Chapter 145: 145
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Jia grew up in small rural community in the Northern part of Cebu. Their small hut was erected on a slope halfway towards the foot of a hill and midway towards the top. On the other side of the hill was a deep cliff while the other side where their house stood, overlooked the sea that separated the islands of Cebu and Leyte.
Several meters from the house towards the foot of the mountain was a creek. During summer, the water would dry up but during rainy days, the water would swell from its pathways causing a dangerous overflow. The gravitational pressure of the water from the hills would become so strong that many lives were already claimed especially those unattended children.
Neighboring houses were far but due to the serenity of the place, the people could communicate through yelling. Due to the close succession of hills, their voices would make an echo, enough to be heard by everyone.
Few meters away from the creek, the make - shift hut of Dr. Aijohn's family was built. His father was both a drunkard and a gambler. Though he worked as a carpenter, his own house was made of tins, thick, paper boards and planks of cut - out woods and kugon roof. During paydays, their 'suki' vendors would line up in his employers house to claim his payment for the sum of money he loaned and for those alcoholic drinks and cigarretes he owed.
Nothing would be left for his family. He only lived for vices and his meager salary was not even enough to support himself. He owed great sums from those money lenders who granted 5- 6 loans.
A 5-6 loan implies an annual simple interest rate of 20 percent. This is because you will have to repay the P5 you borrowed with P6. The difference, when divided by the P5 loan is the 20 percent interest.
Their home was like a hell. Everyday, Aijohn 's parents would come up with a bloody fight. Either of them would initiate terrifying quarrels. His mother, being fed up with his irresponsibility, daily - drunk status and sexual obsession, would throw or beat him with anything she could grasp in the midst of their fights. Or at times, she would become a punching bag, a tossed or a flying object to hit their walls.
Jia and Aijohn, being the closest neighbors, became childhood bestfriends. After school and weekends, they would always go together to pick up firewoods or gather fodders for their goats and cows. When either of their mothers wash their clothes on the creek, they would go down with them to play and swim.
Not one of them could be seen without the other, even in school. In the morning, they would bath together in the creek and walked the three - kilometer distance back and forth to school. They would pass through vast spread of fields, ipil -ipil - graced ranch , chico orchard and mango farms before reaching the place. To take shorter routes, they would trudge the muddy path by the scary creek and climb some hills.
"Anna! Help! " Koko's shrill voice echoed through the surrounding hills making Jia leap from his seat.
She looked down on their window and saw Koko waving his hand, beckoning her to come. She immediately ran down, deftly hopping on the rocks and potholes leading to the foot of the hill. This was definitely a difficult terrain but Anna and Koko had been used to this that they could even pass back and forth during night time.
"Koko?" She yelled. "What happened again? " Koko 's repeated request for his assistance was no longer new.
"Anna, Monkey and Monggos would just not stop crying. It's almost dark but mama is not yet home." Koko met her with a worried look.
"Have they eaten? "
Anna look at the crying four - year -old - boy who wore a big shirt of his father. His face was soiled and messy. Then he shifted her eyes towards a two - year -old boy in Koko's arms as he frantically rocked him to sleep.
"We don't have rice anymore. I just boiled some kamunggay leaves to fill our stomach."
Kamunggay is the Cebuano term for malunggay leaves, commonly -known as horse - raddish tree, scientifically named as moringa oleifera.
She turned to Monkey. "Monkey, why are you crying? " She held the boy and pulled him towards her.
"Mamaaaa.. " The boy still kept om crying.
"You're hungry? " The boy nodded.
"Okay, wait for me. " She looked at Koko for a while before she ran out of their house.
"Anna, nooo. " Koko knew she would get rice from their house and he was already too ashamed of their constant reliance on them.
But Anna did not listen. When she was back, she already had with her a pack of uncooked rice. She hurriedly went to their dirty kitchen and built a fire. Then, she rinse the rice before placing the pot above the tripods of three big rocks to cook.
"Anna, tomorrow, just go home ahead after school."
"Why? " She asked while blowing into the fire.
At eight years old, she could already do difficult household works. Her parents were always late in coming home from the 'tapasan'. Tapasan is the sugarcane plantation where they worked as 'tapasero' or harvester. So, it was her who prepared their dinner, aside from gathering firewoods and goat fodders.
"I will go to the town to sell firewoods. I will use the money to buy food for these little ones. I'll just leave it in your house so that papa can't sell it for his Tanduay." Koko explained.
"I'll go with you, as well, so that we can sell more firewoods to buy your school needs."
"Thank you, Anna. Someday, I swear, I will be rich and famous."
"Yes, Koko. If that day comes, please, don't forget me. " She said, fully believing he could be.
Koko's brilliance and exemplary performance in school had long been recognized by the faculty. He was persistently sent by the school as a delegate for science fairs and competitions.
"Let's work hard and build our dreams together, Anna. " Koko looked far ahead, farther beyond the restraints of hills and valleys.
Beyond those foggy hills, lied a beautiful, crimson horizon. And beyond that horizon, was a bright and sophisticated world , where dazzling greatness beyond the production of farmlands, could be achieved.
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Jia grew up in small rural community in the Northern part of Cebu. Their small hut was erected on a slope halfway towards the foot of a hill and midway towards the top. On the other side of the hill was a deep cliff while the other side where their house stood, overlooked the sea that separated the islands of Cebu and Leyte.
Several meters from the house towards the foot of the mountain was a creek. During summer, the water would dry up but during rainy days, the water would swell from its pathways causing a dangerous overflow. The gravitational pressure of the water from the hills would become so strong that many lives were already claimed especially those unattended children.
Neighboring houses were far but due to the serenity of the place, the people could communicate through yelling. Due to the close succession of hills, their voices would make an echo, enough to be heard by everyone.
Few meters away from the creek, the make - shift hut of Dr. Aijohn's family was built. His father was both a drunkard and a gambler. Though he worked as a carpenter, his own house was made of tins, thick, paper boards and planks of cut - out woods and kugon roof. During paydays, their 'suki' vendors would line up in his employers house to claim his payment for the sum of money he loaned and for those alcoholic drinks and cigarretes he owed.
Nothing would be left for his family. He only lived for vices and his meager salary was not even enough to support himself. He owed great sums from those money lenders who granted 5- 6 loans.
A 5-6 loan implies an annual simple interest rate of 20 percent. This is because you will have to repay the P5 you borrowed with P6. The difference, when divided by the P5 loan is the 20 percent interest.
Their home was like a hell. Everyday, Aijohn 's parents would come up with a bloody fight. Either of them would initiate terrifying quarrels. His mother, being fed up with his irresponsibility, daily - drunk status and sexual obsession, would throw or beat him with anything she could grasp in the midst of their fights. Or at times, she would become a punching bag, a tossed or a flying object to hit their walls.
Jia and Aijohn, being the closest neighbors, became childhood bestfriends. After school and weekends, they would always go together to pick up firewoods or gather fodders for their goats and cows. When either of their mothers wash their clothes on the creek, they would go down with them to play and swim.
Not one of them could be seen without the other, even in school. In the morning, they would bath together in the creek and walked the three - kilometer distance back and forth to school. They would pass through vast spread of fields, ipil -ipil - graced ranch , chico orchard and mango farms before reaching the place. To take shorter routes, they would trudge the muddy path by the scary creek and climb some hills.
"Anna! Help! " Koko's shrill voice echoed through the surrounding hills making Jia leap from his seat.
She looked down on their window and saw Koko waving his hand, beckoning her to come. She immediately ran down, deftly hopping on the rocks and potholes leading to the foot of the hill. This was definitely a difficult terrain but Anna and Koko had been used to this that they could even pass back and forth during night time.
"Koko?" She yelled. "What happened again? " Koko 's repeated request for his assistance was no longer new.
"Anna, Monkey and Monggos would just not stop crying. It's almost dark but mama is not yet home." Koko met her with a worried look.
"Have they eaten? "
Anna look at the crying four - year -old - boy who wore a big shirt of his father. His face was soiled and messy. Then he shifted her eyes towards a two - year -old boy in Koko's arms as he frantically rocked him to sleep.
"We don't have rice anymore. I just boiled some kamunggay leaves to fill our stomach."
Kamunggay is the Cebuano term for malunggay leaves, commonly -known as horse - raddish tree, scientifically named as moringa oleifera.
She turned to Monkey. "Monkey, why are you crying? " She held the boy and pulled him towards her.
"Mamaaaa.. " The boy still kept om crying.
"You're hungry? " The boy nodded.
"Okay, wait for me. " She looked at Koko for a while before she ran out of their house.
"Anna, nooo. " Koko knew she would get rice from their house and he was already too ashamed of their constant reliance on them.
But Anna did not listen. When she was back, she already had with her a pack of uncooked rice. She hurriedly went to their dirty kitchen and built a fire. Then, she rinse the rice before placing the pot above the tripods of three big rocks to cook.
"Anna, tomorrow, just go home ahead after school."
"Why? " She asked while blowing into the fire.
At eight years old, she could already do difficult household works. Her parents were always late in coming home from the 'tapasan'. Tapasan is the sugarcane plantation where they worked as 'tapasero' or harvester. So, it was her who prepared their dinner, aside from gathering firewoods and goat fodders.
"I will go to the town to sell firewoods. I will use the money to buy food for these little ones. I'll just leave it in your house so that papa can't sell it for his Tanduay." Koko explained.
"I'll go with you, as well, so that we can sell more firewoods to buy your school needs."
"Thank you, Anna. Someday, I swear, I will be rich and famous."
"Yes, Koko. If that day comes, please, don't forget me. " She said, fully believing he could be.
Koko's brilliance and exemplary performance in school had long been recognized by the faculty. He was persistently sent by the school as a delegate for science fairs and competitions.
"Let's work hard and build our dreams together, Anna. " Koko looked far ahead, farther beyond the restraints of hills and valleys.
Beyond those foggy hills, lied a beautiful, crimson horizon. And beyond that horizon, was a bright and sophisticated world , where dazzling greatness beyond the production of farmlands, could be achieved.
Jia grew up in small rural community in the Northern part of Cebu. Their small hut was erected on a slope halfway towards the foot of a hill and midway towards the top. On the other side of the hill was a deep cliff while the other side where their house stood, overlooked the sea that separated the islands of Cebu and Leyte. Several meters from the house towards the foot of the mountain was a creek. During summer, the water would dry up but during rainy days, the water would swell from its pathways causing a dangerous overflow. The gravitational pressure of the water from the hills would become so strong that many lives were already claimed especially those unattended children. Neighboring houses were far but due to the serenity of the place, the people could communicate through yelling. Due to the close succession of hills, their voices would make an echo, enough to be heard by everyone. Few meters away from the creek, the make - shift hut of Dr. Aijohn's family was built. His father was both a drunkard and a gambler. Though he worked as a carpenter, his own house was made of tins, thick, paper boards and planks of cut - out woods and kugon roof. During paydays, their 'suki' vendors would line up in his employers house to claim his payment for the sum of money he loaned and for those alcoholic drinks and cigarretes he owed. Nothing would be left for his family. He only lived for vices and his meager salary was not even enough to support himself. He owed great sums from those money lenders who granted 5- 6 loans. A5-6 loanimplies an annual simple interest rate of 20 percent. This is because you will have to repay the P5 you borrowed with P6. The difference, when divided by the P5loanis the 20 percent interest. Their home was like a hell. Everyday, Aijohn 's parents would come up with a bloody fight. Either of them would initiate terrifying quarrels. His mother, being fed up with his irresponsibility, daily - drunk status and sexual obsession, would throw or beat him with anything she could grasp in the midst of their fights. Or at times, she would become a punching bag, a tossed or a flying object to hit their walls. Jia and Aijohn, being the closest neighbors, became childhood bestfriends. After school and weekends, they would always go together to pick up firewoods or gather fodders for their goats and cows. When either of their mothers wash their clothes on the creek, they would go down with them to play and swim. Not one of them could be seen without the other, even in school. In the morning, they would bath together in the creek and walked the three - kilometer distance back and forth to school. They would pass through vast spread of fields, ipil -ipil - graced ranch , chico orchard and mango farms before reaching the place. To take shorter routes, they would trudge the muddy path by the scary creek and climb some hills. "Anna! Help! " Koko's shrill voice echoed through the surrounding hills making Jia leap from his seat. She looked down on their window and saw Koko waving his hand, beckoning her to come. She immediately ran down, deftly hopping on the rocks and potholes leading to the foot of the hill. This was definitely a difficult terrain but Anna and Koko had been used to this that they could even pass back and forth during night time. "Koko?" She yelled. "What happened again? " Koko 's repeated request for his assistance was no longer new. "Anna, Monkey and Monggos would just not stop crying. It's almost dark but mama is not yet home." Koko met her with a worried look. "Have they eaten? " Anna look at the crying four - year -old - boy who wore a big shirt of his father. His face was soiled and messy. Then he shifted her eyes towards a two - year -old boy in Koko's arms as he frantically rocked him to sleep. "We don't have rice anymore. I just boiled some kamunggay leaves to fill our stomach." Kamunggay is the Cebuano term for malunggay leaves, commonly -known as horse - raddish tree, scientifically named as moringa oleifera. She turned to Monkey. "Monkey, why are you crying? " She held the boy and pulled him towards her. "Mamaaaa.. " The boy still kept om crying. "You're hungry? " The boy nodded. "Okay, wait for me. " She looked at Koko for a while before she ran out of their house. "Anna, nooo. " Koko knew she would get rice from their house and he was already too ashamed of their constant reliance on them. But Anna did not listen. When she was back, she already had with her a pack of uncooked rice. She hurriedly went to their dirty kitchen and built a fire. Then, she rinse the rice before placing the pot above the tripods of three big rocks to cook. "Anna, tomorrow, just go home ahead after school." "Why? " She asked while blowing into the fire. At eight years old, she could already do difficult household works. Her parents were always late in coming home from the 'tapasan'. Tapasan is the sugarcane plantation where they worked as 'tapasero' or harvester. So, it was her who prepared their dinner, aside from gathering firewoods and goat fodders. "I will go to the town to sell firewoods. I will use the money to buy food for these little ones. I'll just leave it in your house so that papa can't sell it for his Tanduay." Koko explained. "I'll go with you, as well, so that we can sell more firewoods to buy your school needs." "Thank you, Anna. Someday, I swear, I will be rich and famous." "Yes, Koko. If that day comes, please, don't forget me. " She said, fully believing he could be. Koko's brilliance and exemplary performance in school had long been recognized by the faculty. He was persistently sent by the school as a delegate for science fairs and competitions. "Let's work hard and build our dreams together, Anna. " Koko looked far ahead, farther beyond the restraints of hills and valleys. Beyond those foggy hills, lied a beautiful, crimson horizon. And beyond that horizon, was a bright and sophisticated world , where dazzling greatness beyond the production of farmlands, could be achieved.
