The Friend Alien
A short story by Percival Campoamor Cruz
Translation by Kristine Ann M. Villazor
ANTON IS A SCREENPLAY writer whose job is to write scripts for the movies. He is always in front of his computer, writing and scribbling thoughts to come up with scripts. He has nowhere an office. Like any freelancer, he does not have a definite time for work, and he does not have a definite income either.
His world is a desk beside the window. If he is productive enough, he writes the whole night. During the day, he is either asleep, half-asleep or half-awake, doing a little bit of his wife's errands and household chores, while his wife is at work. Yes, his wife is regularly employed and he is a striving artist only with occasional projects.
He reads the works of the famous astronomer Carl Sagan. Sagan notes the vast number of stars and potential planetary systems that may surround them. Translation: Don't write off aliens. . . That's “a whole bunch of planets with a whole bunch of opportunities for life to spring up”.
Anton loves to read about UFOs. He often wonders, "Are there really vehicles of other creatures coming from other worlds, which Sagan says are opportunities scattered in the cosmos?”
Anton's and his wife Marisa’s house is on the cliff of a mountain in the seaside city of California named Laguna Beach. Due to the elevation of thehouse the windows offer a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean.
A little farther off the shore is a small island known as Catalina Island. In the evening, while Anton writes and whenever he feels lost, he stares at the dark scenery. He seems to see meteors and arrows of light coming from the sky piercing into the sea and disappearing in the water.
Anton once saw on TV UFO experts being interviewed and they said the aliens had an airport and it was underwater in the area just off Catalina Island and close to Laguna Beach! "I'm so lucky," Anton muses, " I'm near the path of the aliens. And if I meet and befriend an alien, that will make a good story.”
Let's imagine that aliens are situated in the middle of the sea, between Catalina Island and Laguna Beach. The aliens when they look at the mountains of Laguna Beach will see a solitary light and that’s the lamp that is burning all night by the window of a house, Anton's house.
Anton believes, "Certainly, an alien will see my lamp shining all night as I am awake and writing; the only person in Laguna Beach who is awake with a burning light in the depths of the night. That, surely, is attention-getting.”
"Wake up, Anton," he says to himself. "You're fantasizing again!"
Anton also chats on the internet every time he takes a break in writing. People who are not asleep, as he is, in different parts of the United States and in the world, are communicating through the computer. A form of entertainment for people who suffer from insomnia.
"How's your night, Anton?" The greeting pops up on the computer screen. He is chatting with a mysterious woman who says that she lives in New York, and she uses the screen name, Black Widow.
"I'm fine, " he replies, in a chat manner; he types the answer on the computer's keypad and sends the message that appears on the screen by clicking the Send button.
"How about you, Blackie, how's your night?" Anton asks in return.
"Well, my body is burning with desire, although it's 0 degrees here in New York. Do you know that fire's best company is fire? Anton, tell me that your body is also on fire like mine. I want it to hear you. I want you to tell me that you also feel the heat and thirst . . . and you want my heat and your heat to swell until they merge into one raging combustion. Let us both be intoxicated with happiness until we are consumed like the flames." Blackie responds. Anton only shakes his head in reaction to Blackie's nonsense.
Anton also chats with Buddy who seems to be a cowboy. His words and viewpoints are tough. He said he lives in Texas. He even sent a photo attachment, a picture of him sporting a cowboy hat, half naked and wearing only a skimpy Speedo as bottom. "He is asking me to send him my photo." Anton says to himself. "Buddy is probably gay!"
The sanest among Anton's internet friends is the man named Rexor. The beauty of the internet is that you will have chat mates, relatives and friends; just by going to the computer.
There are also available websites, as they call them, on the internet for meeting new friends. There is a website about finding friends. There is a website for people who like politics, science, comedy, business, or anything that people value or appreciate.
Anton met Rexor on the UFO enthusiasts’ website. He was able to form an opinion on Rexor's personality based on their exchanges of stories and beliefs. He is not like his crazy other chatmates or internet contacts, who only write nonsense and who just waste time on the internet. Rexor's knowledge is extensive, which makes him greatly involved in their discussions.
Rexor never once talked about himself or his family. Anton also does not know how he looks like. He never volunteered to send a photo. On the one hand Rexor's open and committed statements about the topics they are discussing are very revealing of himself.
The UFO website is a place for discussions about science and space travel and unusual occurrences. It seeks answers to questions like: Is there life on another planet? How to travel in space? How to reach a distant planet in the speed of light and beyond and how to have the right fuel and force to return to Earth?
Rexor is religious. He says, “everything in religion is science-based and everything in science can be explained by religion”. Science and religion are just one, according to him. They became different because of people's limited knowledge.
Marisa, Anton's wife, is a nurse. She's employed at a hospital not so far away from their home. Marisa has a broad knowledge of the structure of the human body, the different organs and how they work, how miraculously wonderful is the human brain and blood. And because Marisa's work is to help the sick person recover quickly, and she knows a lot of tricks. Anton is lucky to have Marisa as wife and nurse whenever he is feeling sick.
Marisa is beautiful; her skin is smooth, her hair is long and black, not that tall but her physique is fine. The color of his eyes is unusual - as if they were sparkling with blue and green hues. Her voice is as sweet as Ariel's voice of the Little Mermaid fame. She moves gracefully and she moves her head and hands fleetingly. There is only one thing different about Marisa. Her right hand has six fingers. When she points out her index finger it looks like a twin. Whenever they talk about fingers Anton teases her and says, "You're probably from another planet."
"Is there really a God?" On this subject Rexor says, "God is everywhere, no beginning, no end. He became a human, visited the world, nailed to the cross, resurrected, and went back to outer space."
"Is there heaven?" Rexor says, "Heaven is the Cosmos and God decides who can go there."
"In Bethlehem there appeared a bright star. What star was that? A star or a spaceship?" asks Rexor.
"How did Jesus walk on water? Is it miracle or use of sound waves to defy gravity? How did he heal the sick and raise the dead?! Again, may be miracles or mastery of cellular restoration.”
Many nights come and go and Anton and Rexor's internet discussions continue.
"When can we meet personally?" Anton asks his friend.
"Don’t you worry, you'll see me at the right time." Rexor replies.
Once, news came out on the front page of the National Reporter that an alien allegedly was captured by the German soldiers. The alien had a pointed, big head, with a face seemingly without a nose and with narrow eyes. That becomes a topic for Anton and Rexor. Rexor says "I believe the picture is fake. The National Reporter is a tabloid and news stories are not reliable."
"If there are aliens in the world, I believe they look like humans." Rexor continues. "They have human bodies, but their minds are programmed differently. Their mission is to improve humans’ quality of life. They are like angels sent by God to the world to observe and safeguard, provide righteousness and salvation to every creature."
Anton is convinced that what Rexor says make sense. "I have a query, my friend," Anton says, "There are people in history who have done so much for the good of creation; for example, Jonas Salk, who discovered antibiotics; Michael Gorbachev who gave democracy to Russia; Andy Grove who invented the laptop computer chip; and if we are to go further in the old ages, whoever great people who have improved the world, including Jesus Christ, were they from another planet?"
“What do you think?” Rexor asks back.
Rexor is an alien! An envoy from the planet Herta. He is an alien who interacts with mankind. Each alien has a specific assignment in the world. Rexor's mission is to provide guidance and ensure Anton's success and safety. Anton is a selected entity based on his excellent talent in writing. He can write a film that will open everyone's mind and will change the course of life in the world.
Herta is the twin planet of Earth. It's at the cluster of a galaxy with a sun similar to Earth’s. Herta is in an orbit not so close to its sun and not too far away; with water, air, land, trees, fish, food, chemicals, and minerals that support life. This planet is much older than the Earth, so the Hertans, being more advanced, have the means to travel far distances at speeds thousands more times than the speed of light. Every creature in Herta is developed. He or she possesses all sorts of knowledge yet so kind and loving. The Hertans are aiming for the Earthlings to ascend to the level of civilization of Herta, in which people do not suffer, do not get sick and do not engage in destructive wars and manmade disasters.
They gave guidance to Einstein, Salk, Madam Curie, Gorbachev, and all the great men and women whose ideas changed the course of life on Earth. Rexor is like an angel, a guardian angel, like in the Bible.
Time passes on, Anton finishes his masterpiece – an epic movie. He signs a contract that allows him to film and release a movie to all theaters around the world.
The film is about the discovery of an astronomer of a planet known as the Earth's twin. The news that man is not alone in the universe shocks the world. People are divided into two sides - one side wants to prepare for war, in case the planet is attacked. The other side wants to seek a peaceful relationship.
December 29 that year is the world's premier of Anton's movie. Anton completes the biggest project in his life, and he earns a certain place among influential persons whose ideas influence the public.
Rexor's mission is finally accomplished. In no time he will go back to Herta. That same day, December 29, Herta's distance from the Earth is closest, based on the wormhole theory. On that day Rexor will ride his UFO; it will go up into space and straddle around Earth’s gravity and then jettison to Herta.
In the final exchange between Rexor and Anton, the latter says: “My mission is over, I'm going on a distant travel and will be away a good long time. Goodbye, my friend."
On the night of Rexor's departure, he stands in his place, in the spaceport under the ocean near Catalina Island, turns himself towards the Laguna Beach mountains; he raises his right hand and points a twin index finger, like Marisa's, to the said spot. In the dark, Rexor's eyes are flashing as he runs a communication using his mind.
At Anton's home, about three o'clock in the morning, Anton is sleeping peacefully in his room. Marisa is in the window, standing, facing the Pacific Ocean, her right hand and twin index finger pointing towards the spot where Rexor is standing. Marisa's eyes glisten in the dark. She is communicating perfectly without opening the mouth which is communicating through the use of her mind.
Rexor: “Hunuwoq, gulutu hu su huz Uswes. (My sister, please take care of Anton.) Wozuhos de usk huszusk wukidnuz uw hutokwuvus. (Safeguard his success and safety).”
Marisa: “Hunuwoq, dulut su dulut he vo Uswes. Losqo he vozu nuguguzuus (Don't worry brother, I love Anton so much. I will not forsake him and you).”
After a few minutes there was a flash of light coming out of the sea, the light streaked upward into the dark sky, shortly becoming like a star, until it disappeared into space.
A short story by Percival Campoamor Cruz
Translation by Kristine Ann M. Villazor
ANTON IS A SCREENPLAY writer whose job is to write scripts for the movies. He is always in front of his computer, writing and scribbling thoughts to come up with scripts. He has nowhere an office. Like any freelancer, he does not have a definite time for work, and he does not have a definite income either.
His world is a desk beside the window. If he is productive enough, he writes the whole night. During the day, he is either asleep, half-asleep or half-awake, doing a little bit of his wife's errands and household chores, while his wife is at work. Yes, his wife is regularly employed and he is a striving artist only with occasional projects.
He reads the works of the famous astronomer Carl Sagan. Sagan notes the vast number of stars and potential planetary systems that may surround them. Translation: Don't write off aliens. . . That's “a whole bunch of planets with a whole bunch of opportunities for life to spring up”.
Anton loves to read about UFOs. He often wonders, "Are there really vehicles of other creatures coming from other worlds, which Sagan says are opportunities scattered in the cosmos?”
Anton's and his wife Marisa’s house is on the cliff of a mountain in the seaside city of California named Laguna Beach. Due to the elevation of thehouse the windows offer a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean.
A little farther off the shore is a small island known as Catalina Island. In the evening, while Anton writes and whenever he feels lost, he stares at the dark scenery. He seems to see meteors and arrows of light coming from the sky piercing into the sea and disappearing in the water.
Anton once saw on TV UFO experts being interviewed and they said the aliens had an airport and it was underwater in the area just off Catalina Island and close to Laguna Beach! "I'm so lucky," Anton muses, " I'm near the path of the aliens. And if I meet and befriend an alien, that will make a good story.”
Let's imagine that aliens are situated in the middle of the sea, between Catalina Island and Laguna Beach. The aliens when they look at the mountains of Laguna Beach will see a solitary light and that’s the lamp that is burning all night by the window of a house, Anton's house.
Anton believes, "Certainly, an alien will see my lamp shining all night as I am awake and writing; the only person in Laguna Beach who is awake with a burning light in the depths of the night. That, surely, is attention-getting.”
"Wake up, Anton," he says to himself. "You're fantasizing again!"
Anton also chats on the internet every time he takes a break in writing. People who are not asleep, as he is, in different parts of the United States and in the world, are communicating through the computer. A form of entertainment for people who suffer from insomnia.
"How's your night, Anton?" The greeting pops up on the computer screen. He is chatting with a mysterious woman who says that she lives in New York, and she uses the screen name, Black Widow.
"I'm fine, " he replies, in a chat manner; he types the answer on the computer's keypad and sends the message that appears on the screen by clicking the Send button.
"How about you, Blackie, how's your night?" Anton asks in return.
"Well, my body is burning with desire, although it's 0 degrees here in New York. Do you know that fire's best company is fire? Anton, tell me that your body is also on fire like mine. I want it to hear you. I want you to tell me that you also feel the heat and thirst . . . and you want my heat and your heat to swell until they merge into one raging combustion. Let us both be intoxicated with happiness until we are consumed like the flames." Blackie responds. Anton only shakes his head in reaction to Blackie's nonsense.
Anton also chats with Buddy who seems to be a cowboy. His words and viewpoints are tough. He said he lives in Texas. He even sent a photo attachment, a picture of him sporting a cowboy hat, half naked and wearing only a skimpy Speedo as bottom. "He is asking me to send him my photo." Anton says to himself. "Buddy is probably gay!"
The sanest among Anton's internet friends is the man named Rexor. The beauty of the internet is that you will have chat mates, relatives and friends; just by going to the computer.
There are also available websites, as they call them, on the internet for meeting new friends. There is a website about finding friends. There is a website for people who like politics, science, comedy, business, or anything that people value or appreciate.
Anton met Rexor on the UFO enthusiasts’ website. He was able to form an opinion on Rexor's personality based on their exchanges of stories and beliefs. He is not like his crazy other chatmates or internet contacts, who only write nonsense and who just waste time on the internet. Rexor's knowledge is extensive, which makes him greatly involved in their discussions.
Rexor never once talked about himself or his family. Anton also does not know how he looks like. He never volunteered to send a photo. On the one hand Rexor's open and committed statements about the topics they are discussing are very revealing of himself.
The UFO website is a place for discussions about science and space travel and unusual occurrences. It seeks answers to questions like: Is there life on another planet? How to travel in space? How to reach a distant planet in the speed of light and beyond and how to have the right fuel and force to return to Earth?
Rexor is religious. He says, “everything in religion is science-based and everything in science can be explained by religion”. Science and religion are just one, according to him. They became different because of people's limited knowledge.
Marisa, Anton's wife, is a nurse. She's employed at a hospital not so far away from their home. Marisa has a broad knowledge of the structure of the human body, the different organs and how they work, how miraculously wonderful is the human brain and blood. And because Marisa's work is to help the sick person recover quickly, and she knows a lot of tricks. Anton is lucky to have Marisa as wife and nurse whenever he is feeling sick.
Marisa is beautiful; her skin is smooth, her hair is long and black, not that tall but her physique is fine. The color of his eyes is unusual - as if they were sparkling with blue and green hues. Her voice is as sweet as Ariel's voice of the Little Mermaid fame. She moves gracefully and she moves her head and hands fleetingly. There is only one thing different about Marisa. Her right hand has six fingers. When she points out her index finger it looks like a twin. Whenever they talk about fingers Anton teases her and says, "You're probably from another planet."
"Is there really a God?" On this subject Rexor says, "God is everywhere, no beginning, no end. He became a human, visited the world, nailed to the cross, resurrected, and went back to outer space."
"Is there heaven?" Rexor says, "Heaven is the Cosmos and God decides who can go there."
"In Bethlehem there appeared a bright star. What star was that? A star or a spaceship?" asks Rexor.
"How did Jesus walk on water? Is it miracle or use of sound waves to defy gravity? How did he heal the sick and raise the dead?! Again, may be miracles or mastery of cellular restoration.”
Many nights come and go and Anton and Rexor's internet discussions continue.
"When can we meet personally?" Anton asks his friend.
"Don’t you worry, you'll see me at the right time." Rexor replies.
Once, news came out on the front page of the National Reporter that an alien allegedly was captured by the German soldiers. The alien had a pointed, big head, with a face seemingly without a nose and with narrow eyes. That becomes a topic for Anton and Rexor. Rexor says "I believe the picture is fake. The National Reporter is a tabloid and news stories are not reliable."
"If there are aliens in the world, I believe they look like humans." Rexor continues. "They have human bodies, but their minds are programmed differently. Their mission is to improve humans’ quality of life. They are like angels sent by God to the world to observe and safeguard, provide righteousness and salvation to every creature."
Anton is convinced that what Rexor says make sense. "I have a query, my friend," Anton says, "There are people in history who have done so much for the good of creation; for example, Jonas Salk, who discovered antibiotics; Michael Gorbachev who gave democracy to Russia; Andy Grove who invented the laptop computer chip; and if we are to go further in the old ages, whoever great people who have improved the world, including Jesus Christ, were they from another planet?"
“What do you think?” Rexor asks back.
Rexor is an alien! An envoy from the planet Herta. He is an alien who interacts with mankind. Each alien has a specific assignment in the world. Rexor's mission is to provide guidance and ensure Anton's success and safety. Anton is a selected entity based on his excellent talent in writing. He can write a film that will open everyone's mind and will change the course of life in the world.
Herta is the twin planet of Earth. It's at the cluster of a galaxy with a sun similar to Earth’s. Herta is in an orbit not so close to its sun and not too far away; with water, air, land, trees, fish, food, chemicals, and minerals that support life. This planet is much older than the Earth, so the Hertans, being more advanced, have the means to travel far distances at speeds thousands more times than the speed of light. Every creature in Herta is developed. He or she possesses all sorts of knowledge yet so kind and loving. The Hertans are aiming for the Earthlings to ascend to the level of civilization of Herta, in which people do not suffer, do not get sick and do not engage in destructive wars and manmade disasters.
They gave guidance to Einstein, Salk, Madam Curie, Gorbachev, and all the great men and women whose ideas changed the course of life on Earth. Rexor is like an angel, a guardian angel, like in the Bible.
Time passes on, Anton finishes his masterpiece – an epic movie. He signs a contract that allows him to film and release a movie to all theaters around the world.
The film is about the discovery of an astronomer of a planet known as the Earth's twin. The news that man is not alone in the universe shocks the world. People are divided into two sides - one side wants to prepare for war, in case the planet is attacked. The other side wants to seek a peaceful relationship.
December 29 that year is the world's premier of Anton's movie. Anton completes the biggest project in his life, and he earns a certain place among influential persons whose ideas influence the public.
Rexor's mission is finally accomplished. In no time he will go back to Herta. That same day, December 29, Herta's distance from the Earth is closest, based on the wormhole theory. On that day Rexor will ride his UFO; it will go up into space and straddle around Earth’s gravity and then jettison to Herta.
In the final exchange between Rexor and Anton, the latter says: “My mission is over, I'm going on a distant travel and will be away a good long time. Goodbye, my friend."
On the night of Rexor's departure, he stands in his place, in the spaceport under the ocean near Catalina Island, turns himself towards the Laguna Beach mountains; he raises his right hand and points a twin index finger, like Marisa's, to the said spot. In the dark, Rexor's eyes are flashing as he runs a communication using his mind.
At Anton's home, about three o'clock in the morning, Anton is sleeping peacefully in his room. Marisa is in the window, standing, facing the Pacific Ocean, her right hand and twin index finger pointing towards the spot where Rexor is standing. Marisa's eyes glisten in the dark. She is communicating perfectly without opening the mouth which is communicating through the use of her mind.
Rexor: “Hunuwoq, gulutu hu su huz Uswes. (My sister, please take care of Anton.) Wozuhos de usk huszusk wukidnuz uw hutokwuvus. (Safeguard his success and safety).”
Marisa: “Hunuwoq, dulut su dulut he vo Uswes. Losqo he vozu nuguguzuus (Don't worry brother, I love Anton so much. I will not forsake him and you).”
After a few minutes there was a flash of light coming out of the sea, the light streaked upward into the dark sky, shortly becoming like a star, until it disappeared into space.
The Maiden of Ilog-Pasig
Short story by Percival Campoamor Cruz
(Published in Asian Journal December 10, 2010): http://www.scribd.com/doc/45007398/Asian-Journal-Dec-10-2010-Edition
A song will forever live on the subconscious of Manila natives on account of its haunting lyrics and melody and the effervescent romance that goes on between the city folk and the famous river, Ilog-Pasig.
As the moon peers out
of his window in the sky;
As the west wind
caresses to wake up the water;
An image that is white and silky appears,
Hair flowing like the stream;
She's the Maiden of Pasig,
She’s the Maiden of Pasig.
As she springs out of the foam,
There is a song,
There is a poem:
I was the Beloved,
In the kingdom of love,
When love died,
So did the kingdom end;
My spirit,
is in the hearts and bosoms of all;
To make me live forever,
Give my love away.
(MUTYA NG PASIG,
Music by Nicanor Abelardo,
Lyrics by Deogracias del Rosario,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF6-i-ROnXU)
Ilog-Pasig slithered quietly like a silvery blue serpent, “life” created by Bathala; fresh water and tepid as it began its journey in Laguna Lake, it became cold and salty as it blended with the sea water in Manila Bay. As it made its journey down the crevice of antiquity, its magical touch refreshed the thirsty shores of a good number of towns that laid waiting along the way.
The river provided the town folk, likewise the city folk, a way of life. In its shallow tributary, the young women tiptoed on their dainty feet to wade in the water, in the early hours of the morning, and bathed without care as the curtain of night still provided adequate cover to hide their ritual of cleansing. When the sun was up, the elder women came to the river to wash clothes, at the rocky nooks of it, where they squeezed clothes dry against the rocks, with the use of their wooden beaters. To the men, the river was the fastest route going to their work in the farms and the sea.
The river was “playground” to the urchins. From along the banks, they skipped and jumped and somersaulted onto the river. In summer, the boys turning into men jumped feet first into the river, the river water to hasten healing, after the medicine man performed on them the ritual to manhood. In May, the pilgrims going to Antipolo plied their boats and barges on the river on their way to pay homage to the miraculous Virgin of Peace and Good Voyage. (The dark-skinned, revered icon came in a galleon from Mexico; and while crossing the Pacific Ocean, the ship encountered a severe storm. The passengers made it safely to the shores of Manila; and the safe voyage was attributed to the intercession of the Virgin Mary.)
Ilog-Pasig was a trade channel – traders took the waterway to deliver merchandise to different markets around the river, collectively the community was called, Montalban; they were Chinese and Indian merchants who were doing very well in business. They thrived on the patronage of the people, and, in gratitude of their good fortune, they had embraced the Land of the Ilog-Pasig as one of their own.
From China they brought porcelain plates, jewelry made of precious stones, and herbal medicines; and from India they sold umbrellas, textile for making women’s clothes and the men’s barong-tagalog, as well as perfumes.
Don Ramon was one of the locals who the river patronized. He was the man who owned the magnificent stone mansion at the top of a hill, close to the mouth of the river, on the side of Taytay.
Don Ramon was well-known for his business acumen. From Manila he brought home textiles and leather. In his town, he managed a large sewing and embroidery shop that made women’s dresses, sashes, kerchiefs, and veils. The shop also made clothes for men and children. There was yet another shop that made shoes and slippers out of tanned cow or carabao skins. From Taytay, he brought down to Manila ready-made clothes and shoes, fresh fruits from the farm, rice and cassava cakes.
There was no doubt that Don Ramon was a man of means who enjoyed the respect of the people. They acknowledged the passing of his boat on the river and made sure they waved at him every single time.
Don Ramon had a lovely daughter, Clarita. The young Clarita was always riding on the boat with Don Ramon; she was being brought to a Catholic school in Quiapo, regularly. She was seen playing on the boat, as it gently glided on the river, the watchful eyes of Don Ramon and mother, Dona Josefa, always trained on her. She had a nanny, always in a white dress, who also looked after her.
As years went by, Clarita blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Her regular trip on the boat continued as she pursued college education in Manila. Clarita’s personality was scintillating. The color of her skin was in-between white and black, naturally because Don Ramon had Spanish blood and Dona Josefa had Indian blood and the complexion of dark-skinned parents who came from Cainta. She had slightly curly hair. The bluish eyes and the nicely shaped nose, as well as the smooth, porcelain-like cheeks came from Don Ramon. The darker skin color, the hair, and the petite, shapely body came from Dona Josefa.
Clarita was an intelligent person, one of the top students in La Concordia. She loved music, she loved singing and possessed a sweet voice like that of an angel. Pride and joy of her parents. Happiness of the neighbors and workers in the shops. Desire of the men who caught glimpses of her sitting in her special chair like a princess inside a rich man’s boat. That was Clarita.
The parents were not aware that Clarita was in love with a man her age and who was from Manila. She met him at a school singing event. Ruben, the young man was a good guitarist, he provided accompaniment whenever Clarita sang. The event was followed by several other musical programs staged at the school auditorium. A bond developed between the two arising from a mutual love for music. The friendship developed into love nurtured by the frequent meetings in practice sessions.
It was love at first sight for both of them, two souls innocent to the ways of Cupid. They tried to keep the world unaware of their secret relationship; but their excitement and spontaneous demeanor could not be contained, thus, exposing the secret anyway. During practice breaks they sat in one corner of the auditorium and spent time exchanging whispers and giggles, sharing little secrets that only young people in love knew how to enjoy.
La Concordia was an all-girl school while Letran, Ruben’s, was an all-boy school. Girls and boys were not allowed to be together while on the school premises, except at events like the ones that Clarita and Ruben were attending.
To get around the rules, the two young lovers managed to see each other, off school hours and off school premises. They met under the shade of an old mango tree standing behind the school, down a little hill.
Clarita brought native cakes from Binangonan – puto, kalamay na may latik. And Ruben always came with a lunch box full of rice and dishes that his mother prepared at home. They partook in the food while resting under the tree. Then they laid their backs on the grass, side by side with their hands clasped as one, and they watched the big, white clouds as they floated by in the sky.
One time Clarita gave Ruben a sapling of the sampaguita flower transplanted into a small clay pot. “Ruben,” she said, “my favorite flower . . . Make it grow in your front yard. You will love the fragrance and it will always remind you of me.”
More than love letters, scribbles of sweet nothings that they spent a lot of time reading and rereading, they exchanged gifts. One time, Ruben surprised Clarita with a crucifix necklace. He told her to close her eyes and then he put the necklace around Clarita’s neck. “Clarita, my father sculpted this necklace. He knew it was for you, so he put so much attention and energy into its creation. Besides, Father Jose had already blessed it. It should have the power to protect you from danger,” Ruben lovingly explained.
The two, who fell in love for the first time, had never felt so much joy and excitement in their life. Every new day became an event awaited with much expectation; every day that passed on became a piece of jewel carefully stocked away in a secret treasure box of sweet memories.
It became customary that they walked the distance from the school to the docking station close to the church in Quiapo, when the end of the day came, and Clarita had to go home. Parting ways was so much pain for them, notwithstanding that they saw each other practically every day. But they were also always expectant and excited over the next meeting.
“I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow, Clarita. Have a peaceful journey home, have a good sleep; we shall meet in our dreams,” the young man happily bid her farewell. He stood there as still as a stone as he watched the boat carrying his beloved friend move away and disappear.
Other than Ruben there were other young men who vied for the beautiful maiden’s attention. Like Joselito and Mariano. Joselito was a composer and a good pianist. His house stood by the bank of the river in the section near Buwayang-Bato. The boats passing by could be seen by Joselito from the vantage point of a large window. He always watched out for Don Ramon’s boat and the beautiful creature that sat in it. He was a secret admirer of Clarita.
In another section called Pandakan there lived Mariano, a master violinist who was also a botanist. His place was blooming with flowers – roses, gumamelas, sampaguitas, orchids – all bursting in wonderful colors. From a boat on the river, Mariano’s piece of land looked like a paradise of flowers.
The two vied for Clarita’s friendship.
Every time Don Ramon and her lovely daughter passed by, Joselito and Mariano put on their respective spectacular performances. Going by Joselito’s property the boat passengers could hear the sweet sonatas emanating from the duet of the amorous man’s masterful fingers and the keys of his expressive piano.
On the other side, going by Mariano’s Garden, they could hear lively allegros coming from the talented man’s violin. He stood by the bank of the river, swaying to the beat of the music, as he played on and on.
One evening as Don Ramon’s boat was gliding by in front of Mariano’s house, twenty trained doves flew up, hovered over the boat and, at the right moment, dropped roses for Clarita to see and catch. Joselito would not be outperformed. When the boat passed by in front of his property, his helpers let go of little tin boats, each carrying a lit candle. The scene looked similar to that of a swarm of glittering fireflies freed on the water to welcome the arrival of a princess.
The two men also competed in sending poems, letters, flowers, fruits, food delicacies, clothes, precious gems, to Don Ramon’s magnificent stone house – all for the delight of Clarita.
“Those men must be crazy!” Don Ramon could not control his temper. “When are they going to stop intruding into our privacy? Did they not know that Clarita had been gone for nine months?” he asked his wife. (The natives believed that the soul of a dead person stayed around for nine months, after which it continued to its timeless journey to the world beyond.)
Clarita dreamt of becoming a music teacher someday. She dreamt of teaching the children of Taytay and Binangonan skills in singing and playing musical instruments. Her father and mother dreamt of passing on to her the charge of the house and the business, and the responsibility of carrying on the upkeep of the workers.
All those dreams vanished like castles in the wind. One night, Clarita was stricken by a strange illness. She had a terribly high fever, and by morning the beloved of all was dead. There were different opinions as to what caused Clarita’s untimely demise. A mosquito bit her and she developed malaria. She drank contaminated water and the spread of the microbes in her body caused a fatal shock. Her back became soaked in sweat, and she contracted pneumonia, as a consequence. It did not matter to Don Ramon what malevolence took away his darling daughter’s life. Whatever was responsible for it, she was gone, and nothing could be done to bring her back.
The young man who fell in love for the first time waited for his beloved at the boat’s docking place. As Don Ramon’s boat cruised by, Joselito and Mariano scampered to give a special performance. They saw her sitting in a special seat in the boat, wearing a soft, white dress, her long hair being blown by the wind. Was not that she? Clarita was gone from the material world; they were seeing the phantom of the Maiden of Ilog-Pasig.
Twelve Bikers
Short Story by Percival Campoamor Cruz
Translated by Lilian Matic Cruz
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left their nets and followed Him.…”
You are all familiar with the physical appearance of a biker. Burly, long-haired man. With a bandanna tied around the forehead so that the hair is not swept by the wind and not obstruct his view. He wears a moustache or a beard. A real man. Somewhere between 35 and 60 years old. He has a wife and family. A homeowner with one or two cars or trucks, aside from the motorbike. A high-income earner.
During the 1960s, he was among those referred to as “hippies”, a “counter-culture” people. Freedom-loving. Passionate about personal interests and beliefs. Usually contradicting customs and norms. A movie, “Easy Rider”, depicts the counter-culture. “Easy Rider” is the story of two motorbikers. They traveled on their bikes from California to New Orleans, encountering a rich amalgam of people and experience. Generally, they were regarded with bias because of their appearance, language, and philosophy. At a restaurant, for example, the owner refused them service and asked them to leave. People, including the police, regarded them as “troublemakers”.
The movie shows the contrast between city life and country life. It showed the use of marijuana as nothing out of the ordinary. In the end of the movie, the “hillbillies” killed the two bikers. Wyatt, portrayed by actor Peter Fonda, one of the movie’s main characters, said: "This used to be a hell of a good country. I can't understand what's gone wrong with it." He observes that Americans talk a lot about the value of freedom, but are actually afraid of anyone who truly exhibits it.”
Motorcycle-riding on the roads and freeways, driving fast – with the winds slamming on the rider’s face and body, in total disregard of heat, cold, rain or the elements, far from the city, work, family and all of daily lives’ cares – this is real freedom!
While appearing physically unscathed, many soldiers who returned to America alive after having fought in Vietnam, brought back with them a kind of mental impairment. Haunted by the cruelty of the fighting in Vietnam, watching fellow soldiers meet horrible deaths, and continuously living in terror, drove many soldiers to insanity. Many sought refuge and peace from the madness by riding their motorcycles.
Fellowship and brotherhood come about at the rides with other motorcycle enthusiasts. Some refer to the groupings as “gangs”. Riding together as a team, they agree where to go, where to pause to rest. At the less travelled places, where people and homes are few, the riders stop to cook, share meals and stories, puff grass, drink beer, and sleep…
Some of the bikers do become troublesome. There are those who become involved in criminal activities, including drug-dealing and illegal weapons. Now and then, gang wars ensue among competing groups.
As a whole though, the bikers are honorable members of society. They help maintain peace. They raise money for the sick and the hungry. Every time a war veteran is laid to rest, as well as in civic parades, the bikers lead the procession. Meticulously aligned at the head of the parade, with an American flag on each bike, the motorcyclists in unison bike up at civic celebrations.
The motorcycle has a microphone and headset enabling the bikers to communicate with one another, while travelling. Equipped, too, with a stereo radio or cassette player they enjoy listening to their favorite music while travelling. “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen is one of their favorite songs.
"Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when
I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
'Til you
spend half your life just covering up
[chorus:]
"Born in the U.S.A.
"Born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A.
"I got in a
little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to
Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man
[chorus]
"Come back
home to the refinery
Hiring man says "Son if it was up to me"
"I go down to see the V.A. man
He said "Son don't you understand"
[chorus]
"I had a buddy at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
"They're still there, he's all gone
He had a little girl in Saigon
I got a
picture of him in her arms
"Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out
by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years down the
road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go
"I'm a long gone
Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the
U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A."
One warm, bright and sunny day, people saw twelve bikers sitting on the grounds in front of the church. This scenario was seen, repeatedly, in front of many churches in all of Los Angeles.
The bikers did not move for two hours. They were silent, nobody spoke a word. They just sat quietly under the sun.
The policemen arrived to see if there was any trouble brewing. Seeing something like a silent demonstration, the police just stood by and waited. Church-goers and passersby wondered about the meaning of what was going on.
The TV news crews and newspaper photographers arrived . . . they got busy taking “clips” and pictures of the bikers . . . then went on to broadcast over the airwaves the unusual happening.
After two hours, the bikers quietly arose together and left without explaining what they just did – a demonstration? A protest?
Seen on the ground, in each of the places the bikers sat down, after they left, were twelve pieces of bread and fish.
It was Easter. The message, the secret message, only the bikers knew . . . But the guess was, the message had to do about being fishermen; about a few pieces of bread and fish that miraculously multiplied to feed the multitude.
Short Story by Percival Campoamor Cruz
Translated by Lilian Matic Cruz
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left their nets and followed Him.…”
You are all familiar with the physical appearance of a biker. Burly, long-haired man. With a bandanna tied around the forehead so that the hair is not swept by the wind and not obstruct his view. He wears a moustache or a beard. A real man. Somewhere between 35 and 60 years old. He has a wife and family. A homeowner with one or two cars or trucks, aside from the motorbike. A high-income earner.
During the 1960s, he was among those referred to as “hippies”, a “counter-culture” people. Freedom-loving. Passionate about personal interests and beliefs. Usually contradicting customs and norms. A movie, “Easy Rider”, depicts the counter-culture. “Easy Rider” is the story of two motorbikers. They traveled on their bikes from California to New Orleans, encountering a rich amalgam of people and experience. Generally, they were regarded with bias because of their appearance, language, and philosophy. At a restaurant, for example, the owner refused them service and asked them to leave. People, including the police, regarded them as “troublemakers”.
The movie shows the contrast between city life and country life. It showed the use of marijuana as nothing out of the ordinary. In the end of the movie, the “hillbillies” killed the two bikers. Wyatt, portrayed by actor Peter Fonda, one of the movie’s main characters, said: "This used to be a hell of a good country. I can't understand what's gone wrong with it." He observes that Americans talk a lot about the value of freedom, but are actually afraid of anyone who truly exhibits it.”
Motorcycle-riding on the roads and freeways, driving fast – with the winds slamming on the rider’s face and body, in total disregard of heat, cold, rain or the elements, far from the city, work, family and all of daily lives’ cares – this is real freedom!
While appearing physically unscathed, many soldiers who returned to America alive after having fought in Vietnam, brought back with them a kind of mental impairment. Haunted by the cruelty of the fighting in Vietnam, watching fellow soldiers meet horrible deaths, and continuously living in terror, drove many soldiers to insanity. Many sought refuge and peace from the madness by riding their motorcycles.
Fellowship and brotherhood come about at the rides with other motorcycle enthusiasts. Some refer to the groupings as “gangs”. Riding together as a team, they agree where to go, where to pause to rest. At the less travelled places, where people and homes are few, the riders stop to cook, share meals and stories, puff grass, drink beer, and sleep…
Some of the bikers do become troublesome. There are those who become involved in criminal activities, including drug-dealing and illegal weapons. Now and then, gang wars ensue among competing groups.
As a whole though, the bikers are honorable members of society. They help maintain peace. They raise money for the sick and the hungry. Every time a war veteran is laid to rest, as well as in civic parades, the bikers lead the procession. Meticulously aligned at the head of the parade, with an American flag on each bike, the motorcyclists in unison bike up at civic celebrations.
The motorcycle has a microphone and headset enabling the bikers to communicate with one another, while travelling. Equipped, too, with a stereo radio or cassette player they enjoy listening to their favorite music while travelling. “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen is one of their favorite songs.
"Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when
I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
'Til you
spend half your life just covering up
[chorus:]
"Born in the U.S.A.
"Born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A.
"I got in a
little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to
Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man
[chorus]
"Come back
home to the refinery
Hiring man says "Son if it was up to me"
"I go down to see the V.A. man
He said "Son don't you understand"
[chorus]
"I had a buddy at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
"They're still there, he's all gone
He had a little girl in Saigon
I got a
picture of him in her arms
"Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out
by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years down the
road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go
"I'm a long gone
Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the
U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A."
One warm, bright and sunny day, people saw twelve bikers sitting on the grounds in front of the church. This scenario was seen, repeatedly, in front of many churches in all of Los Angeles.
The bikers did not move for two hours. They were silent, nobody spoke a word. They just sat quietly under the sun.
The policemen arrived to see if there was any trouble brewing. Seeing something like a silent demonstration, the police just stood by and waited. Church-goers and passersby wondered about the meaning of what was going on.
The TV news crews and newspaper photographers arrived . . . they got busy taking “clips” and pictures of the bikers . . . then went on to broadcast over the airwaves the unusual happening.
After two hours, the bikers quietly arose together and left without explaining what they just did – a demonstration? A protest?
Seen on the ground, in each of the places the bikers sat down, after they left, were twelve pieces of bread and fish.
It was Easter. The message, the secret message, only the bikers knew . . . But the guess was, the message had to do about being fishermen; about a few pieces of bread and fish that miraculously multiplied to feed the multitude.