The high noon has the sun at its peak illuminating over the vast rice fields. As feverish humid wind blows, a young man of native origin trails on the dirt road. With his sleeves he wipes off drops of sweat rushing from his forehead settling down on his thick brows. His straw hat gives enough shade against the scorching sun as he makes his way to the gates of the stone house.
Teo has been home for four days and only now does Isko find time to visit his friend as his father and he had to furrow the lands harder to meet the increase in the regular contribution since Fray Luciano imposed higher tributes. The tribute which used to be at eight reales that had burdened the townsmen increases to fifteen reales each. Propositioned as ten reales for the community tax, two reales for the town protection paid to the guardia civil and cuadrilleros and three reales sanctorum tax in support of the church. The friar reasoned out that he had to employ additional civil guards due to reports of attacks in the nearby towns. It has been believed that bandits claimed responsibility of these attacks stealing sacks of rice and vegetables from farms; and live stocks such as goats, pigs, chickens and carabao from ranches; resulting to an unrest in the neighboring town and fear to the town of Pasi. To protect their town from these attacks; the friar summoned additional civil guards and demanded higher tribute collections from the workers.
Even in the cattle ranch where he is also employed, he and the other cow hands have to labor additional hours in guarding the ranch to keep the bandits off the live stocks.
Isko finally reaches the huge gates; pauses walking to wipe his sweat with his sleeves and fixes his straw hat. He sees the muddy ground leading to the staircase with protruding large stones intentionally built to serve as pathways. On his way he sees Tatang Chuy descending from the staircase;
"Good day, Tatang Chuy", the young lad greets as he gently removes his straw hat
Tatang Chuy looks at the approaching red-faced visitor, who seems to be suffering from high fever
"It's a hot day, I see," Chuy greets back with a huge toothless smile
"It is, Tatang Chuy" Isko answers as he consciously wipes another drop of sweat on his forehead, "I thought I would pass out on the way,"
"Segnor Mateo is upstairs," Chuy taps the young man's shoulder, "you're in time, Teo had just finished his lunch," he pauses, "and drink some water," he adds as he makes his way out
Isko ascends upstairs passing through the large entrance hall, across the main living room he reaches the dining room. At the end of the long wooden table, Teo sits finishing his tea. Servants line up attentively inches away from the dining table while Ditas sits beside his segnor.
"You are early," Teo pushes his chair as he stands up to welcome his guest, "come join though; we have just finished," he adds
"Oy, Isko, there are still some snails left at the bottom of the jar, have at it" Ditas invites
The porcelain jar still has some cooked snails in it in coconut milk mixed with a number of cubed squash and pieces of string beans. At the corner of the table there lays the jar of rice half emptied. Beside it lay grilled catfish on a plate; it is half consumed with its bare fish bones by the belly. The table is also adorned with ripe mangoes, pineapple and papaya; all sliced in half; while at the center there still lays an empty jar of vegetable soup with malunggay leaves still hanging by its opening.
"Thank you Nanang Ditas, but I already had lunch at home," Isko reasons out as he makes a final glance at the food on the table.
"Water is fine," he says, "it's hot outside; I think I can finish one jar by myself" he finishes with an inaudible cackle
"Might as well finish the whole well until it drains!" quips Ditas along with an infectious laugh
Teo pushes his chair as he stands to formally greet his visitor. Afterwards, he takes a glance at Ditas and nods as if to communicate with her that he is done with lunch; and that the servants standing at the corner can now attend the wooden dining table.
Teo leads Isko into the large hall and down the front lawn. They leap through the protruding large stones hopping one after the other. While trailing behind Teo, Isko shares the story of the bandits' attack at the neighboring town and the possibility of them attacking their town too;
"The bandits just seized sacks of rice and live stocks?" Teo asks curiously looking back at Isko
"Fortunately they did not feel barbaric and did not burn the villages," Isko answers
"Nobody wants to perish starving," Teo exclaims sardonically
"And take someone else's sustenance?," Isko retorts
Teo smiles and shakes his head, "they're bandits! That's what they always do" he answers
They finally reach the tall gate where Tatang Chuy is waiting at the parked carriage. Upon seeing the two young men, Chuy loosens a smile.
"Hurry up boys!" the old man greets, "the good old Don is waiting for us" he finishes as the boys reach the carriage
Once inside, Tatang Chuy pulls the horse's rein and the carriage turns towards the dirt road. Isko sits on the left side, his straw hat on his hand serving as a fan; while Teo sits beside him calmly looking out the window to the surrounding rice fields.
"Did you see him?" Teo asks softly, "the Don!" he continues still looking out the window
"Father and I paid respect" Isko answers
Silence follows after as the carriage turns to a rough road. The wagon struggles to keep its pace as it rolls over stones and rocks. Teo has his left hand covering his head while his right hand tightly grips the window handle. Isko extends both his hands to reach for the roof of the carriage pushing it off to keep his head from bumping onto it
"Alright boys, hold on tighter!" Tatang Chuy shouts from outside
The carriage passes through the final stretch of the stony road. One of its wheels trips over a huge protruding stone and drives the wagon off the air. Crushed rocks and dust flies off the air as the wagon makes an impact touching down the ground after.
"Are you both still alive?!" Tatang Chuy laughs as the carriage now drives smoothly
"Barely breathing, Tatay Chuy!" Teo answers back bursting to laughter
"I thought I felt my heart coming out of my mouth," Isko claims as he fans himself again with his straw hat
"How did the Don look in his final days?" Teo interrupts,
Isko pauses fanning the straw hat as he glances through Teo's face
"He did not take it well," Isko reluctantly answers, "far from the intimidating stance he was known for," he continues
Teo smiles shyly, "He can be quite domineering at times"
"Pardon my word, Segnor," Isko smiles back
"I thought he would overcome it. Give it a good fight" Teo responds
"It overcame him instead" Isko pauses, "I did not want to suffer the same. I prefer death to come at me quickly; preferably in my sleep," he finishes with bitter smile on his face
"Nobody does," Teo answers, "nobody is prepared of their own death. Even I, when I think of it sometimes, I wish that if I am to go, I'd like it to come as quick as possible,"
Isko assesses his segnor's tone as he stares at him for a moment
"People in this town still find ways to throw in some mysteries to his death," he says
"I heard about that. A young boy told me of the townsmen's belief about a stray spirit ensnaring my father's soul in the forest" Teo responds while shaking his head in disbelief
Isko looks far at the rice fields as he carefully fixes his straw hat in place,
"My father was one with them," Isko pauses,
Teo locks his gaze at Isko;
"But do you believe them?," he curiously asks
"They claimed that the Don was punished by a pagan witch," Isko pauses, "a hag who is silently practicing the old religion planned to overthrow the colonizers. They said the Don's death was just the prelude"
Teo stares at his friend who is still looking out the window
"I was with my father when we visited the Don," Isko takes air in, "I saw him vomited dark liquid mixed with his blood. He was pale as a corpse and his stomach lumped, "
"His liver failed him. It must be from years of heavily drinking too much pangasi. He had always been reasoning out that farmers only have their glasses full of liquor as their companion after a long day of strenuous work at the farm. Especially my father, he could no longer sleep at night without an alcohol in his system. I was at my second year in Manila when my father found out about his liver swelling; he was so casual about it when he told me his physician's diagnosis, like he was not scared that it may cost him his life one day " Teo exclaims, "people would turn pale and yellowish, their stomach would also swell once their liver turns problematic,"
Isko retreats silently for he knows these are the times that he would not know how to respond each time Teo makes medical comments. Times like these remind him of his segnor's superiority while he, is just a plain farm boy who plows his segnor's land.
"I am sorry about Nanay Seling too, Isko" Teo interrupts
Isko glances at his segnor and shortly cuts it away to look out the window. His nod acts as his acknowledgment of his segnor's empathy.
Just as how fortunate Teo to be adopted and raised by Don Lorenzo was Isko's infortune. The son of a rice farmer and a lavandera to the church; Isko was left in town when Teo was sent to study pharmacy in a university in Manila. Isko then turned as his father's aid in plowing the land that does not belong to them. He grew up inheriting the only job that most men in their town knew; like what his father's father did; and like what his sons' son would be doing; farming. Once he turned seventeen, the Don employed him as one of his cow hands in the Don's cattle ranch along with other calf men, with him feeding hays to young stock.
"I saw Jimena at the stone house. It did not occur to me that she has been working as a servant" Teo exclaims after a long awkward silence
"She could no longer wait for you, Segnor," Isko answers without looking back, "She has always been besotted by your intelligence. Even back then she knew that there was nothing in this town that could hold your interests to keep you from going away, not even her"
"She could have been sufficient, honestly speaking. But my father's dream of me studying in the university had always been a priority. Besides, she had you here while I was alone for years in the city"
Isko traces the despondency in his Segnior's voice. While he is looking out the carriage's window, he realizes how far apart he and Teo have become. Far from the children that they were back when they were still serving the church as altar boys. He tries to find the appropriate response to empathize with him but his natural awkwardness fails him. Add to it the blankness of his Segnor's façade like all those years alone in the big city taught him to build massive walls around him to conceal his feelings. Before Isko could come up with his first word to utter, Teo already interrupts the silence;
"I guess we are here!"
Isko looks out the carriage's window and watches as the carriage makes a full stop in front of an iron gate; the town's cemetery.