the rains have come

I was feeling a bit claustrophobic puttering around the convent as per usual, so I decided to take a constitutional down to the peir. It's been so long since I've walked anywhere alone. The drizzle was conducive to this. On the way, the boatman who took us to the island that one day to hunt for shells and spear fish stopped me to say hello... Yup, I'm bored too... At the peir another guy starting up his motorized canoe cheerfully calls my name. I don't recognize him but I pretend I do. He's from another barangay here in town to bury his neighbor, a young girl of 18 years. Earlier that morning a couple of the girl's friends came to the convent while we were eating breakfast to ask Fr. Pjey where to put her body. "In the back of the graveyard, by the bone box," was the casual response. "How did she die?"
"TB"
"Oh."
The guy at the peir seemed to think the cause was rather something wrong with her heart. Other theories regarding the reason for this untimely death include meningitis, brain tumor, and being hit in the head by a heavy object. It's like people just make up their own stories, or don't care enough to find out the real reason for such a tragedy. Myself included? ...I suppose.

Are dark clouds, stormy seas, and a sadness of heart to match, enough to mourn the loss of one of His "lost sheep?"

trippin

Here in Cebu finishing up a two week journey to Mindanao. I brought my good pal Edito along as my bodyguard. He's a 27 year old convent boy, and recent college grad who's currently just milling around and keeping me company until an opportunity for work presents itself. Yo-yo, as we call him, is cheerful guy and easy to be with, despite his frequent fits of teeth-clenching and pinching which is uncanny, annoying, and amusing.

We spent about a week at lola's house just taking our times and enjoying some grandma love. Bid our final senti farewells to the Korean friars-to-be over a chopstick dinner of spicy and delicious foods (the first non-filipino meal I've had in a great while). Took many energy-sapping trips to the mega-malls. Also visited my lola on my dad's side who's staying in a nursing home run by nuns. After I aswered the same question several times, I finally realized that her mental capacity is declining and she didn't remember who I was. Kind of uncomfortable and sad, but I'm glad I went.

Then... after 13 hours of lying on a cot staring through the side rails at the sea I could finally see the land of our destination, Mindanao. Ate Ida and Kuya Fred picked us up at the port city of Dapitan. Ida is my cousin, a radiologist, who recently moved her family into their simple thached-roof Nipa house. Her salaray as a doctor is about $1000 a month which is ample for raising a couple of kids and having a good but simple life. Fred stays at home watching the kids and raising his fighting cocks. In the morning we bought some fish at the market and then went home to sit in the shade, drink beer and eat sashimi.

Later on we met Fr. Pejay who just finished giving a retreat in the same place. On of the retreatants owned some fancy pants resort, Dakak (yes, pronounced as its looks), and we spent a couple of free nights there. No complaints here, if you know what I mean (elbow, elbow).

And then.. we went to Fr. Pejay's and his sister, Sr. MaryLou's, place in Kolambugan to celebrate their papa's 60th birthday. Typical Filipino party: slaughtered pigs, San Miguel, tons of family, friends, and neighbors, and videoke. Their dad's a tricycle driver and they are poor but that doesn't stop the good times from rolling here, if you know what I mean (elbow, elbow).

Last night, overnight slow boat from Mindanao to Cebu, and tonight overnight again to Biliran where pigs and chickens and carabao await me.