Pasasalamat (Fiction)

 PASASALAMAT (THANKSGIVING)

BY: LARA MIA VERONICA

                                                                         

  

No one alive could tell how hot hell really is, but that day when the village of indigenous people burned, one could compare the heat to the underground realm. Mayumi (Ma-yoo-mi) stood at the top of the plateau whistling a happy tune. Her mirth was put to a halt when she saw the fire down below.

            "Inay! Itay!" (Mom! Dad!)

            She was about to run down when she saw her village collapse.

            "Anong nangyari, Mayumi?" (What happened, Mayumi?)

            That question came from Digos, Mayumi's 'kasintahan' (boyfriend).

            "Hindi ko alam...siguro si Mayor ay may kagagawan nito." (I don't know. I think the Mayor's responsible for all of this.)

            Digos wrapped his arms around Mayumi as she tried to fight her tears.

             Barcelo Rubio was only 28 years old, but he was  the most powerful man in town. Even the governor was afraid of him. If you did not know him, you might even be attracted to him, notwithstanding your gender. He was more than six feet tall. His eyelashes were long, his eyes were hazel, and his hair was chestnut brown.  Evidently, he had traces of Spanish blood, but I doubt if the Spaniards would be proud of him knowing how lethal he was. Not even the conquerors listed in the annals of our history were as evil as he was.

         One of the people who was mesmerized by Barcelo was Annabelle, a seventeen year old co-ed who was studying in one of the most prestigious schools in Manila.  She fell in love at first sight when Mayor Rubio was invited to speak during a symposium about child abuse.                                                   

               For her, Mayor Rubio was the most caring person in the whole world. Mayor Rubio was responsible for raiding "safe houses" that harmed the welfare of children. He even headed a task force to stop drug abuse. He was a hero in the eyes of many.

                But the people from his province did not think so. He grabbed lands. He salvaged other politicians. He exaggerated the need for funds. He even destroyed villages, but would claim that it was always a natural disaster (like forest fires, cyclones, etc.).  He invented unconstitutional taxes and he even cheated during the elections.

                 Mayumi's father, Bahag-hari (rainbow), was the real victor, but Barcelo claimed he was the one. Unlike one of the late Presidents who made it look like he had a landslide victory making it obvious for those who did not vote for him that he cheated, Barcelo Rubio was wiser by making the final result look like this: 98%-2%.

                 Bahag-hari continued to serve the people. The rich and the poor loved him. They even appealed to the President of the Republic to look over the matters, but unfortunately, because of his track record  in the Metropolis, the President did not listen.

                 Mayor Rubio did not need cronies to tell him what to do. He planned everything himself. He let all Bahag-hari's neighbors perish, including innocent babes.

                 Two months after Annabelle met the dashing young Mayor, she invited him to be her escort during her debutante's ball.  Annabelle was the only daughter of Magno Pereira, one of the richest people in the country.  Barcelo thought to himself that this is the best opportunity for power.  After all, Annabelle was lovely to look at, and she was the sole heiress to all the Pereira riches.

            While dancing the waltz in front of hundreds of people in the Rizal Ballroom of Shangri-La, Manila, Barcelo proposed marriage to Annabelle. Annabelle did not think twice. She accepted.

            Fortunately for Annabelle, and unfortunately for Barcelo, Magno Pereira, who was the most cynical person in the Metropolis, made Barcelo sign a pre-nuptial agreement during the wedding announcement in front of thousands of people during a benefit show.

                Like a learned thespian, Barcelo smiled and told Don Magno that he was not after Annabelle's inheritance and that he loved her with all his might. He signed the agreement and this made the Don believe in him more. For one reason or another, this made him very credible to his future investors.  Boy, was he lucky.  He can have his cake and eat it too.  

                 The wedding was a fiesta. Everybody who was anybody was invited. It was the talk of the nation. There were pies, roasted ducks, and stuffed turkey; hams, different kinds of rice cakes and a whole lot more.   They even had the traditional lechon de leche (roasted suckling pig), and everybody felt like its relatives afterwards.

                 While everybody was rejoicing, Mayumi and Digos were not. They were praying to Bat-hala (their god) for the souls of their departed. Since they were pre-cremated anyway, they mixed the ashes to the soil and sang songs of lamentation.

                 "Bat-hala would take care of him for our people. Bat-hala would take avenge!" the two chanted repetitiously in their dialect.

                 Mayumi looked up in the sky then shouted, "Bat-hala, dinggin mo ang aming pighati.... nagdurugo ang aming mga puso...hindi lamang         kami ni Digos, Panginoon... pati na rin ang mga puso ng lahat ng aming mga             kababayan." (God, hear our lamentation...our hearts are bleeding... not only Digos' and mine, but all the hearts of the people in our town.)                                                                                                                                       

           

            Mayumi and Digos held each other's hands and without releasing each other, did the half-bridge and closed their eyes to think deeply. They did not know if they imagined it or not, but they thought they heard the wind whisper Annabelle.

               Annabelle was sleeping on her feather bed at her estate in Makati. (After the wedding she went back to the Metropolis after a few days to continue her studies.) She did not know what it was, but something woke her up. She started praying for her husband's soul.

              The following day, she filed for a leave of absence then went to the province where her husband was. At first, Barcelo hated the idea because he could not move freely, but when Annabelle served him like a king, he was thankful for her presence.

             Each morning, Annabelle would wake up early to attend the six a.m. mass. She would wake up at four to make his breakfast then walk to the church, which was a mile away, trusting her guardian angel to take care of her.

             She would pray for Barcelo in the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, then would still pray for him during the mass. After the mass, she would talk to the ladies in blue then walk with them going back to her house. Barcelo was always at the breakfast table each time she arrived and today was no exception.

             "You always cook a mean meal for me. Thank you for keeping it hot."

             "Thank my dad for buying the equipment in France," she told him.

              Little by little, Barcelo fell in love with her.

             The townspeople also loved Annabelle. She was not the typical mayor's wife. She was not even the typical bratty rich kid nor was she the typical taga-Maynila (Manilenian-they call all the people from the Metropolis Manilenian).  She treated everyone equally and listened to their cries.  She welcomed criticisms, and she always took it with a grain of salt.

                One evening, Annabelle told Barcelo how much she loved him. Barcelo burst into tears.

                 "Why, my love?" Annabelle asked.

                 "I am not worthy to love. I have..."

                 "Destroyed villages. Salvaged a lot of people. Name it... I know it."

                 "You know, and yet you love me?"

                 "My love for you is unconditional. After all, I made a promise--in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer. I also believe in the 13th chapter of First Corinthians. I love you because of you.    I love you, even all your defects, though I pray that one day you'll change."

                 Barcelo was speechless. He took a sabbatical for a month, went soul-searching and realized how wrong he was.

                 Annabelle was convinced; the townspeople, they were another case.

                 Barcelo did not make a speech, nor did he claim that he changed. He showed the people little by little how his heart was changing. He helped the poor and gave funds for crops. He gave the people what was due them and also rebuilt villages.

                 One day while Barcelo and Annabelle were riding through the forest when they ran across Mayumi and Digos. They were married that time and Mayumi was with child. Barcelo could not look at them in the eye.

                                                                                                                                     

                 "Magandang araw po, Mayor...magandang araw po, misis."        (Good day, Mayor. Good day, Mrs.)

                 "Hindi ako makapaniwalang kinakausap mo ako, Mayumi." (I can’t believe you’re speaking to me, Mayumi.)

                 "Siya ba si Mayumi? Siya ba ang dati mong nobya?" Annabelle asked. (Is she Mayumi? Your old flame?)

                 "Opo, ako po si Mayumi." (Yes, I am Mayumi.)

                 "Ang ganda mo nga pala." (You're beautiful indeed.)

                 They were all silent for a while. Digos was edgy.

                 "Napatawad mo na ba ako, Mayumi?" (Have you forgiven me, Mayumi?)

                 "Matagal na...ipinasaDiyos ko na ang lahat...ang hindi ko lang maintindiha'y bakit dinamay mo pa ang mga walang malay?"   (I forgave you a long time ago. I left everything in God's hands. What I don't understand is why you let innocent people die too?)

                 "Galit ako sa iyo noon Mayumi...nasaktan ako't pinili mo ang pag-ibig ni Digos at binale-wala mo ang sa akin...nagalit din ako sa iyong ama dahil kinalaban niya ako...alam niyang pangarap kong maging alkade," Barcelo said. (I was mad at you that time, Mayumi. I was hurt because you chose to requite Digos' love and took for granted mine. I was also mad at your father for he ran against me; he knew my dreams of becoming a mayor.)

            Barcelo dismounted then looked at Digos. When Digos nodded, he looked at Annabelle, who happened to dismount too. She also nodded. Barcelo held Mayumi's hands then said, "Pinagsisihan ko na ang lahat... natauhan ako  dahil sa pagmamahal ni Annabelle."  (I am repentant and remorseful. I came to my senses due to Annabelle's love.)

                 Mayumi looked at Digos.  Digos squeezed her shoulder.   It was a go signal. Mayumi and Barcelo embraced each other.  Barcelo promised to resign as mayor and to turn himself in.

                 The following day was the Thanksgiving Day in their barrio in honor of the patron Saint of that town.  That was the first Thanksgiving Day after a long, long time that people were really thankful to the Lord, all because of the unconditional love of Annabelle.

                                                                                    THE END

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.