Video is in Tagalog
Continued from Episode 9
That night, as Agawe sat at the top of the stairs of his hut watching the stars, he remembered Apô Ugay’s story about his heritage. He’s not al-lang but which could be worse – being a slave or rejected by parents... his father wanted him dead and his mother gave him away.
He suddenly sat up when he heard rustling. He unsheathed his sword and slowly climbed down the stairs, “Who is that?”
“Hey… Ansel here…”
Agawe heaved a sigh of relief, “What are you doing here?” “Can we come up? It’s cold out here…”
They made fire on the stone stove and sat on the floor. “Did you see the girl? What does she look like?”
“We did not see the girl. Only the mother, the brother, and the father were there.” “I don’t want to get married. Not now… maybe when I am older…”
“Why don’t you tell Apô Ira?”
“Because I think she wants me to marry so I won’t be a burden to her anymore…”
He suddenly sat up when he heard rustling. He unsheathed his sword and slowly climbed down the stairs, “Who is that?”
“Hey… Ansel here…”
Agawe heaved a sigh of relief, “What are you doing here?” “Can we come up? It’s cold out here…”
They made fire on the stone stove and sat on the floor. “Did you see the girl? What does she look like?”
“We did not see the girl. Only the mother, the brother, and the father were there.” “I don’t want to get married. Not now… maybe when I am older…”
“Why don’t you tell Apô Ira?”
“Because I think she wants me to marry so I won’t be a burden to her anymore…”
“That is not true… it is usual for your age to marry so …”
“They should have asked me first if I want to marry… I don’t want to stay in the house of that Shaman after pamalaye…”
“I don’t understand the custom of living with the girl’s parents before the wedding…” Agawe mused.
“To serve them… the girl and the parents…”
“They should have asked me first if I want to marry… I don’t want to stay in the house of that Shaman after pamalaye…”
“I don’t understand the custom of living with the girl’s parents before the wedding…” Agawe mused.
“To serve them… the girl and the parents…”
“Like a slave?”
“No… it’s a way of getting to know each other and so that the parents of the girl will know the character of the boy…” Ansel explained.
“Then problem solved…. when you’re there, be lazy, be arrogant, be disobedient…” Agawe suggested.
“You want me killed?”
“Shaman will kill you?” Agawe was horrified.
“If not him… I’m sure Uncle Tadeo will….” The young boy declared.
They sat there mulling over Ansel’s dilemma.
“No… it’s a way of getting to know each other and so that the parents of the girl will know the character of the boy…” Ansel explained.
“Then problem solved…. when you’re there, be lazy, be arrogant, be disobedient…” Agawe suggested.
“You want me killed?”
“Shaman will kill you?” Agawe was horrified.
“If not him… I’m sure Uncle Tadeo will….” The young boy declared.
They sat there mulling over Ansel’s dilemma.
“You know what,” Agawe started, “you pray to the anitos that the girl will not agree to marry you…”
“Girls can never refuse when they are married off… what world did you grow up? Why don’t you know our tradition?”
“Al-langs belong to the world of animals… al-langs can be bought and sold …the only tradition we know is the one where we have to die when our master dies… we die when someone who can afford to buy a slave dies…”
“I’m sorry… I did not mean it that way…”
Agawe grinned. “I’m just messing up with you… See? You forgot your problem.”
***
Agawe stood motionless as he listened to the meeting between Tadeo and Eban.
“Tadeo, I am here to represent our brothers and sisters… this is not my idea. Maramag must have planted this on their minds…” Eban explained.
“Eban, if it was indeed Maramag who started all of these, then they would have stopped now that he is dead… there is someone else behind this… someone who persuaded Maramag to kill me…”
“Tadeo, be reasonable. Maramag planned all these. Now that he is dead, our brothers and sisters want to continue what he started. We… they… they believe that Maramag was right. As your brothers and sisters, we… they… have a right to own the land which is from our father, right?”
Tadeo asked quietly, “Are you part of this plan, Eban?”
Eban swallowed, “Tadeo, I am a peaceful man. You know I don’t want violence… that is why, I tried to reason with them to do this without violence…”
“So you know this all along?” Tadeo asked calmly but suddenly roared, “You know Maramag wanted to kill me?”
Agawe saw Eban flinch. “Tadeo, I know they wanted to talk to you about partitioning the land and asking for their share… but I have no idea about the plot to kill you.”
“And you never informed me about this partitioning plans they have! Where is your loyalty?” Tadeo screamed at Eban. “Of all my half-brothers, you are the one I expect to be loyal to me… you are smart, Eban… you should know whose side to take…”
“Tadeo… please understand my situation. I would have told you but when Maramag was killed, I was scared!”
“Scared of what…?!”
“Everybody knows you had him killed…” Eban said meekly.
Tadeo stared at Eban and took a deep breath. “What would you do if you were in my place?”
“We have the same blood running in our veins, Tadeo…” Eban said proudly.
Agawe could not believe it. It’s true then that Tiyo Tadeo had Maramag killed, he thought.
“Tell our brothers and sisters that they will not get even a small part of this land. My father left his land to me to till so that I can take care of all his children because according to him, his other children are lazy and stupid and they need someone like me to guide them… lest they starve…”
Before Eban left, he pleaded, “Tadeo, please be reasonable. These people can do harm if they feel you don’t listen to them… let us work things out…”
Tadeo said with finality, “Tell them they will get nothing from me!”
***
“The whole two rows of young abaca were felled down,” Eban reported to Tadeo that morning. “When the workers came, that’s what they saw…”
Tadeo was fuming while Apô Ira was quietly preparing her buyo.
“If I catch those who did this, I will shoot them myself!!!” Tadeo roared. He turned to Eban. “Did you talk to our dear brothers and sisters already?”
“Yes, I did.”
“You told them they will get nothing from me?”
“Girls can never refuse when they are married off… what world did you grow up? Why don’t you know our tradition?”
“Al-langs belong to the world of animals… al-langs can be bought and sold …the only tradition we know is the one where we have to die when our master dies… we die when someone who can afford to buy a slave dies…”
“I’m sorry… I did not mean it that way…”
Agawe grinned. “I’m just messing up with you… See? You forgot your problem.”
***
Agawe stood motionless as he listened to the meeting between Tadeo and Eban.
“Tadeo, I am here to represent our brothers and sisters… this is not my idea. Maramag must have planted this on their minds…” Eban explained.
“Eban, if it was indeed Maramag who started all of these, then they would have stopped now that he is dead… there is someone else behind this… someone who persuaded Maramag to kill me…”
“Tadeo, be reasonable. Maramag planned all these. Now that he is dead, our brothers and sisters want to continue what he started. We… they… they believe that Maramag was right. As your brothers and sisters, we… they… have a right to own the land which is from our father, right?”
Tadeo asked quietly, “Are you part of this plan, Eban?”
Eban swallowed, “Tadeo, I am a peaceful man. You know I don’t want violence… that is why, I tried to reason with them to do this without violence…”
“So you know this all along?” Tadeo asked calmly but suddenly roared, “You know Maramag wanted to kill me?”
Agawe saw Eban flinch. “Tadeo, I know they wanted to talk to you about partitioning the land and asking for their share… but I have no idea about the plot to kill you.”
“And you never informed me about this partitioning plans they have! Where is your loyalty?” Tadeo screamed at Eban. “Of all my half-brothers, you are the one I expect to be loyal to me… you are smart, Eban… you should know whose side to take…”
“Tadeo… please understand my situation. I would have told you but when Maramag was killed, I was scared!”
“Scared of what…?!”
“Everybody knows you had him killed…” Eban said meekly.
Tadeo stared at Eban and took a deep breath. “What would you do if you were in my place?”
“We have the same blood running in our veins, Tadeo…” Eban said proudly.
Agawe could not believe it. It’s true then that Tiyo Tadeo had Maramag killed, he thought.
“Tell our brothers and sisters that they will not get even a small part of this land. My father left his land to me to till so that I can take care of all his children because according to him, his other children are lazy and stupid and they need someone like me to guide them… lest they starve…”
Before Eban left, he pleaded, “Tadeo, please be reasonable. These people can do harm if they feel you don’t listen to them… let us work things out…”
Tadeo said with finality, “Tell them they will get nothing from me!”
***
“The whole two rows of young abaca were felled down,” Eban reported to Tadeo that morning. “When the workers came, that’s what they saw…”
Tadeo was fuming while Apô Ira was quietly preparing her buyo.
“If I catch those who did this, I will shoot them myself!!!” Tadeo roared. He turned to Eban. “Did you talk to our dear brothers and sisters already?”
“Yes, I did.”
“You told them they will get nothing from me?”
Eban nodded.
“And this is how they chose to respond?” Tadeo thought for a moment. “Eban, don’t touch anything before I see the damage. Gather all the workers after lunch and wait for me there,” Tadeo ordered.
“And this is how they chose to respond?” Tadeo thought for a moment. “Eban, don’t touch anything before I see the damage. Gather all the workers after lunch and wait for me there,” Tadeo ordered.
When Eban left, Tadeo turned to Agawe. “Did you notice anything unusual in the plantation the previous days?”
Agawe hesitated, “Nothing unusual, Tiyo… except when we got
Agawe hesitated, “Nothing unusual, Tiyo… except when we got
paid … most of the workers complained…”
“That is not unusual,” Apô Ira said, “especially that Umed.” Then she walked to the window and spat out.
“I will go to the plantation. Ansel, get my gun ready. Agawe, you’re coming with me.”
The workers gathered at the shed. It was the first time Agawe saw all of them at once. There were more men than he thought. Eban showed Tadeo the destruction. It was meant to inflict damage because the ones felled down were not mature enough to be useful.
At the shed, Tadeo interrogated the husbands of his half-sisters but they denied cutting down the abaca plants.
“Maybe it’s the anitos punishing you for grabbing the land that does not belong to you…” Umed, the brother of Tadeo's father, hollered.
“That is not unusual,” Apô Ira said, “especially that Umed.” Then she walked to the window and spat out.
“I will go to the plantation. Ansel, get my gun ready. Agawe, you’re coming with me.”
The workers gathered at the shed. It was the first time Agawe saw all of them at once. There were more men than he thought. Eban showed Tadeo the destruction. It was meant to inflict damage because the ones felled down were not mature enough to be useful.
At the shed, Tadeo interrogated the husbands of his half-sisters but they denied cutting down the abaca plants.
“Maybe it’s the anitos punishing you for grabbing the land that does not belong to you…” Umed, the brother of Tadeo's father, hollered.
Agawe saw the blood rise to Tadeo’s face. He walked to where Umed was and without warning, punched him straight in the face. Umed reeled and fell. Nobody dared to help him.
As Tadeo turned away, Umed struggled to his feet and charged like a raging bull when a deafening blast permeated the air. After the shock, Agawe saw Ansel aiming the gun at Umed whose leg was bleeding as he fell back.
As Tadeo turned away, Umed struggled to his feet and charged like a raging bull when a deafening blast permeated the air. After the shock, Agawe saw Ansel aiming the gun at Umed whose leg was bleeding as he fell back.
Getting exciting now ...
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