CHAPTER 41

WRIGHT AGONCILLO

"Looks like we've reaped a lot today, huh?" Mang Heronimo asked me while adjusting his hat.

"One hundred ark, Mang Geronimo." I wiped the sweat dripping down my face.

"Not that bad, huh." The old man touched my shoulder. "Take a rest, son. We harvest until nightfall, and tomorrow, we will sun-dry the rice."

I took a deep breath. "Thank you, Mang Geronimo."

The old man left, and I entered my hut. When I was able to rest, I took off my clothes and went out to bathe in the poso, an old-style water pump. I just took a quick bath so that I wouldn't get sick.

After I got dressed, I went to the nearby store to buy sardines for my dinner tonight. I paid for it and went home to my hut. I ate and then lay on the pallet.

"Let's rest well," I whispered to myself.

I looked at the bamboo wall and smiled when I saw a photo of my wife and son. Another day had passed without them by my side. I missed them so damn much. It'd been a year since I had left them and chosen to go to an unknown province here in the Visayas to prove to them that I could live without luxury.

I was stunned when a banging sound came from the door to my hut. I had only slept for a few hours. "Wright! Wake up!"

Even though my back hurt, I still got up and opened the door. "Pucha, Yulo! It's still morning." (Putcha is a Tagalog curse word.)

"Today is our fishing day. Have you forgotten?"

"Ah, shit," was the only thing I could say. I massaged my aching shoulders.

"Come on. We'll run out late," Yulo said authoritatively and turned his back on me.

"You look wide awake, ah. Who did you eat last night?" Yulo told me when we were in the boat, laughing.

I stared at him. "Stupid. Mang Geronimo and I were busy harvesting grains till nightfall, and we will sun-dry all of them later."

"Mang Geronimo has a lot of people. You can stop helping them sun-dry the grain and just rest."

"I need to earn money," I said and threw the fishnet into the sea.

"Who are you running to? You were already in Manila. Why do you have come to the province?"

"I'm not running."

Mang Geronimo had taught me how to farm, and Yulo had taught me how to fish. I met both of them when I got lost searching for a place to live after leaving everything behind. Mang Heronimo lent me the hut where he used to live. He was capable in life, so he was able to build a stone house for himself.

After I went fishing with Yulo and left him in the market, I went to Mang Geronimo. His jeep was about to leave with all that sacks of rice that were going to be sun-dried.

"It's good that you made it, son." Mang Geronimo turned off the engine and got out of the jeep when he saw me.

"I'm sorry. I went fishing with Yulo," I said in between my breaths.

"You're pale. Have you had breakfast, son?" Since his wife could not have children, he often treated me as his child. "Come inside and eat first. Grace! Serve Wright breakfast."

"But Mang Geronimo, we'll be late for sun-drying the grains."

He did not listen to my complaint and insisted that I should eat first. After I had breakfast, we got in the jeep and went to a basketball court to hang out the rice. I lifted the heavy sacks from Mang Heronimo's jeep, helping to unload the sacks and sun-dry them.

My body had become accustomed to the itch brought on by the rice. My body was used to the heat of the sun. I had gone through all the hardships of life in just one year. I went to a store and bought ice water. I heard the accented voices of the two women standing to the side.

"Hi," one of them greeted them.

I just picked up my bottle and drank some water.

"Ay! Suplado," the other one said with a smile. "Hi, I'm Margarette."

"Wright." I had no interest in talking with them.

"You're the newcomer here, aren't you? All the women are talking about you. You're handsome."

"Ah."

"There's a show later in the plaza. Would you like to come with us after you sundried the rice?" one of them said seductively.

"No, thank you."

"What a snob! I'm the one approaching you—"

"I have a wife and a child." After I said that, I went back to sun-drying the rice.

I could no longer love any woman other than Melissa. She was the only one, and no one could beat her. I loved that woman dearly.

I wiped away my sweat and sat in the shade of an acacia.

"You're funny, son. You're so patient." I looked at Geronimo.

"It's necessary. If you don't persevere, there's nothing to eat," I said laughingly.

"Lucky for the woman you love."

I just smiled sparingly at him. We went back to what we were working on because it looked like it was going to rain.

"Looks like someone got lost in the city, ah. Maybe they want to ask for directions."

I looked at Mang Geronimo. He seemed to be looking at someone behind me…