life, these ecstasies and flights were so frequent, as attested in the acts of the Process of beatification, that for more than thirty-five years his superiors would not permit him to take part in the exercises in the choir and the refectory or in processions, lest he disturb the community."

The Inquisition heard of the marvels, and needed to investigate. It commanded that St. Joseph of Cupertino say Mass in their presence at the Church of St. Gregory of Armenia, which belonged to the nuns of St. Ligorio. Suddenly, St. Joseph of Cupertino rose with a loud cry from a corner and while praying, flew to the altar.

Certainly the most prominent witnesses to the levitations was Pope Urban VIII. During the St. Joseph of Cupertino’s first stay in Rome, he went with the Father General to visit the Pope. While bending over the feet of the Pope, St. Joseph of Cupertino became enraptured and rose in the air until the Father General commanded that he returned. The Pope marveled at the phenomenon and told the Father General that he himself would bear witness to the occurrence should St. Joseph of Cupertino die during his pontificate.

St. Joseph of Cupertino was so on fire with the love of God that one could almost always draw him into an ecstatic levitation by simply speaking of the adorable love of God or the Blessed Virgin Mary, or causing him to contemplate a picture of Jesus or Mary.

Tatiana hung a picture of St. Joseph of Cupertino in her room. In her meditative moments she prayed to him that she be granted the power to fly. There was a religious belief that mortals could petition saints through prayers and in some cases, in miraculous ways, the prayers were answered.

In the case of Tatiana, her persistent pleadings did not result to anything. Her prayers remained unanswered. Tatiana became despondent. She cancelled her commitments and stopped dancing. What a loss to the affectionate fans and admirers! Her absence on the stage created a void that nobody could fill up. What a loss to Tatiana’s revenues and sanity. She became reclusive and angry with the world. Her immediate family was financially and psychologically devastated.

One day, her guru was able to see and talk to Tatiana in spite of prior lack of interest and protestations.

The guru began by telling her a story about a tantric master who could make a dead bird fly again. The master collected the sun’s rays into a glass magnifier and focused the light on the dead bird. The bird moved, stood on its feet, and flew. There were witnesses. The dead bird became alive.

The bird flew around for an hour and then fell to the ground and died for the second and final time.

The witnesses asked the master, “why can’t you make the bird live for a longer time?” The master said, “the knowledge I possess is limited. I can only make the bird live again for one hour. Only God knows how to do better.”

The guru continued. “Tatiana. You’re like the master in the bird story. You have certain powers. Much more than ordinary mortals could possess. But your powers, your knowledge, is limited.

“St. Joseph of Cupertino could only fly when he was in a state of ecstasy. He could not make himself fly at will, it was God that enabled him to fly.

“In your condition, Tatiana, you have the powers, borne out of belief, practice and determination. You can dance, you can float, you can conquer space and gravity. You are awake and aware when you are dancing. You are not in some state of ecstasy. You’re not lost in another world. Yes, you have human powers.

“And still you want God to intervene. You want to have powers that belong to God. Come to your senses, Tatiana; come back to the stage, come back to the world of the mortals.”

Enlightenment came to Tatiana. She picked up the broken pieces of herself and became one again.

She was seen again pirouetting, jumping, darting, and flying – just like her old self, an extraordinary prima ballerina.
​