Out in the dark, as we walk in silence and urgency there we saw a ray of light by the forbidden shore of Coron, Palawan.
The time is running slow, I flew back to Palawan for my grandfather. He was rushed in a hospital for a heartburn, we asked him to stay home and always be under the mango tree since it’s the windiest part of the house. I always saw him seated on a bench, during the hottest time of the day every summer. When I got there, I saw my father by the cashier as he paid for the hospital bill, the nurse asked, ‘You’re paying in advance, sir?” Yes, he said. Then he gave me an envelope, I put in inside my bag. I knew it was from the caught of the day and those were sold was paid in cash, if it’s in an envelope, he’s also done with the taxes that he pays every time he sells what he caught. It was always my task to deposit the cash to our bank when I was in high school, and it was through the same that we pay for the taxes. Benjia, Joselito and Miguel was with me, they booked a flight for us on the same day. All they have was a back pack of clothes and their laptops. “I need to go to the waters, I missed the markings this morning, I need to appease the deities.” He said. We tried to stop him, “No, it was not about that ‘Tay; it’s due to heat wave.” Benjo said. “I still need to pray to them for his health, son.” My father said. While Pedro’s father followed him with disapproval on his face. We let go and went straight where my grand father was. He’s in his ‘90s and still strong, with his vegetarian diet. It’s just there’s something about summer that he can’t tolerate the temperature unlike years ago, sometimes I wonder that maybe he needs to be near the water. When he awakens, he asked for my father, I told him that I need to check on him.The doctor came and he said, he’s clear from the heart burn. The doctor allowed us to leave, will come back early morning. When a nurse came and said that she’ll stay with my grandfather. “I know Miguel.” The doctor said. It’s past 3:00 am, the four of us rode a tricycle towards the fishing area. The tricycle driver said, that the fishermen starts their preparations around the same time. As we got off the tricycle, hired two. We walk towards the shore and there it was his other lamp 5 meters away from the water, and Pedro’s father patiently waits for him while he sat on the sand. He look behind then he saw us a few steps away from him. He stood up and said, one of the fishermen returned and there’s no sign of your father, except this lamp that he left here by the shore. When I was about to ask, Felipe’s father just came back from the waters. I saw your father’s scapular afloat, but he’s no where to be found. I was shocked, in dismay I sat on the sand and Miguel started to ask if there’s someone with a telephone. Pedro’s father hand over to me the lamp, it’ was my grand father’s, it was lit through a piece of thick candle with the spare candles and another envelope. We didn’t know that the doctor called the police station to report the situation. He should had paddled back by now. Most of fishermen started their way in the water for their morning catch, the first batch started at 2:00 AM because it’s a Friday. The 2nd batch starts around 4:00 AM. I ripped a piece of paper from my notebook, and wrote a prayer of request. Miguel, Joselito and Benjo ask if they can write a note on it too. I gave it to them they turn it around then started to pen their prayers. We sealed the letter with the candle wax, I walk to towards the waters and when it touches my feet, I burned the paper under a full moon with a hope of his return. Behind me are my friends and the other fishermen with lighted candles. When I look back and saw that they still bowed their head facing the waters so did I. We walked back and rode the same tricycles on our way home to take a quick shower. There’s a nearby showroom but Pedro’s father said, not this hour. We need to wash from our house, the four of us went home to my grand father’s house. They’ll be staying there for a while, to rest I know they need to be in school by Tuesday. Monday is our research day, it’s the subject that we can bring home. Till we reach home, once we are all prepared to sleep, we prayed the living rosary. I tried to sleep but I could not, I waited for the sun rises, then it was time to pack clothes for my late grand father as he needs me in the hospital.
“It was time to find a job, as a half Filipino – Vietnamese to understand the culture I decided to stay in one of the island in Palawan. The last photograph of my grandmother that my father have was on this market with the sellers. I do hope I get to find her soon. On my way to buy my groceries, I came across a lady with notebook in her bike basket. She’s a native I suppose, all the sellers keeps asking her questions about who’s back in town. As I pick a bunch of Chinese parsley, I heard her say asking for sea grapes. When she glanced at me, she smiled. Her eyes are a bit of brown, then she left and the people in the market said that she’s on her way to a construction site where a new hotel is being build. I took out the photo to politely ask them if they know the person…”
By the end of the day, I went to ‘Lola’s’ place to check on her. The young man is still there, he’s 4 years younger than me and I saw how happy they were. His name is Han, I knew that Lola had a son but need to leave the island for his family. For years we help her each time she receives boxes from Vietnam, now we finally met his son. As I entered the room, I aroma of cinnamon bark, star anise, Chinese parsley and sesame oil in a beef broth surrounds the entrance door. It smells Pho soup. I made my way to their kitchen, and saw Pearl sweeping the floor. She look at me and ask if I want a serving, Ada just left she needs to check the result of her final home work as a summer graduate. We sat on a bench, outside their inside-kitchen. They have this door that will lead you to their ‘dirty kitchen’ it’s the native stove that even my house have it. There are so many things I want to ask her, she sat in silence till she ask, ‘Is there anything on your mind?” Same question she ask when there are a few more clarification that I need.
Ezekiel: What happened afterwards?
Pearl: I ignored him completely, I don’t have much patience with towards that type of person. If you want to know if I was able to get my informations. Yes, I did. There’s even this conversation, where we argue because of his false accusations on voice record. The thing is it’s the people that he send it to, a few gave a word to me that he edited the recording. He made me look stupid, but those people are someone we know from school, also students. They knew how I talk and never believed him. That’s why I never answered your email, asking who I was speaking to on that recorded video, they need to expose that video as awareness to other traveler-students and a few notes was posted online.
Ezekiel: I read a few, and it was just some thoughts that most of us feel when we have troubles at home.
Pearl: True, it’s a harmless piece of writing. There’s a part of me that wants him to be put in jail. He thought I was not the author of the material, because of the email address and user name that I created. His arrogance triggered my patience to do an investigation on him. A number of things I found out from his past. He’s using someone from his family to get away from his wrong doings. He tends to be-little Filipinas based on the sentences he delivered. My assessment was all true, after that conversation.
Ezekiel: You sound calm during that conversation, and it worried me because I know you were very angry. Did you ask him to write and what else did he say that you can recall?
Pearl: I don’t he can ever will. His arrogance on getting things done easily without fuss made him look like a fool. Oh yeah, he made me laugh when he said that I was only there because of my family’s money, I am not blood related, my paper works are fraud. He said, a relative told him of that. I am not close to any of them anyway. We all know that the family I consider is from Vietnam, I am not in good terms with my parents. The real reason why I went there was because my cousin told me that my mother needs blood transfusion and they can’t find an organ donor that matches hers. After the medical tests I went through, she suddenly recovered from the operation and medicines she’s taking. One of her doctors said that it can really be an emotional dilemma and that something doctors can’t heal.
Ezekiel: Did he try to apologize?
Pearl: Sure he did! Apology that I need to help with a paper. I did not accept. I’m not stupid, why would I help someone like him. Did he think my agitation can easily be gone in a snap of a finger? How can I accept an apology, he even brag that people will be on his side for his petition about his assessment about my paper for UP Diliman as my final material because he’s American, after all those online post that he did just to cover himself. The funny is thing is, he’s too confident about his ‘kutob’. It was so irritating when all that he just said were false.
Ezekiel: Do you have the documents of your investigation?
Pearl: It came in today. I’ll hand it to you.
Ezekiel: I find him annoying, all stupid accusations. Did you feel that he was pushing you to be like him? Don’t tell there’s even a possibility while re-constructing your post, he made a bet with those people that he sent messages to.
Pearl: Somehow, but how can someone manipulate me that way. He just made me think that’s he treats immigrants. Given the news, immigrants are not welcome at all. There’s something wrong with the way he thinks, his reasonings are justified by history of what happened during the world war. Like his knowledge was just through conversation without realizing the reality. That there’s nothing that he can use against me. I never did anything wrong, it was him, his act that triggered my question to him. I was really surprised with how he is, I even have an American classmate in Literature.
When Han peeked from the door, ‘Lola’ is looking for us. We entered the living room, passing through the kitchen where I place my empty bowl in the sink. She let us sat together by her usual table, she draw the cards. These cards show yours, it’s finally complete, Ada is an ace of spades. Soon the time for our own ceremony will begin. I’m not getting any younger and I need to teach all of you the things that my grandparents taught me. I need to see Miguel and Joselito again Ezekiel. Yes, ’Lola’ they’ll be here this week because of the project. Did Benjo came by? I asked. Yes he did and is still the Eight of Diamonds. It’s almost complete for the set of what Lola needs. It wasn’t the first time that an elder prepares for something inevitable. One of those sad times of our lives in this island where in we need to accept the preceding future in a few years.
“One late morning, while on a bike I saw the construction site that the sellers point me to. As I placed my bike beside a tree, I heard someone calls Ezekiel. That’s him, that I need to ask. I look the way where the voice sound was strong, I saw him. There’s anxiousness that came through as I started to walk towards them. A few more steps, I’m now facing him. “Good morning! I am hoping you can help me find a relative.” I said, as I took out the photo and hand it to him. Ezekiel look at me with a surprise, ‘We call her Lola, she lives near this area.’ He said. Then she came with her bike, ‘Here’s the lunch to grill.’ She said. “Ada can guide you to Lola’s place.” I was finally introduced. It’s been a month but now, I can finally meet a relative of mine from here. There’s even a sign that says, ‘Hiring AutoCAD Engineer.’
Han started to work with us on the project, we needed someone who can do the CAD graph to document the final stages, adjustments of the construction. Were done with the beams, it’s time for the cabinets and the material for the roof came in from Japan. There are some days at work where in Pedro looks at me and I know that we need to move the bottle with the cinnamon be. Good thing Amelia mentioned to us that there are some hours where in she started to feel something unexplained, Han asked her to chew some native fruits to shoo it away. When she started to design the altar, it stopped. It’s a small chapel behind the building where in guest can do their prayers that can occupy by 12 people. The lamps finally came, there are Japanese lanterns and a made to order old filipino lampara. At noon, the internet provider came to do the installation, he checked the radio frequency that Benjo and I prepared for a week. The team is finally organized, with their designated accountabilities that fits their skills and expertise. We need to test the but I need to wait for Miguel, the 3 types of access cards are with him. When I saw Pedro, sweeping the floor, I got used to seeing him that way when he tries to find a tiny tool. He built us an outdoor kitchen from broken bricks and spare cement. I saw that there’s something in a steamer, must be siopao, suman and sapin-sapin. The guest and bed rooms are half-way done, but the office room, locker rooms, sleeping quarters, storage, laundry area, lunch area and kitchen are on schedule. We accomplished the kitchen area first, the stoves are placed, ventilators, wall mounted hood since we need a few days to test the ranges. There is also an outdoor kitchen with the same wall-mounted hood there’s also a hand made pugod that is now fully functional. Old lamps designs was requested 12 was placed under the outdoor kitchen table. They are starting on the resto-coffee shop and bar; the bar is the easiest to do. Amelia, suddenly walk in, telling me that some of the furnitures will be late on delivery. It seems so, it’ll be coming from Bicol, I told her. It’ll be place on hold from the customs, I just need to call Benjo for it. He’ll be here by tomorrow, he’s running errands for the permits and other certifications needed for this building. I smiled and told her, don’t worry, we’ll be on time. The date I plot on the schedule is much early than the anticipated opening date since we need to stay on budget. The underground distribution system that safe keep the critical electrical connections and transformers have an exit door, with stairs going up, there rest an old well that we kept clean all these years and made a house for it. Like a small traditional Japanese garden house within the walls of the back yard, from those walls another set of exits can be found. They started to mark the place of the fire extinguisher. Walking back to the entrance I saw Benjo laughing with Pedro in a conversation. “Hey Ezekiel, do you know which was born first, a chicken or an egg?” Pedro kept on laughing. It’s one of those filipino question jokes but some people do have a serious answer. “Even I don’t know.” I said and laugh. Till Benjo ask, “How many chicken were there, and are those from Noah’s arc?” He got one answer. We all laugh at each other while he took a bite from his bola-bola siopao. Miguel and Joselito came mid afterternoon their wives are left in the house beside mine with two bedrooms and two toilet and baths. They said, the two went for a bike ride to stroll around and buy a few things from the nearest market. The ladies love the Island since they were in college, we saw them a few times in Coron. They basically know their way around here, at 4:00 PM their wives came with their bike, and Pearl just got out of the water from a dive. Amelia, Pearl, Ada and the wives got along well. They even started the fire for the grill, it became a Friday routine for us to dine together after a week of work and yet we still work on weekends. A few of have things to do, especially Han who’s documenting the development of the project, the day by day progress that we do before the final blue print, there’s also the draft that needs to be signed prior to the print out. It is a meticulous role to do, he’s through for the separate draft of the underground vault, outdoor kitchen, restaurant kitchen, and indoor pool area. Once the building is complete the full dimensions, specifications and functions for the blueprint be in draft then to print. He’s very friendly and ask a lot of clarifications. Pedro guided him through the original lay out of the area, before there was a construction site. Benjo sat with him when he started to do the draft especially for the generators, Michael and Joselito helped with the RF diagnostics box and the radius capacity for a wide internet service. He was surprised that there was even a helipad, 5 miles away from the hotel. At first we were against it, because of the area will be too far but it’s been asked and requested so we found a place where it can be roughly built since there’ll be still grass and the airfield lighting are now placed. It’ll also be use for emergency, well we all hope there’ll be none. We noticed how he looks at Ada, I don’t mind at all and he did ask about her a lot. Those days that Ada was here, we let them talk, I even made sure that she comes here during breaks so that they will have more time to talk. Since it’s seldom for Ada to stay late for the past days.
It’s been a month since I started on this project and it’s almost done, as I look at the building, there are now wooden sliding doors inspired from shoji with another, they’ve attached the card key lock from the entrance door of each room. One two room is set, with 7 inches tantami bed, 3 inches hikibuton, duvet, pillows and shoji screen with rosewood finish. There’s a tantami sofa, the traditional short-legged table, a television is placed inside a hanging wooden cabinet with sliding doors, a dressing table in rattan and bamboo, closet space enough for four, personal fridge, and a small bar where they can make their own tea. The bathroom has a regular size of Hinoki wood tub, robes are hanged behind it, bucket of stones placed on the side, across by the window is a plant, with wooden floor, towel’s stand are placed beside the graphite vanity table and there’s a special lighting dominated by natural resources, it’s perfect. I placed a porcelain with cinnamon bark on the corner of the bar table. It’s a 3 story building with a full built of 8 sides in a 5 hectares of land. We redesigned the staff house behind the building, still a Japanese inspired home with a sari-sari store by the corner. The build almost match the architecture of the hotel, so that it won’t look a separated from it. Benjo worked on that project for weeks, and ensure the safety passages for people. It’s a small space similar to our apartment way back in college but there are three kitchens, bathrooms are inside each rooms, a dining area built for a family, two living rooms and an alfresco side where there are woven garden set from a wooden-plastic material. He even prepared the festival decorations in the storage for the Kasadyan, Panagat, Purogitan, Baragatan, Balayong, Kulamo, Palay and Christmas. We were able to pick most that can be combined for each festivities, and how can we forget the parol. All placed in the storage. The towels was sent to the laundry for their wash and steam, there was a few sets of curtains with hand paint of Cassia Nodosa for the receiving area. I walked out of the entrance it’s almost 3:00 pm, I watch the small waves, check the surroundings and from afar the small island in between shows around this time and around this month. Pedro, walk beside me, “it does itself always around this month, just like when we were kids.” He said. I smiled at him and nod. For that few seconds, we found ourselves in awe of the beauty of the scenery in front of us. The day is still long and Miguel and Joselito just got back from visiting Lola with their wives. There are moments where in as I stare at the waters, a hope from me is still waiting for my father to set foot on this island. Some people say that there’s a possibility that she was washed ashore somewhere in China, they had it check twice but they told us to wait for their call if they found one of our natives in their border. We need to let them know immediately for it not to cause any wrong assumptions. We called the boarder office the morning when he did’t return from the waters, there were also a few pictures that was sent over for him to be recognize. For months we kept following up if there’s any news of appearance on a Filipino fisherman in from the waters of China but there was none. We never lost hope, we kept praying every first Friday of the month same time by the shore. My grandfather past away at the age of 95, it was a good thing that he finally accepted that he need to stay home and only went to the ‘palayan’ when there someone who can accompany him to stay on his favorite bench for a few hours. During his funeral, there were some fishes who came ashore, it was even raining back then. The current cause a couple of waves from the waters, me and my friends swing by the shore to watch it from afar. I was told by the fisherman not to go in the waters for a few days after his death. Many people came during the funeral, especially the crew from the food chain franchise that we have, they offered the regular dishes that my late grandfather brought for them. He always ask the crew to take home their free meal, they need to share it with their families. One of our scholars from the crew came back after his graduation and decided to be the manager of one of our branches. Petals of flowers were washed away by the water with the fish that came to shore, they were the small tuna and other small sea creatures. The people from the Island never took home any of them, they returned them to their home.
“Seeing my grandmother was very emotional, she even forced herself to get up. As she said, she needed to move, so I helped her with Pearl my cousin. They were waiting for me, a letter from my father came two weeks ago that I’m in Palawan looking for her. While I have my groceries with me, I made her my signature Pho soup. I knew that she was sick, but I didn’t expect that she became a little weak but her spirit is very strong.”
I saw Han from the outdoor kitchen of Lola on the day of our ceremony, we now finally are twelve, even the painter from UP who is very close to her is back here in the island. I walk towards him and he smile, “I’m making her fish pho soup.” He said. There was cinnamon bark, star anise, ginger, coriander and fennel seeds, and deboned grouper. The bones and head of the fish are in the broth.I asked, how young did he start to make dishes. “I started way back, when I was 15, I need to help my family with a small restaurant in our area to support us financially.” After school, I go directly home to help with serving, dish washer and cooker’s tasks. He was a working student though out his school years and the small nooks of Pho are everywhere in Hanoi, Vietnam. In history, there were settlers from Vietnam that washed ashore of Palawan, and where one of our famous dishes was influenced from. The Chao Long, a noodle soup that instead of a rice porridge. After a few questions, I told him that I need to check in with lola again after paying my respect earlier. I helped Han with his famous pho soup while I wait for the others to be here. I did wonder that something is missing and Han kept pacing back and forth when I peek through a window, I saw Lola laughing at him. When all of a sudden, I saw Peal came walking with thai basil and Chinese parsley. Our British guest came too with Benjo, they tied their own apron to their waist to make other dishes. ‘Lola’ will do the last blessing before the hotel opens with our church priest. The British explored a lot, he from scuba diving, kayaking, parasailing and basketball. There were some days that he stays by the shore, to appreciate the beach. He’s actually a good friend of Benjo’s family and plans to stay in Palawan for a few years, he found a house to stay near the hotel. Back in London, he owns a bakery with his siblings. He tested our pugon to make breads and pizza, finally got it right after a couple of tries. We laughed when he said that he kept making mistake with the temperature, because of the wood. It’s something new to him, but given his experience we know that he’ll be able to get along with the ‘pugon’. We taught him the tricks in making perfect pandesal from the pugon, but how his bread raised needs a different temperature. Then on, we saw this paper with a poem, always being hold by a stone for it not to be blown away by the wind.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
By: Robert Frost
A few days after, another paper is place with a poem… He said, the deities kept taking his inspiring poem.. We all laughed at his joke.
Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché,
Tenait en son bec un fromage.
Maître Renard, par l’odeur alléché,
Lui tint à peu près ce langage…
By: Jean de La Fontaine
The old lamps are being placed on the entrance and outdoor kitchen as well as the back area of their house, to bring light to each of us. After the rites Lola invited all the workers from the hotel construction to attend, it’s a celebration feast for us and the deities. It’s actually her birthday and Pearl requested if it’s ok for them to be invited after the rights. It was one of the oldest tale of lola when she did the rites, a strong wind was felt, with the sound of it’s swoosh that echoes through the corner of her house but not lighted candle died, it stayed the same for the rest of the hours, while it’s wax flows down the small plate where it stands on it’s own.
There’s a plan on hanging ‘banderitas’ from the trees to make it more festive on the opening day, we decided to find colorful old clothes to hang on each branch from a tree, especially those that stands where the well is. While we clean the area, a family of cats started to settle inside. Pedro made them a meal, from the grilled fish left overs that we had for lunch. It was unexpected and we were unprepared. It’s the same thing that happened for our first project after college in Sorsorgon, Camarines Sur, a few days before the house be completed a family of cats settled in one the areas in the garden. A small project to build a house with office areas that fits around 20 people. It always a wonder for me why cat as animal os not included in the Chinese zodiac. The small bottles of home made body oil came in, made by Pearl with Lola’s guidance, it’s a 10 boxes with a thousand small bottles each. It’ll be one of the freebies from the gift boxes for the first 50 guests. It’s one of those things that Pearl put on her skin before diving without the professional diver’s suit. It’s one of the trainings and maintenance that was required of her from Lola, once a week at the earliest possible morning, while the waters are cold. There was one time that Lola allowed me, Benjo, Miguel and Joselito, I was only able to stay under water for 2 hours, Benjo for 2.5 hours while Miguel and Joselito only stayed for half an hour, which was years ago, back in college. Recently we tried and all of us was able to dive in and stay for 3 hours under water. When we dive in, all we saw are corals, and never followed Pearl since she always go deeper in the waters and she’ll bring some sea urchins. She’s part of the University’s swim team, for butterfly stroke. She said, that it’s a prerequisite to maintain her endurance in water. The water was relaxing, it can even make you see how vast a part of the world is. I let them see the place underwater where a Sto. Niño is placed, it’s amazing what you see there. When I was young, I’ve been fascinated of stories about cities deep in the water like Atlantis, greek mythology especially about Poseidon there’s also an underwater site in Japan. It’s just this one summer, in search of my father’s things that might have fallen in the waters, I went in with diver’s gear and all the safety measures, it was this strong pull from a stone wall behind me that caused the crack from the scuba tank, I removed everything while under water, and all was left was the suit. I swam back up till almost out of breath and Pedro found me by the shore unconscious. I got so tired to swam up the surface that I collapsed on the sand. From then on, each time that I come back from the university, my late grandfather ask me to train with the fishermen and divers of the island. It was always at early morning, before they boat-out of the land. There was a few early morning that I trained with Pearl, but how can I compete with her. She’s been trained since she was 5 years old. From then on, I never dive in without a friend if I want to go deeper to explore what’s underneath the surface of the water. I was almost at 800 ft. back then, when that strong current came in, the first and last, to never again, or else I’ll hear scolding from the fishermen once more. They became a closer family to mine after that night and since then they all watch over my late grandfather while I’m away from school. From day to day, they accompanied him when he wants to visit the rice fields, they were the ones aside from myself who truly understood the emotions that runs through him, each time he yearns to see the fields. No matter how much I tried to convince him that I need to stay with him, he disagreed. It was the time that he allowed to stay home and be in some branches of the food chain franchise of ours. Most of the things that he made from ‘palay’ are still framed and up in the employee’s office, the employees said they can’t let go of it. Pictures of him with the crew are now placed on the wall with his art works. One of those things that was posted online by the American, who misconstrued, with a note that it is not an art work; it was too obvious that he know nothing about the Philippines. I still remember how happy my late grandfather was in pictures with his employees, he really enjoyed spending time with them. He never missed the chance to remind them of the old traditions, beliefs and superstitions being followed by natives of this island.
-The End-