

EVEN THE GRASS BLEEDS

by

NORBERT MERCADO

Also by Norbert Mercado

NOVELS

72 Hours in Moscow

Cambodia's Children of Sorrow

The Children of Mars

I Don't Need A Throne

The Korean War

The Last Romanov

BOOKS IN THE SHADOW OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE SERIES

In The Shadow Of The Roman Empire

Farewell Darkness!

The Roman Governor of Judaea

BOOKS IN THE MORNING GLORY SERIES

Morning Glory

Love Is Beautiful

Prepare For Eternity

Dulce Extranjera

BOOKS IN THE ENSOMO SERIES

Pilgrims To Jerusalem

The Burning Of The Fields

A Year Without Summer

Oh, Jerusalem!

Goodbye Babylon!

BOOKS IN THE SANGKHLABURI SERIES

The Bridge

The Divide

The Union

For more information on Norbert Mercado, visit

http://norbertomercado.blogspot.com

EVEN THE GRASS BLEEDS

Norbert Mercado

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Except in cases of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2012

All rights reserved. This book is sold, subject to the condition that is shall not, by way of trade or otherwise be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

ISBN: 978-1-476-12985-3

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

VERSION: 2017-05-04-0215

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Final Chapter

Dedication

References

A Historical Novelist For Peace

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Back to Table of Contents

. . . CHAPTER . . .

1

The three pink roses in her hand were as fresh as the flowers newly-plucked by a gardener early in the morning.

Daniel bought them for her in a flower shop near Baguio market.

"Will you still give me flowers when we are old?" Rose asked, wanting the assurance of a perennial love.

Daniel smiled. He looked at her, and said, "Until my last breath..."

They were seated on the grass, facing each other. Dahlia flowers bloomed near them, witnesses to an unspoiled, young love.

The place was Burnham Park in Baguio City. It was three o'clock in the afternoon, the last Friday of June 29, 1990.

"What time will you leave for Manila on Thursday?" Daniel asked her.

Rose smelled the scent of the flowers after which she was named. "At six o'clock in the morning. I should be in the airport by two o'clock in the afternoon," she replied, referring to the international airport in Manila.

"What time is your flight?"

"Seven o'clock. I want to be there early."

Daniel looked at the grass with sadness. He didn't know what to ask next.

"Happy graduation in advance," Rose said, smiling. "I hope I'll be here by then."

Daniel nodded, still looking at the grass.

"But if I can't, just remember that I'm happy when you're happy..." she said, her eyes expressing tenderness of a first love.

Daniel was in his fifth year in Civil Engineering at the University of Baguio. He was scheduled to graduate at the end of the school year.

Rose, a graduate of a secretarial course from the same university, met him when they were both in their first year.

She finished her course after two years, and decided to go to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper five months after graduation. It was her aunt, Sally Abobo, who had been working in the British Crown Colony since 1984, who looked for an employer for her.

"Times move so fast..." Daniel said, observing a boy riding a bicycle. "Ten years ago, I was just like him..."

Rose glanced at and watched the boy who was enjoying his ride.

"Sometimes, I want to be as young as that boy again..." Daniel said with a wry smile.

"Why?" Rose asked, surprised.

"The world is his. He has no problems."

Rose looked at the face of the young man dearest to her heart.

"Is something troubling you?" she asked him.

"Just feeling the academic pressure... And now, you will be leaving," he answered.

"It won't take too long. I'll be back in two years time. Remember when I first left for Hong Kong? You were so sad then. I was too. But we quickly overcame the sadness. It wasn't long before I was back with you," Rose said, trying to cheer him up.

Daniel looked at her eyes. He could discern her loneliness through those eyes, though she bravely tried to hide it. "Yes... But you're leaving me again," he said.

"Daniel, I hope I can get a job with a reasonable salary here. But you know I can't. How much does a secretary earn here? From 1,500 to maybe 2,000 pesos. In Hong Kong, we earn HK $2,500 a month – that's more than 7,000 pesos. You know I'm the breadwinner in my family. Nanay is sickly. Boy is only in his fourth year in high school. Tina is only in her first year in high school. I wish I could work in Baguio, but even if I could find a job here, the salary would just be enough for me," she said.

Daniel nodded. "Yes... I understand..."

"Let's be patient. Soon, you'll be an engineer and you may no longer need me. By that time, other women might have entered your life," Rose teased him.

"You know that won't happen. Kung gusto mo, pakasal tayo agad pagbalik mo. Graduate na ako noon."

("If you want, we could get married as soon as you return. I would have graduated by then.")

Rose smiled again. "Talaga?" she asked, kidding. "Huwag... mahirap mapasubo agad. Mahirap magpamilya ngayon."

("Really?" "No... it's hard to make immediate commitments. It's difficult to marry and start a family at this time.)

"I know, but with God's help, I'm sure we can manage," Daniel said.

"I'll ask you a question. Pero wag ka magagalit," Rose said.

("But don't get mad,")

"Bakit naman ako magagalit. What is it?" Daniel was curious.

("Why would I get mad?")

"Suppose, I'll marry you five years from now. Will you agree to it?" she asked, smiling.

Daniel was surprised. "Hah? Ang tagal naman! Huwag naman! Baka hindi ako makatagal!"

("What? That long! C'mon, not that long. I might not be able to wait!")

Rose turned serious. "Nangako kasi ako kay itay, bago s'ya nalagutan ng hininga. Ang sabi ko sa kanya sa ospital, kahit anong mangyari, tutulungan kong makatapos si Boy at si Tina ng college... It was a vow. I don't want to fail in my vow to him."

("I made a promise to my father, before he breathed his last. I told him, while we were in the hospital, that no matter what happens, I will help Boy and Tina finish college...")

Daniel could not say anything. He just listened to Rose.

"Have you ever promised anything to a person who was dying?"

Daniel shook his head.

Rose had graduated from the Baguio City High School as valedictorian of her class when her father, Captain Anacleto Afable, PA (Philippine Army), was ambushed in Sagada, Mountain Province, together with his troop, by the New People's Army (NPA).

### . . .

Her father was then travelling in an army jeep from Bontoc to Sagada, together with four army soldiers, when a group of NPAs ambushed them on a narrow curve five kilometers away from Sagada Proper (the main town). The four soldiers who were with her father were killed on the spot.

Captain Afable was wounded in the stomach. When the NPA's approached them, he pretended to be dead.

The communist rebels quickly left the ambush site after they burned the jeep and confiscated the soldier's rifles.

A passenger jeep happened to pass by a few minutes after the rebels left.

Captain Afable shouted for help. He was immediately brought to the Sagada clinic for treatment.

That same day, he was airlifted by an army chopper to Baguio City.

He was operated on in Baguio General Hospital.

It was a struggle for life, even after the bullets were removed from his body. He lost so much blood between the moment of the ambush and the time of his operation.

His family was still able to talk to him in his final hour.

Captain Afable asked his eldest daughter to take care of her mother, brother, and youngest sister.

He asked Rose to help send them to college. Rose nodded, tears falling, her life fading like a flickering light at that moment.

It was her pledge to a dying man.

And it was because of her vow that she decided to just take a two-year secretarial course after high school. She wanted to work immediately so she could send her brother and sister to college.

### . . .

"How deep and pure is your love for me?" she waited for Daniel's reply.

He could only look at her.

"Is your love willing to sacrifice?" she asked him as she held his hand. "Love, true love, is willing to sacrifice... If your love is really pure, and true, and honest, then I can say that I am still fortunate despite my early sorrows. But if the love you offer is selfish, if it cannot give until it bleeds, let it reveal itself now... I can drink the tears of misfortune."

He was speechless. He didn't know what to say.

"Is it pure?" she asked him again.

Daniel slowly nodded. Rose smiled at him. "I love you, and I will love you until the last moment of my life..." she gave him that assurance.

He was her first love. "I will always remember you in my loneliness. Next to the Lord, you are my source of inspiration and strength," she said with all the earnestness she could muster.

They had been sweethearts for three years.

She met Daniel when she was in her first year at the University of Baguio.

Daniel was also in his first year in the same university.

She responded to his love after ten months of courtship.

"If your love disappears, I will muse over its memory until I meet the Lord face-to-face," she said.

Then she leaned on his shoulder, longing to feel in her soul the tenderness of his love.

Back to Table of Contents

. . . CHAPTER . . .

2

"Our Bible study today is about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ," Brother Ben Cervantes said, looking at Daniel.

"But before we start this topic, may I request everyone to please introduce themselves for the benefit of a newcomer," he said, referring to Antonio de Guzman. Then, he turned his eyes on Rose. "I'll ask Rose to introduce herself first."

Rose smiled. "I'm Rose Afable. This is my fourth Saturday with this group. It may be my last because I'm going back to Hong Kong on Thursday. I'm the eldest among three children. I grew up in Baguio. I'm a secretarial graduate."

"Too bad you'll be leaving soon," Brother Ben said. "On behalf of the group, let me say that we have enjoyed your company, and we wish you a good and safe trip. We will be praying for you."

"Thank you, Brother Ben," Rose said, smiling.

Adela, seated beside Rose, was the second to introduce herself. "I'm Adela Hurtado, a third year commerce student at the University of Baguio. This is my third time with the group."

Emil was next. "I'm Emilio Lopez. I'm in my fourth year in architecture at Saint Louis University. This is my second time with this group."

Others introduced themselves briefly to Antonio: Arturo Bigornia, a third year mechanical engineering student from Saint Louis University; Wilfredo Agnir, a fourth year commerce student from the Baguio Colleges Foundation; Florentino Africa, a second year dentistry student at Saint Louis University; Mario Vicente, a second year student at the University of the Philippines (U.P.) Baguio, taking up AB English; Grace Guillermo, a third year nursing student at the University of Baguio; Paciencia Pascual, a young business woman; Ernesto Santos, a vendor at the Baguio public market, and Leon Yap, a government employee.

They were fourteen in all that afternoon. The Bible study group had been meeting for two months now in the Christian Fellowship Center, located on the second floor in one of the buildings along Session Road.

"I'm Antonio de Guzman, a friend of Mr. Daniel Lardizabal. They call me Tony. I'm working at the Hyatt Terraces. Daniel has already invited me four times to attend this Bible study, but it's only now that I was able to make it."

Tony had been working for two years as a waiter at the Hyatt Terraces. It was his first time to attend a Bible study session.

"Tony introduced me already," Daniel smiled. "I'm in my fifth year in engineering at the University of Baguio.

After everyone had finished introducing themselves, Brother Ben Cervantes spoke.

"Welcome to our group, Tony. I hope you'll continue to attend our sessions," Brother Ben said. Then, he opened his Bible to the 24th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. "Our study today will center on Matthew 24, from verse 1 to 35."

Everyone opened their Bibles to the Gospel of Matthew, the 24th chapter.

Leon Yap shared his Bible with Tony.

"May I request Rose to read aloud verses 1 to 14, and Mario to read verses 23 to 35," Brother Ben said.

Rose began reading the verses assigned to her.

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times

1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Mario Vicente, the second year U.P. student, continued reading the verses on prophecy.

15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

22 "If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

26 "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the wilderness,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

29 "Immediately after the distress of those days

' _the sun will be darkened,_

and the moon will not give its light;

the stars will fall from the sky,

and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'

30 "Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

Brother Ben stressed that people's unbelief about the second coming of Jesus Christ could not negate or invalidate the eschatological fact that Christ would come again.

He explained the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming. "The Rapture, is the snatching of believers into Heaven by the Lord. It will be in a split-of-a-second, a twinkling-of-an-eye event which will be witnessed only by those who believe in Him. It is the first stage of Christ's return. The second stage is the Second Coming. This event will be witnessed by all mankind. People will mourn, but then, it will be too late. The verses you read in Matthew 24 tell us about the second stage of Christ's return."

Everyone attentively listened to Brother Ben as he explained the Second Coming.

"As the Lord told His disciples, the time before the Second Coming will be characterized by natural and man-made catastrophes. There will be wars, a breakdown of peace and order, and natural calamities specifically earthquakes. There were wars, earthquakes, and other natural and man-made calamities in the past, of course. What the Lord meant in the verses we read was the intensification of human conflict and natural calamities. Wars and earthquakes will increase before the Lord's return, and famine will rage throughout the world. Deception of people will also be intensified by false Christs and false teachers. The Lord told us that false Christs would appear before He comes. They will do miracles, so that even the elect will be deceived."

Brother Ben was quick to emphasize that these signs didn't mean that the end of the world had come. He stressed that the Lord referred to these things as the "birthpangs", like the pain of a woman in labor before childbirth.

"The Gospel of Christ will first be preached throughout all the nations and then the end shall come."

The members of the group continued to attentively listen to Brother Ben.

"The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the responsibility to preach the Gospel to all the people of the earth. We should begin where we are, right in our community. These are our 'Judea and Samaria' the places where Jesus and his disciples first ministered to. For us, this could be our homes, our schools, or our offices. And then we go to the different provinces of our country. And from our 'Judea and Samaria', or our immediate areas of ministry, we preach the Gospel to all the nations of the world where the Lord will send us."

"Is anybody exempted from preaching the Gospel of Christ to other nations? Can we just stay in our community and country and preach Christ here?" Leon Yap asked.

There was silence in the group as they waited for Brother Ben's reply.

"Well, let us look at the command of Christ in Matthew chapter 28 from verses 18 to 20. In these verses, the Lord commanded all those who believe in Him to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing all believers in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit and teach them all the things that the Lord has commanded us. The Lord promised us that he will be with us even to the end of the world. We are soldiers of Christ. Every believer is. And nobody is exempted from this directive by our Commander-in-Chief," Brother Ben said.

"Does that mean that every one of us should be a missionary to other nations?" Daniel Lardizabal asked.

"Well, if you ask for my view on this command of the Lord, it appears to me that we should all be missionaries to other nations. Of course, there are other views on this command, but that's how I understand it. If I only follow half of the order of my Commander-in-Chief and I would not follow the other half, can you call me a faithful and obedient soldier?"

There was silence in the group.

"Let's also read Acts chapter 1 verses 7 and 8. Kindly read it Brother Mario."

Mario flipped his Bible to the said passages. He then began to read aloud.

7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

"Thank you Brother Mario," Brother Ben said. "So here in these verses, it is very clear that believers in Christ should preach His gospel to the nations outside of Israel. Not only to the nearby nations, but to the very ends of the earth. The command is clear, very clear, and it's not subject to interpretation. That's why there are many Christians who are obedient to Christ's command, who go to the remotest parts of the earth to preach the Gospel. That is my understanding of this command. Now, if some Christians say that others are called to preach the Gospel to other nations, but others are not, maybe they have to show me a verse which supports their claim and I will believe it," Brother Ben said.

"So you will become a missionary, Brother Ben?" Antonio de Guzman asked.

"Yes, and I look forward to this. I should first be a missionary to our countrymen. And then, my desire is to preach the Gospel in the Association of South East Asian Nations or ASEAN. From ASEAN, my next desire is to preach the Gospel throughout all the nations, but I don't know how to do that," said Brother Ben.

Everybody laughed including him.

"Well the Lord will show you," Brother Mario said.

"Sure Mario," Brother Ben replied. "And not only to me, but He will guide all of us."

"When the Gospel is preached throughout all the nations, then the Lord will come back," Emilio Lopez said.

"Yes, that's true," Brother Ben replied. "That is stated by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He said, ' _and this Gospel shall be preached throughout all the nations, and then the end shall come_ '."

"There is a Korean who claimed that Christ will come back in the year 2000. That will be ten years from now. Do you believe this?" Wilfredo Agnir asked.

"Hmm. I also read in a magazine that a Korean pastor claimed that Jesus Christ will come back to earth not in the year 2000, but in 1999. So there's a one year difference. Don't believe these claims." Brother Ben said. "The Lord specifically stated that nobody knows the exact date of His return. No one knows the date. Anyone who says Christ will come back on such and such a date is not basing his claims on the Bible. Suppose the years 1999 and 2000 came to pass, but Christ did not come back. What would happen then? Critics of Christians would have more reasons to attack our faith. Christians then would also become lazy in proclaiming the Gospel because the Lord had not come yet. Why didn't the Lord tell us the exact date? He must have reasons why. But He didn't tell us so our finite minds can only speculate," Brother Ben replied.

"I think, what's most important is for us to prepare ourselves for Christ's return," Grace Guillermo said.

"That's true," Brother Ben responded. "That's why it is important for every person to receive the Lord in his heart now. Today is the day of salvation. He wants to come into your heart now. Jesus said in Revelations 3:20, ' _Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him, and fellowship with him and he with Me!_ ' Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Maybe you have been attending church, or have been reading the Bible, but you have not made that act of inviting Him into your heart as your Savior and Lord. Salvation from sins cannot be obtained by going to church of by doing good works. Salvation is a gift of God. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9, _'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.'_ Even the act of trusting is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it."

Brother Ben looked briefly at Tony. Then he told the group that if anyone of them wasn't sure of his salvation, he may simply repeat after him a prayer of acceptance of Christ as one's Savior and Lord.

"Lord Jesus, I need you in my life," Brother Ben began the prayer, head bowed and eyes closed. "Today, as an act of my will, I invite You in my heart as my Savior and Lord. I admit that I'm a sinner, and only by Your grace can I be saved from my sins. Please come into my heart now, O Lord! Cleanse me from all of my sins, and make me Your child... Amen."

Tony looked at each of the members of the group. They were all bowed, with their eyes closed.

"They may be praying silently," he thought. He wished he could pray the prayer. But something prevented him. Pride? Other unconfessed sins? An unwillingness to forsake a certain lifestyle?

"If you prayed that prayer," Brother Ben continued, still with his head bowed, "thank God right now that He is faithful to His promise. He will come into your heart, and will make you His child once you willingly receive Him as your Savior and Lord."

After the prayer, Brother Ben and the group sang "Thank You Lord For Saving My Soul".

It was almost six o'clock in the evening when the Bible study session ended.

"Tony, thank you for coming," Brother Ben told him as he shook his hand.

Tony nodded with a forced smile. "Day-off ko kasi kapag Saturday. Walang masyadong ginagawa..."

("It's my day-off on Saturdays. There's not much to do....")

"Kaya dapat, every Saturday kang narito," Daniel told him.

("That's why you should join us every Saturday.")

Tony smiled. The guys conversed as the girls prepared merienda (refreshments).

After the snack, Tony was the first to bid the group goodbye. Wilfredo Agnir and Florentino Africa followed.

Daniel and Rose were the last to bid Brother Ben goodbye.

"Okay! Happy trip ulit sa 'yo, Rose," Brother Ben said. "Sumulat ka ha. Let us know what we can pray for you."

("Okay! Have a happy trip, Rose," "And don't forget to write us.")

"Thank you, Brother Ben. I'll do that," Rose replied.

"Sige, Brother Ben. See you tomorrow and on Saturday," Daniel said.

("We'll be going ahead,")

"Sige, take care!" The two went down the street.

("Go ahead,")

When Brother Ben was already by himself, he went down on his knees and thanked the Lord for those who came to the Bible study. "Thank you God, for these people who came here to listen to Your word. Please take care of them and encourage them to grow in their faith. I pray that in Your appointed time, You will send all of them to be Your missionaries to the nations. That is also my request for myself. Help us to obey You in all things. Especially in the preaching of Your Gospel, here in our country, and to other countries in the world. Amen."

As he prayed, he could feel the peace of God in his heart and mind which is beyond human understanding.

Back to Table of Contents

. . . CHAPTER . . .

### 3

July 7, 1990, Thursday. It was afternoon in Hong Kong. Rose looked at the scenery from the sala of their flat located in the 36th floor of Tung Sing House in Aplie Chau Estate, Aberdeen. It is near the Jumbo Floating Restaurants.

The scenery was subdued and tranquil: a vast sea, brown mountains, and a retreating sun.

She felt melancholic at the thought of the loved ones she again left behind.

Her mother, her brother, and most especially, her sister Tina. And Daniel... how she missed them.

Two days ago, she was still in Baguio. The pine trees. The fresh air. The cool weather. She longed for these. And Daniel...

### . . .

It was at the Pantranco bus station in Baguio, around six o'clock last Thursday morning, where Daniel and she parted.

He wanted to accompany her to Manila, but she refused.

"Huwag na... ayaw kong ma-miss mo ang mga classes mo. Graduating ka pa naman," she told him.

("Don't bother... I don't want you to miss your classes. You're about to graduate this term,")

Daniel was insistent, but she wouldn't budge. "It's not practical," she said. "Look, you will be travelling with me for six to seven hours to the airport. Then, you will come back to Baguio in the evening. That's another six to seven hour ride. You will be too tired. Baka magkasakit ka pa," she said. "Just fetch me in the house at five o'clock in the morning, and bring me to Pantranco."

("You might even get sick,")

Daniel finally yielded. He was in their house five minutes after four in the morning.

"Maaga ka yata," she said.

("You're early,")

"I want to spend some more time with you."

She served him coffee and sliced bread with peanut butter.

Rose's mother asked him whether he wanted a full breakfast. She could prepare fried rice, pork and beans, and fried egg.

"Huwag na po, Nanay. Tama na po itong kape at tinapay," he said. He already called Rose's mother "Nanay".

("No need, Mama. This coffee and bread is enough." In the Philippines, if a man was to call his girlfriend's mother 'Mama' or 'Mother', he was already signifying strong intentions of marrying her.)

After they took a light breakfast, Daniel asked Rose if she wanted to have morning devotion together with her family.

"Yes," she replied.

It was Daniel who read the 10th chapter of the Gospel of John, from verse 1 to 15. Jesus said in these verses that He was the Good Shepherd, and He would lay down His life to protect and save His sheep.

He asked them to pray after expounding on the verses.

"Let's pray for the Lord's protection for Rose as she travels to Hong Kong.

"Yes, let's pray for her," Rose's mother said.

It was Daniel who prayed first. "Our heavenly Father, we ask this morning for your protection for Rose on her way to Manila and in her flight to Hong Kong. You have always been our Protector and we ask You to keep her safe from harm. Thank You for Your assurance, that when we ask anything in line with Your will, You will grant our request. We know that as our heavenly Father, You delight in protecting Your children. For You are merciful and kind. And You are also powerful. You can do anything. There's no limit to Your power. Please protect her from harms way. Please help her also in her work in Hong Kong. Make her days there fruitful. Make her an effective witness to her peers and to our countrymen there. In Christ's Name, we pray, Amen."

Rose's mother prayed next. "Our heavenly Father, I pray for the safe trip of my daughter to Manila and to Hong Kong. Please bring her safely to her destination. Help her Lord in her work and give her friends who can help and encourage her from day-to-day. Help her to serve her employers well. And give her good health during her stay there. Thank You Lord for being our Guide and Protector every day of our lives. Amen."

It was Rose's turn to pray. "Lord, I thank You for Your love for us. Thank You for Your promise that You will never leave us nor forsake us. You have always been our Protector and Deliverer and we thank You for Your love. I pray for my mother that You will help her each day. Give her good health Lord, and a long life. I also pray for Daniel, that You will give him good health each day, and protect him always. Help him in everything that he does. And guide him, always. Show him everyday how kind You are. For You are a merciful God who loves us always. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, Amen."

Tina prayed for her sister. "Lord, please protect Ate Rose in her trip to Hong Kong. Please help her in her work. I pray, in Jesus name, Amen. Boy prayed for his sister too.

### . . .

After they prayed, Rose's mother urged the two to get ready. She took Rose's brown travelling bag. Daniel offered to carry it instead.

"Ako na po, Nanay. Medyo mabigat 'yan," he said.

("Let me do it, Mother. That's quite heavy,")

Rose's mother thanked Daniel for his thoughtfulness.

It was Rose's brother, Boy, who saw a taxi coming as they walked to the street. He waved at the taxi driver to stop. Daniel asked the taxi driver to open the trunk so he could place the luggage of Rose.

"Dalhin n'yo po kami sa Pantranco bus station," Rose told the driver.

("Please bring us to the Pantranco bus station,")

Whie the taxi was rolling on the road, the driver curiously asked them, "Saan pong byahe n'yo?"

("Where are you travelling to?")

It was Rose who replied, "Sa Hong Kong po. Ako lang po ang mag-byabyahe."

("To Hong Kong, Sir. And I'm the only one travelling.")

"Ang misis ko po, nandoon din," the driver said.

("My wife's also in Hong Kong.")

"Ano pong pangalan ng misis n'yo?" Rose curiously asked.

("What's the name of your wife?")

"Consuelo Abad po. Ako naman po si Alejandro Abad."

("Consuelo Abad. I'm Alejandro Abad.")

Her eyes shone. "Si Aling Consuelo, asawa ninyo? Kilala ko po s'ya! Ka-grupo namin s'ya!"

("Aling Consuelo is your wife? I know her. She's one of the members of the group I'm part of.")

The driver was excited. "Ha, paano kayo nag-kakilala ng asawa ko?"

("Really? How did you get to know my wife?")

"Eh, kasi po, sa Hong Kong, grupo-grupo ang mga Filipino kapag day-off nila. May grupo ng mga Ilokana, Kapampangan, Ilongga, Cebuano, Waray! Ganoon po. May grupo po kaming mga taga-Baguio roon! Barkada po namin ang misis n'yo, si Aling Consuelo. Mabait po s'ya!!!"

("In Hong Kong, Filipinos stay in groups during their days-off. There are Ilocanas, Kapampangans, Ilonggas, Cebuanos, Warays! That's how it is. Even we who are from Baguio have our own group! And Aling Consuelo happens to be a member of that group. That's how I met her. She's very kind!!!")

The driver smiled. "Tingnan mo nga naman, ano? Small world!"

("Imagine that. Isn't it a small world?")

"Baka may bilin po kayo sa kanya?"

("Would you like to relay anything to her?")

"Ikumusta n'yo na lang po ako. Pakisabi po na okay naman kami. Maayos naman ang mga bata, kaya lang nami-miss namin s'ya."

("Just give her my best regards. Tell her that I and the kids are okay. We just miss her so much.")

"Bayaan po nyo't sasabihin ko," Rose said. "Ano nga po pala ulit ang pangalan n'yo?"

("Don't worry, I'll tell her." "Sorry, but what was your name again?")

"Alejandro po... Alejandro Felix Abad," the taxi driver replied. "Anding po ang palayaw ko."

("Alejandro... Alejandro Felix Abad." "Anding is my nickname.")

They reached the Pantranco station after a few minutes. It was 5:51 on Rose's watch.

"Ito po ang bayad," Rose said, handing him a twenty peso bill.

("Here's the payment,")

"Naku, wag na! Okay na yun!" the taxi driver refused to accept payment.

("Oh no, please don't! That's on me!")

"Nakakahiya po sa inyo. Sige na po," Rose was insistent.

(Feeling embarrassed, she said "Please take it.")

"Hindi, okay lang! Wag na. Maliit na halaga lang 'yon. Nagpapasalamat nga ako sa Diyos at naisakay kita nang maikumusta mo naman kami kay Consuelo."

("No, really, it's ok! Please. That was only a small amount. I'm even thankful that the Lord allowed you to be my customer so that I could send my greetings to Consuelo.")

Rose was thankful to the driver for his kindness. She assured him that she would talk to Consuelo about the chanced meeting.

"Sa Linggo po'y magkikita kami ni Aling Consuelo. Siguradong magkakabalitaan po kami," she told the driver, appreciative, her face full of gaiety.

("I'll be able to meet Aling Consuelo on Sunday. I'm sure she'd be glad to hear about you,")

The driver later drove away, waiving his left hand.

"Salamat sa Diyos at nakakuha agad tayo ng taxi," Rose's mother said.

("Thank the Lord, we we able to get a taxi immediately,")

"Oo nga po, Inay. At kakilala pa ng ate ang asawa n'ya," Tina said in addition.

("Yes, Mama. And big Sister even learned that the driver's wife is her friend in Hong Kong.")

"Ate, mag-iingat ka, ha?" Boy reminded her.

("Big Sister, take care, okay?")

Rose nodded, looking at her brother with a glimpse of sadness. Then she turned to her mother.

"Inay, mag-iingat po kayo. 'Yung health n'yo po, wag n'yong pababayaan."

("Ma, take care of yourself. Don't neglect your health.")

Then, she told her brother and her sister, "Boy, Tina, wag n'yong pababayaan si Inay, ha! Alagaan n'yo s'yang mabuti."

("Boy, Tina, don't forget to watch over Mama, okay? Take good care of her.")

The two nodded.

Tina reminded her about the Sony Walkman she wanted her to buy.

"Oo, bayaan mo't ibibili kita," Rose replied. Daniel was content to listen to their conversation. He could understand the feeling of Rose's family over her departure, for he felt it too.

("Yes, don't worry, I'll buy that for you.")

Rose turned to him this time. She gave him a loving look. Her smile was forced, sad, and brave.

"Take care," she said.

"You, too," Daniel answered.

"Write me, will you?"

Daniel nodded. Then, he accompanied her into the bus.

After putting her luggage in the compartment above her seat, he bid her good-bye.

"Daniel, thanks," she said, looking at his eyes.

He kissed her cheeks, and he immediately walked towards the bus door, not wanting to see her sad look up close.

Back to Table of Contents

. . . CHAPTER . . .

### 4

It was two o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday when Rose met her group near the Metro Rail Transit (MTR) exit, beside the Prince Building.

She attended the morning service in the International Christian Fellowship in Wan Chai, and had lunch with her friends from the church later.

After lunch, she took a tram from Wan Chai to Central.

Thousands of Filipina workers gather in Central on Sundays.

"Kumusta ang bakasyon?" Cora Fajardo asked Rose. Cora is from Camp 3, along Kennon Road.

("How was your vacation?")

"Okay! Enjoy!" Rose replied, her smile overflowing.

("It was okay! I enjoyed it!")

"Natural! Nandoon ba naman ang inspiration n'ya, eh!" Cynthia Agunod teased her. Cynthia is also from Baguio City.

("Naturally! She was with her 'source of inspiration' (boyfriend)!")

"Siyanga pala, nasaan si Aling Consuelo?" Rose wondered.

("By the way, have you seen Aling Consuelo?")

"Pumunta s'ya d'yan sa Post Office. May kamag-anak daw siyang taga-Moncada, Tarlac dito sa Hong Kong. Pinuntahan lang n'ya sandali," Angelina Santo Tomas replied. "Mamaya lang, nandito na ulit 'yun! At bakit ba? Nandito naman kami. S'ya lang ang hinahanap mo. Magseselos kami n'yan!"

("She went to the Post Office. She has a relative from Moncada, Tarlac who is here in Hong Kong. She'll just meet that person for a few minutes." "I'd bet she'd be back in a short while. And why are you looking for her when we are already here. We might become jealous!")

"Kasi 'yung driver ng taxi na sinakyan namin mula sa Teacher's Camp hanggang Pantranco ay asawa n'ya! Hindi na nga kami siningil sa pamasahe, e. Ang sabi n'ya, ikumusta ko na lang daw silang mag-ama kay Aling Consuelo."

("The driver of the taxi we took from Teacher's Camp to Pantranco was her husband. He didn't even charge us for the fare. He said that his only request was that I give his and his children's regards to Aling Consuelo.")

"Ilan ba ang anak ni Aling Consuelo?" Daisy Ambrosio enquired.

("How many children does Aling Consuelo have?")

"Apat yata. Grade One na ang bunso," Rose replied.

("About four, I think. The youngest is in the first grade,")

"Kumusta naman ang family mo?" Antonia Mortiz asked her. Antonia came from Sison, Pangasinan.

("How is your family, Rose?")

"Okay naman sila sa awa ng Diyos. Nami-miss ko na nga sila ulit, eh."

("By God's grace, they are okay. I already miss them.")

"Ay! Talagang ganyan! Kaya kung minsan, and hirap ding umuuwi. Mabuti pa 'yung hindi mo sila nakikita, hindi mo sila nami-miss," Coritha San Juan commented.

("Aw! Life's really like that! Sometimes, it's difficult to go back to the Philippines. It may be better if you don't see your family, that way, you won't miss them,")

"Eh, kumusta naman si Tita Cory?" Anita Gonzales asked Rose with a bit of sarcasm. She had been critical of the Aquino administration for what she termed as "congenital ineptness" of President Aquino.

("And how is President Aquino doing?")

"Ayun! Marami pa ring problema! Tumatanda na dahil sa problema!" Rose replied.

("She still has many problems to deal with. I think the problems are making her age faster!")

"Ayaw pa kasing mag-resign, eh! Hindi na nga n'ya kaya, ipinipilit pa ang sarili!" Coritha San Juan stressed.

("And why won't she just resign! She knows she can't handle the responsibilities, and yet she continues to hold on to the position.")

"Tuloy, patuloy na naghihirap tayong mga Pilipino dahil sa incompetent s'ya. Malas talaga ang Aquino administration. Anim na coup d'état, energy shortage, baha, graft and corruption, drought sa Mindanao, failed ceasefire, halos lahat ng problema ay dumating sa Pilipino mula nang maging Presidente s'ya. Lindol na lang yata ang hindi pa dumarating ngayon sa Pilipinas!" Anita Gonzales remarked.

("That's why our hardships as Filipinos never cease, because of her incompetence. The Aquino administration seems to be beset with misfortune. Six coup d'états, energy shortage, floods, graft and corruption, drought in Mindanao, failed ceasefires, almost all kinds of problems have plagued Filipinos since she became President. It seems like the only disaster that the Philippines hasn't recently experienced is an earthquake!")

"Hay, naku! Sana nama'y wag lumindo sa Pilipinas na kagaya ng nangyari sa Iran kamakailan. Kung mangyari sa atin ang lindol, lalong kaawa-awa ang ating bansa."

("Oh! No! I hope that the Philippines doesn't go through an earthquake like what happened to Iran recently. I'd hate to see something like that happen in the Philippines making the situation there more miserable.")

"Sana nama'y wag mangyari ang ganun," Rose said.

("I hope nothing like that happens.")

"Nakakaawa ang mga biktima ng lindol sa Iran. Mga bata, matatanda... May ipinakita pa sa TV na babaeing naputulan ng ulo dahil nabagsakan ng bubungan. Nakakatakot!" Coritha San Juan said.

("You'ld really feel sorry for the victims of the Iran earthquake. Young and old... the television even showed a lady who was decapitated because the roof literally fell on her head. It was really shocking!")

"Sana naman, maghanda ang ating gobyerno para sa mga calamities, lalung-lalo na't madalas mangyari ang mga natural calamities sa Pilipinas," Linda Gallego stressed.

("I hope our government prepares for these types of calamities since these occur frequently in the Philippines.")

"Hay, naku! Linda, ang Aquino administration, hindi iniisip 'yan!" Anita Gonzales remarked.

("Oh, Linda! The Aquino administration doesn't think about those things!")

"Ikaw naman! Masyado mo namang dini-degrade ang Aquino government!" Balsy Mendoza commented.

("Oh, c'mon! You always degrade the Aquino government!")

"Talaga namang incompetent, eh! Basura nga sa Metro Manila, hindi n'ya ma-solve, mag-prepepare pa sa natural calamities!" Coritha sided with Anita. "Sumulat ang kapatid kong estudyante sa Far Eastern University (FEU) na grabe na raw ang basura sa Metro Manila. Ang baho raw ng Manila!"

("They're really incompetent! The garbage problem in Metro Manila is still unsolved until now, and you expect them to be prepared for natural calamities? "My younger brother, a student in Far Eastern University, said that there's a tremendous amount of garbage in Metro Manila! He said Manila stinks!")

"Hindi naman trabaho ni Presidente Aquino 'yun, eh!" Balsy Mendoza quipped. "Trabaho 'yun ng Metro Manila mayors."

("But that's not part of President Aquino's responsibilities!" "That's the job of the mayors in Metro Manila.")

"Pero s'ya ang Pangulo. Karamihan sa mga Metro Manila mayors ngayon ay suportado n'ya noong local election. Bakit hindi n'ya gamitin ang leadership n'ya sa mga mayors?" Anita asked.

("But she's the President. She was the one who supported majority of the Metro Manila mayors now holding their positions when they were still running during the local elections. Why doesn't she exhibit her leadership among the mayors?")

"'Yun na nga ang problema n'ya! Leadership!" Coritha quipped. "Incompetent ang leadership n'ya. Pabasa-basa lang s'ya ng mga speeches. Pupunta-punta sa ibang bansa para umutang!" Coritha remarked.

("That's the problem! Leadership!" "She lacks leadership!" "She is an incompetent leader. All she does is read speeches. And then she goes abroad to borrow money from foreign countries!)

"Ayaw pa kasing mag-resign, eh! Pinapaikot-ikot lang s'ya ng mga political advisers n'ya. At saka 'yang 'reconciliation' na matagal na n'yang sinasabi – s'ya ang source ng hindi pagkakasundo. Mapaghiganti s'ya! Kung katulad sana n'ya si President Violeta Chamorro ng Nicaragua na pinapatawad n'ya 'yung mga pumatay sa asawa n'ya, kaso, hindi! Higanti rito, higanti roon! Kaya lalong gumugulo sa Pilipinas! Ang pinapatawad n'ya, 'yung mga leaders ng mga Komunista na ang daming pinapatay sa atin. Nasaan ngayon si Jose Maria Sison na pinalaya n'ya? Nasa Netherlands! Nangangalap uli ng salapi upang ipambili ng mga armas na gagamiting ng mga NPA na pang-patay sa mga libu-libo pa nating kababayan!" Anita said.

("And she won't resign! She's being manipulated by her political advisers. And on the on-going issue of reconciliation – she's the reason for the lack of consensus. She wants revenge. I wish she were more like President Violeta Chamorro of Nicaragua, who forgave those who killed her husband, but she isn't. Aquino would rather forgive the communist leaders who have killed many of our Filipino countrymen. Where is Jose Maria Sison whom she pardoned? In the Netherlands, accumulating money for arms that the NPAs will use to kill thousands of our countrymen!")

"Mabuti pa si Sison, pinatawad n'ya. Ilang libo ang pinapatay n'yan? Hindi ba, ang sabi ni Victor Corpuz na dating kasamahan n'ya, si Jose Maria Sison, at hindi si Marcos, ang nagpa-bomba sa Plaza Miranda? Bakit pinalaya s'ya ni Cory? Galit s'ya kay Laurel na Vice-President n'ya, galit s'ya kay Honasan, galit s'ya kay Enrile, galit s'ya kay Adaza! Eh, kung wala ang mga 'yon, naging Presidente naman kaya s'ya? Ayaw n'yang makipag-reconcile sa kanila, samantalang sa mga Komunista ay nakikipag-reconcile s'ya! Anong klaseng Presidente 'yun?" Coritha commented.

("Sison is lucky that she gave him amnesty. Didn't that man order thousands to be killed? Didn't Sison's comrade, Victor Corpuz, admit that is was Jose Maria Sison, and not Marcos, who ordered the bombing of Plaza Miranda. Why did Cory set him free. She's angry with Laurel, her Vice President, with Honasan, with Enrile, with Adaza! But if it were not for these men, would she have become President? She'd rather reconcile with the communists than with them. What kind of President is that?")

"Si Enrile at Laurel naman kasi, kumampi kay Honasan sa coup. Gusto nilang pabagsakin ang gobyerno ni Cory," Balsy reasoned out.

("Enrile and Laurel sided with Honasan during the coup attempt. They wanted the downfall of Cory's government.")

"At si Sison? Hindi ba s'ya ang leader ng Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) na gusto ring pabagsakin ang ating gobyerno?" Coritha asked Balsy. The latter was speechless.

("And Sison? Is he any different? Isn't he the leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines who also wants the downfall of our government?")

"Bakit ba naiinis ka kay Cory?" Rose asked.

("Why are you disgusted with Cory?")

"At sino naman ang matutuwa sa kanya? Look! Nung nagkakampanya s'ya noong 'snap elections,' hindi ba sabi n'ya, she would be the exact opposite of Marcos? Sinabi n'ya 'yan. Natatandaan ko 'yan! Si Marcos daw, kesyo marami s'yang cronies. Si Marcos daw, he encouraged political nepotism. Ang Marcos regime daw, punong-puno ng graft and corruption. Eh, s'ya ngayon? Hindi ba ang dami rin n'yang cronies – si Jose Concepcion, si Bengzon, si Estanislao, at marami pang iba. Hindi ba ang yayaman ng mga 'yan ngayong nasa gobyerno sila? Political nepotism? Eh, hindi ba ang mga pamilya n'ya ngayon ang nasa power? Si Bong Bong at si Imee ay nagkandidato sa local election. Si Cory? Hindi ba ang kapatid n'yang si Peping Cojuangco ay Congressman ngayon, at ang hipag n'yang si Tessie Aquino-Oreta ay Congresswoman din? Hindi ba Congressman din ang uncle niyang si Francisco Sumulong? At ang bayaw niyang si Boots Aquino ay Senator? Hindi ba very clear na greedy for political power din ang pamilya niya tulad ni Marcos. At graft and corruption? Naku! Napakaraming magnanakaw ngayon sa Aquino administration! Mas marami pa ngayon kaysa noong panahon ni Marcos!" Anita was furious.

("You want me to be happy for her with the way things are? Look! When she campaigned during the 'snap elections', didn't she say she would be the exact opposite of Marcos? She said that. I remember it well! She alleged that Marcos had a lot of cronies, that he encouraged political nepotism, that his regime was full of graft and corruption. How is she any different? Doesn't she have Jose Concepcion, Bengzon, Estanislao and many more fore her cronies. Aren't these people becoming rich now that they are in the government? Political Nepotism? Bong Bong and Imee Marcos may have ran for office during the last local elections. But aren't many of Aquino's family members currently holding powerful positions in government? Isn't her brother, Peping Cojuangco a congressman, her sister-in-law, Tessie Aquino-Oreta, a congresswoman, her uncle, Francisco Sumulong, a congressman also, and her brother-in-law, Boots Aquino, a senator?" Isn't it clear that her family is also greedy for political power like the family of Marcos? And graft and corruption? C'mon. There are more thieves and crooks in Aquino's government than during Marcos' time!")

"Marcos loyalist ka naman yatang tulad ni Coritha kaya ka naiinis kay Cory, eh!" Balsy teased.

("I think you're a Marcos loyalist like Coritha which is why you are disgusted with Cory!")

"Hay, Balsy! Hindi ako Marcos loyalist! Katunayan, si Cory ang ibinoto ko noong 'snap election'!" revealed Anita.

("Oh, Balsy! I'm not a Marcos loyalist! In fact, I voted for Cory during the 'snap elections'!")

"'Yun naman pala, eh! Bumoto ka naman pala kay Cory! Tapos, ngayon, naiinis ka sa kanya?" Balsy quipped.

("If that's the case, then you supported her! Aren't you partially responsible for putting her in power? Why should you be offended with her now?")

"Kaya nga ako naiinis, dahil naloko n'ya ako katulad ng iba pa nating kababayan. Nagpadala tayo sa mga pangakong napako!" Anita explained.

("That's the reason why I'm offended, because she was able to fool me just like the rest of our countrymen. We were swayed by promises that were broken!")

"Hindi naman s'ya siguro manloloko. Siguro, talagang incompetent lang. Napapaikot s'ya ng mga political advisers n'ya. 'Yung mga 'yon ang talagang manloloko!" Rose remarked.

("She may not be dishonest. Perhaps, just unskilled. Her political advisers can easily manipulate her. Those are the ones who are really dishonest!")

"Rose! Dumarating na si Aling Consuelo. May kasama s'ya!" Linda Gallego said.

("Rose! Here comes Aling Consuelo. There's someone with her!")

Aling Consuelo was excited to see Rose. Rose was the closest to her among the members of the group.

"Rose!" Aling Consuelo shouted as she ran to her, then hugging ang kissing her like her own daughter. Rose was touched by her warmth and care.

She had been like a mother to her, giving her advice whenever she had problems.

"Kelan ka dumating? Tumaba ka yata? Nawala na ba 'yung mga problema? Siguro, enjoy ka sa Baguio, ano?" Aling Consuelo asked in rapid succession.

("When did you arrive? You've gained weight, haven't you? Have you been able to resolve your problems? Baguio was probably enjoyable, wasn't it?")

Rose could only smile. She didn't know which question to answer first.

"Kumusta ka na?" Aling Consuelo asked.

("So how are you?")

Rose could finally reply, "Mabuti po, Aling Consuelo. Kayo po?"

("I'm fine, Aling Consuelo. And you?")

"Okay naman! Happy as usual! Hindi ko pinapansin 'yang mga problema at baka lalo akong tumanda!" she said, giggling.

("I'm okay! Happy as usual! I don't pay too much attention to problems since I might end up getting older!")

"Aling Consuelo, na-meet ko po ang asawa n'yo, si Mang Alejandro," Rose said.

("Aling Consuelo, I was able to meet your husband, Mang Alejandro,")

"Ha! Saan mo s'ya na-meet?" Aling Consuelo was surprised.

("Really! Where did you meet him?")

"Sa Baguio po. 'Yung taxi na sinakyan namin, s'ya ang nagda-drive."

("In Baguio. He was the driver of the taxi we rode in.")

"Kumusta naman s'ya? 'Yung mga anak namin?"

("How is he? And how are our kids?")

"Ayon po sa kanya, okay naman silang lahat. Kaya lang, nami-miss po nila kayo."

("According to him, they are all okay. But they miss you.")

Aling Consuelo suddenly turned sad. After a while, she said: "Ako rin, nami-miss ko rin sila. Kung hindi nga lang namin kailangan ang pera, gusto ko na ring umuwi. Gusto ko kasing matapos ang bahay na ipinapagawa namin bago ako magfor-good.1"

("I also miss them. If we didn't need the money, I'd already go home. But I want the construction of our house to be finished before I return to the Philippines permanently.")

Rose was silent. Even though she was single, she could understand the feeling of a mother who had been away from home for four years.

"S'yanga pala, muntik ko nang malimutang ipakilala and kasama ko," Aling Consuelo told Rose, her face shining again. "S'ya si Evelyn Marquez, taga-Tarlac. May sasabihin s'ya sa atin."

("By the way, I almost forgot to introduce my friend," "This is Evelyn Marquez, from Tarlac. There's something she'd like to share with us.)

"Hi! I'm Rose Afable, also from Baguio City like Aling Consuelo."

"Hello!" Evelyn shook her hand.

Each member of the group introduced herself. "Taga-Tarlac ka pala. Kay Cory ka?" Anita Gonzales asked.

("So you're from Tarlac. Are you a supporter of Cory (Aquino)?")

Evelyn smiled.

"Cory 'yan! Wag kang magsasalita laban kay Cory ngayon, Anita. Tahimik ka lang..." Antonia Mortiz kidded.

("I bet she is. So you can't bad-mouth Cory, Anita. You better keep your mouth shut...")

"Ay! Wag 'yang politika ang pag-usapan natin, kundi ang kabutihan nating mga overseas workers. May sasabihin sa atin si Evelyn tungkol d'yan," Aling Consuelo remarked.

("Hey! Let's talk about something else besides politics. Why not talk about our welfare as overseas workers. Evelyn has something to share with regards to that,")

"Ano ba 'yun?" Anita asked.

("What's it about?")

"Tungkol ito sa Overseas Workers' Welfare Fund," Evelyn said. "Alam ba ninyong bawat Filipino overseas worker ay nagbabayad ng US $125 sa Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). Dito sa Hong Kong, merong 50,000 Filipinos ngayon.2 Sa mga Middle East countries – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Oman at iba pa – ay mahighit na isang milyong Filipino na ang nagtratrabaho roon. Bukod pa rito, marami pang Filipino ang nag-tartrabaho sa Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea at iba pang bansa sa Asya. At gayundin sa Europe, lalung-lalo na sa Italy. Bawat isa sa ating mga overseas workers ay nagbayad ng US $125 bago tayo pinayagang lumabas sa ating bansa. Ang aming layunin ay hilingin sa ating pamahalaan na gugulin ang accumulated Overseas Workers' Welfare Fund para sa kapakanan ng mga overseas workers. Hindi naman siguro kaila sa atin ang mahirap na sitwasyon nating mga overseas workers, lalung-lalo na 'yung mga nati-terminate dito sa Hong Kong."

("It's about the Overseas Worker's Welfare Fund," "Did you know that each Filipino overseas worker pays US $125 to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). In Hong Kong, there are currently about 50,000 Filipinos. In the Middle East countries – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Oman etc. – there are more than a million Filipinos working there. Aside from that, many Filipinos are working in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and other countries in Asia. The same goes for Europe, especially in Italy. Each one of us overseas workers paid US $ 125 in order to be allowed to leave our country. Our goal is to ask the government to spend the accumulated Overseas Workers' Welfare Fund for the benefit of overseas workers. You're well acquainted with the difficult situation we overseas workers face, especially those terminated here in Hong Kong.")

"Magkano ba 'yang Overseas Workers' Welfare Fund na 'yan?" Coritha San Juan asked.

("How much money has accumulated in the Overseas Workers' Welfare Fund?")

"Ang estimate namin ay may minimum na 700,000,000 pesos ayon na rin sa pakikipag-usap ng aming mga kasamahan sa ating mga consulate officials. Each overseas worker contributed US $125. Ipagpalagay na nating US $1 is equal to 20 pesos, at ang exchange rate na ito ay panahon pa ni Marcos. Kung ganoon, bawat isa sa ating mga overseas workers ay nag-contribute ng 2,500 pesos sa Overseas Workers' Welfare Fund," Evelyn said.

("The estimate we have is about 700 million pesos minimum, based on our talks with our colleagues among consulate officials. Each overseas worker contributed U.S. $125. Let's assume that U.S. $1 is equal to 20 pesos, the exchange rate since the time of Marcos. If so, each of our overseas workers contributed 2,500 pesos in the Overseas Workers' Welfare Fund,")

"Saan naman ginagasta ang fund na 'yan. Ni wala namang naitutulong sa mga domestic helpers (DH) 'yang OWWA na 'yan. May mga kilala akong DH na one week pa lang, o one month pa lang, tinerminate na ng employer. Humingi ng tulong sa OWWA, hindi naman tinulungan at karamihan sa mga nati-terminate na DH, sa mga kaibigan na lang nakikitulog. Wala silang pera," Linda Gallego said.

("What are they spending the fund on? OWWA has hardly been able to help domestic helpers. I know domestic helpers who, after a week, or after a month, were terminated by their employer. They asked for assistance from the OWWA, but received none. Many of those terminated had to sleep in the homes of their friends. They had no more money,")

"'Yung kilala ko nga, inabuso ng amo. Pagkatapos ng ilang buwan, pinalayas. Ala-una pa naman ng gabi pinalayas. D'yan nagpalipas ng gabi sa Star Ferry. Walang matulugan," Antonia Mortiz said.

("I know someone who was abused by her employer. After a few months, she was thrown out into the streets. And that was at 1 a.m. in the morning. She spent the rest of the hours at the Star Ferry. There was no place for her to go, none to sleep at,")

"May kaibigan din ako, two weeks pa lang sa employer, pinagmalupitan na. Pinagbintangang nagnakaw ng tissue paper. Tissue paper, ha! Ang sabi n'ya sa akin, 'gumasta ako ng 25,000 pesos sa recruitment agency upang makapagtrabaho rito sa Hong Kong. Sisirain ko ba ang record ko dahil lang sa isang tissue paper?3 Oo nga naman! Ganyan kababa ang tingin nila sa ating mga DH sa Hong Kong. Ngayon, nagpatulong s'ya sa OWWA. Natulungan ba s'ya? Hindi!" Cynthia Agunod said.

("I also have a friend, who has only been with the employer for two weeks, but was being subjected to cruelty. She was accused of stealing tissue paper. For crying out loud, tissue paper! She told me she spent 25,000 pesos as payment in a recruitment agency just to work here in Hong Kong. Would she jeopardize her employment record for a piece of tissue paper? Yes, I think she would! C'mon! That's how low we domestic helpers are looked down upon here in Hong Kong. She asked for help from the OWWA. Did she receive any help? No, none at all!")

"Baka naman ang perang 'yan ay kinu-kurakot lang ng kung sinu-sino?"

("Perhaps that money is being pocketed by those in power.")

"'Yung nga po ang dahilan kung kaya kailangang magtulungan tayo upang ang mga contributions na 'yan ng mga overseas workers ay magamit para sa mga overseas workers talaga, at hindi para sa bulsa at kapritso ng mga nag-mamanage dito," Evelyn said.

("That's the reason why we need to help each other so that the contributions are really used for overseas workers, and not for the pockets and whims of those who manage it.")

Evelyn explained what she and her group wanted to accomplish.

"We should organize a lobby movement! This movement will then write Senators and Congressmen to prod them to pass a law which will authorize Philippine embassies, consulates and delegations to spend the accumulated Overseas Workers' Welfare Fund being collected from us for the following purposes: hiring a local law firm that will defend Filipino workers being abused, exploited or oppressed by their employers; renting lodging places where Filipino workers terminated from their jobs can sleep or stay; assisting terminated and distressed Filipino workers financially and granting an accident insurance of at least 200,000 pesos for every Filipino worker abroad. We need this insurance badly. Some workers have only HK $5,000 accident insurance given by their employers, while others don't have any at all. Last year, two Filipina workers were run over by a bus here in Central. You know that both of them died. We don't know if they had insurance or not. And even if they did have the HK $5,000 given by their employers, what is that amount? It's so little. Baka kulang pang pamburol," Evelyn said.

("It might not even be enough for the funeral.")

Evelyn dispelled any of the group member's doubt as to the nature of their movement.

"We are not a communist front. In fact, we condemn communist front organizations exploiting Filipino workers for their propaganda and fund-raising purposes. This project is non-political. It requires selflessness and sacrifice from those who are involved in it. Last June 3, one of our members ran the distance from Chai Wan to Central, which is approximately 20 kilometers, to attract the Filipino's attention and encourage them to support this cause. We have been spending our own money for this project, but this project will not succeed without the cooperation of the majority of Filipino workers abroad," Evelyn explained.

"What can we do to help?" Balsy Mendoza asked.

"We have printed postcard-letters for all Senators and Congressmen since we don't expect you to be composing letters. We have used our funds for operations purposes. These postcard-letters are for free. We are not selling them," Evelyn said.

"About 50,000 Filipinos are here in Hong Kong. Even if you print only 20,000 postcard-letters, you would still end up spending a big amount for these. We want to contribute also because this project is for all Filipino overseas workers," Cynthia Agunod said.

"We have agreed not to accept contributions, lest we be misunderstood. If you wish to help in our operational expenses, we are selling cloth butterflies to finance the project. If you buy one, a Certificate of Recognition will be given to you. This certificate is for free," Evelyn said.

"Magkano naman iyang butterfly?" Cora Fajardo asked.

("How much is one cloth butterfly?")

"HK $10 lang," Evelyn replied.

("Only HK $10.")

"Very cheap naman pala! Pang-Coke lang 'yan ni Balsy at Cynthia. Sige, tumulong tayo," Anita Gonzales said.

("It's very cheap! It only as expensive as a bottle of Coke that Balsy and Cynthia usually drink. Okay, let's help out,")

"Oo nga naman," Rose responded. "Ipakita natin na tayong mga Filipino sa Hong Kong ay mayroon ding pagkakaisa."

("Certainly. Let's show that we Filipinos in Hong Kong have unity.")

Rose's group thanked Evelyn and her movement for the concern they have for their fellow Filipino workers.

"Wala 'yun!" Evelyn said. "Sino pa bang magtutulungan kundi tayong mga Filipino na rin. Eh, kung tayong mga Filipino ay ayaw tumulong sa ating kapwa, wag nating hintayin ang mga Intsik, British, at Arabs na tulungan tayo."

("Don't mention it. Who else will help each other out except us Filipinos. If we can't even help our own countrymen, we can't expect aid from the Chinese, the British or the Arabs.")

Evelyn made her point. The group of Rose was reminded again of a lesson they had often taken for granted, like the rest of us, that no one could love the Filipinos better than the Filipinos themselves.

Back to Table of Contents

. . . CHAPTER . . .

### 5

It was 4:05 in the afternoon of July 16, 1990, Monday when Daniel decided to visit Tony. Tony was absent in their Bible Study last Saturday, and Daniel thought it may be good to pay him a visit. After all, it was he who invited Tony to the Bible Study-Fellowship which was being held every Saturday. He ought to show his concern for the latter.

Although Tony had shown interest in the Bible Study sessions, Daniel knew that he had not yet made the decision of inviting Jesus Christ into his heart.

### . . .

Brother Ben Cervantes was in a Pantranco bus to Manila that Monday afternoon.

He would attend a seminar on missions sponsored by the Jesus is Lord Christian Fellowship the following day in Philamlife, Quezon City. The seminar would last for three days – Tuesday to Thursday.

After the seminar, he would visit his uncle, Colonel Tirso Martinez, Philippine Air Force (PAF), at Villamor Air Base.

Then, he would go back to Baguio City on Friday afternoon, July 20, for the Saturday Bible Study Fellowship.

### . . .

Paciencia Pascual, the businesswoman who was a member of Brother Ben's Bible Study group, was having a discussion with Ernesto Santos in the latter's flower shop at the Baguio public market. They were talking about the possibility of putting up a Christian monthly digest for Baguio residents. "This has been my vision for the past two years, at matagal ko nang ipinapanalangin 'to," she told Ernesto.

("This has been my vision for the past two years, and I have been praying about it for a long time.")

"Kung talagang will ng Lord, ituloy mo," Ernesto said.

("If it's the Lord's will, then go for it.")

"Tutulungan mo ba ako?" she asked him.

("Are you willing to help me?")

"Paano?" Ernesto asked.

("How?")

"Sa circulation. Malaki ang maitutulong mo sa distribution ng publication," she answered.

("With the digest's circulation. You can help a great deal in the distribution of the publication,")

"Eh, wala akong experience sa pagtitinda ng mga magazines o digests. Bulaklak ang mga itinitinda ko," Ernesto said.

("But I don't have any experience in selling magazines or digests. I only sell flowers,")

"Pareho na rin 'yon. Marketing din. Kapag willing ka, magagamit ka ng Panginoon," she said.

("It's should be similar. It's still marketing. If you are willing, the Lord can use you.")

### . . .

Grace Guillermo was still in Dagupan City that Monday afternoon. Dagupan was roughly 50 kilometers South West of Baguio.

She decided to go home last Saturday afternoon to get money from her parents for buying the books she needed in school. She also needs her allowance.

Her father, Mr. Franco Guillermo, had a bicycle shop along Torres Bugallon in Dagupan. He wanted Grace to study in the city so she could help him in the store.

But Grace wanted to study in Baguio so she could concentrate on her lessons. At the same time, she yearned for an environment like Baguio's: cool, relatively clean, not so polluted, and beautiful. It was her mother who supported her desire to attain an education there.

Since she only had two classes on Monday, she decided to go back to Baguio at dawn on Tuesday. If she left Dagupan at 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, she would be in Baguio before 7:30 a.m.

### . . .

Arturo Bigornia, Emilio Lopez and Florentino Africa, all enrolled at the Saint Louis University, had decided to go to Burnham Park for a stroll following their afternoon classes.

"Mag-boating tayo!" Arturo told his two companions.

("Let's go boating.")

"Oo nga, maganda siguro mag-boating ngayon," Emilio said, supporting the recommendation.

("Yeah! Now's a good time to go boating.")

"Wag na. Maglakad-lakad na lang tayo. Tingnan n'yo ang langit. Madilim. Baka mamaya, biglang umulan," Florentino countered.

("No. Let's just take a stroll. Look at the sky. There are dark clouds. If might rain later on,")

He was right.

About ten minutes later, the rain began. There was a heavy downpour. The three were trapped inside a restaurant in the park.

The torrential shower was reduced to a drizzle at about 4:20 p.m.

"Dito muna tayo. Umaambon pa, eh," Arturo said.

("Let's stay here for a while. It's still drizzling.")

"Hindi ba nakakahiya. Kanina pa tayo rito," Florentino said.

("Aren't we overextending our stay? We've been here for a long time.")

"Hindi naman siguro. Umuulan, eh," Arturo stated.

("I don't think so. Besides, it's raining.")

"Ang mabuti pa, magkape na lang tayo para walang masabi ang mga waitresses," Emilio said.

("Let's just order coffee so that the waitresses won't think we're being rude.")

"O, sige," Arturo replied.

("Okay.")

The three ordered coffee and sandwiches for snacks while waiting for the drizzle to completely stop.

### . . .

Mario Vicente, a second year U.P. Baguio student, another member of the Bible Study Fellowship, was in Cabanatuan City that Monday, a location roughly 110 kilometers South East of Baguio.

Like Grace Guillermo, who was in Dagupan City that Monday afternoon, Mario was also unable to go back to Baguio.

He went home to Cabanatuan City on July 14, Saturday, to get his allowance.

Unfortunately, he had a fever the following day. The doctor who treated him advised him to rest for two to three days before going back to Baguio.

### . . .

Wilfredo Agnir was having a cup of brewed coffee in a café just below the Baguio Cathedral that Monday afternoon.

He was thinking of his exam in a math subject two hours ago when a classmate at the Baguio Colleges Foundation approached him.

"Willie! Nandito ka pala."

("Willie! So you're here.")

He turned to the person who just spoke to him. It was Imelda Brillantes, a friend.

"Kanina ka pa ba rito?" Imelda asked.

("Have you been here a while?")

"Hindi naman... Halika, join me," Willie said.

("Not really... Why don't you join me?")

"O, sige," Imelda replied. "Pa-bantay lang nitong books ko, ha, at mag-oorder lang ako," Imelda answered.

("Okay." "Can you watch my books? I'll just order,")

"Okay! Sige, akong bahala sa things mo," Willie assured her.

("Okay! Don't worry about your things.")

### . . .

At about 4:30 p.m., Daniel was at the lobby of the Hyatt Terraces Hotel.

He walked to the information booth, and asked whether Mr. Antonio de Guzman was in the hotel.

"Just a moment, sir. "I'll check whether he's around," the lady receptionist replied. She paged for Tony. He was in the hotel's mini gym.

The receptionist gave Daniel instructions on how to get there.

"Thank you. I appreciate your help," he said.

"Don't mention it," the lady receptionist replied.

It did not take long for Daniel to reach the mini gym. Tony was waiting for him there.

"Hello, Daniel! Nice to see you!" Tony greeted him.

Daniel smiled back, and warmly shook his hand.

"What brings you here?" Tony asked.

"Just visiting," he shot back.

"I'm currently assigned in this area every afternoon," Tony said. "The management tasked me with supervising the gym."

"Good! Now I can come and exercise here," Daniel said.

"Sure, you're welcome to pay me a visit," Tony said. "By the way, how's the Bible Study group doing?"

"Fine! Fine! We have missed you! Join us every Saturday."

"I'll try to make..."

Tony would not finish the statement. The building began to tremble.

"Earthquake!" Tony shouted.

"Takbo tayo sa labas, Tony!" Daniel exclaimed.

("Let's run outside, Tony!")

"Dito na lang! Sa mesa! Sa ilalim ng mesa!" Tony was nervous.

("Over here instead! The table! Get under the table!")

They took cover under a nearby table. It was then when the portion of the Hyatt Terraces Hotel, where the gym was located, suddenly crumbled.

There was a nearly simultaneous power outage.

Then, screams and wailings were heard in the darkness.

### . . .

The driver of the Manila-bound Pantranco bus where Brother Ben Cervantes was in, felt something was wrong. The bus was cruising the MacArthur Highway stretch between Paniqui and Gerona, Tarlac, roughly 85 kilometers South of Baguio City.

"Bakit kaya magalaw?" he asked himself.

("Why is it shaky?")

Afraid that his bus might hit a passing car, he swerved it to the roadside and brought the bus to a halt.

Brother Cervantes wondered why the driver stopped the bus.

A woman at the rear seat of the bus shouted: "Lindol! May lindol!"

("Earthquake! There's an earthquake!")

"Oo nga! Gumagalaw ang mga poste ng kuryente!" exclaimed the man beside her.

("You're right! The electric posts are moving!")

"Nagka-crack ang highway! Bumubuka ang lupa!" another lady was hysterical. "Diyos ko! Diyos ko! Tulungan mo po kami! Iligtas mo po kami!"

("The highway is cracking! The earth is opening up!" "My God! My God! Help us! Save us!")

Brother Cervantes bowed his head and prayed for his safety, for that of the rest of the passengers, and for that of his family in Baguio City.

His wife Arlene, and their two-year old daughter Ruth, were left behind in Baguio.

### . . .

Paciencia Pascual and Ernesto Santos were eating pizza in the latter's shop when the earthquake occurred.

Pandemonium broke out in the market. People were running ang screaming, all terrified by the tremors.

"Ang lakas!" Paciencia told Ernesto.

("This is strong earthquake!")

The first tremor stopped.

There were a few seconds of stillness.

Then the second tremor, stronger this time, began.

"Diyos ko! Diyos ko! Maawa ka po sa amin! Tulungan po n'yo kami! Iligtas po n'yo kami!" a woman was on her knees, crying towards heaven.

("My God! My God! Have mercy on us! Help us! Save us!")

"Bumagsak ang Baguio Park Hotel! Bumagsak ang Baguio Park Hotel!" screamed a terrified man.

("Baguio Park Hotel collapsed! Baguio Park Hotel collapsed!")

Paciencia urged Ernesto to run with her to the street. "Sa labas tayo, Ernie! Dali!" she shouted.

("Let's move outside, Ernie! Quickly!")

They quickly ran out of the public market building, together with other terrified vendors.

The road was filled with people who came out from the buildings nearby.

"Diyos ko! Diyos ko! Wag mo pong gunawin ang mundo!" an old woman behind Paciencia and Ernesto said, crying.

("My God! My God! Please do not destroy the world!")

"Ernie, manalangin tayo," urged Paciencia. She led him in praying the Lord's prayer.

("Ernie, let's pray.")

### . . .

In Dagupan City, Grace was talking to a buyer in their bicycle shop when her father screamed: "Lindol! Lindol!"

("Earthquake! Earthquake!")

He shouted for Grace to run to the road.

The buyer followed them, as horrified as they were.

"Wala na! Tumigil na!" Mr. Guillermo said.

("It has stopped!")

Then, the second tremor began.

"Daddy, hayan na naman po!" Grace exclaimed.

("Daddy, there it goes again!")

"Bumubuka ang lupa!" the buyer shouted, aghast.

("The earth is opening up!")

A violent explosion terrified thousands who flocked to the road.

"It's the end of the world! It's the end of the world! Lord, forgive us! Lord, forgive us!" a lady was crying.

"This is God's judgement! This is God's judgement!" a man kept saying.

### . . .

Arturo Bigornia, Emilio Lopez and Florentino Africa had just finished their snack in the restaurant at Burnham Park when the earthquake struck.

"Lindol! Lindol!" a waitress screamed.

("Earthquake! Earthquake!")

The three quickly ran out of the restaurant to an open area.

Fear engulfed them when they saw the Baguio Park Hotel reduced to ruins.

"Let's kneel and pray!" Arturo urged the other two.

As the three knelt and prayed, they could hear horrifying screams from the people trapped in the rubbles of the Baguio Park Hotel.

"Lord, forgive us! Lord, forgive us!" Arturo exclaimed in prayer.

"Lord, save our country! Please, save our country!" Florentino appealed.

Emilio prayed silently. He thought it might be the end of the world.

### . . .

Mario Vicente, then in Cabanatuan City, still nursing a fever, was shocked when the cabinet in his room crashed.

As their house shook, he realized it was an earthquake.

His mother, then in the kitchen, rushed to his room when she heard the noise created by the fallen cabinet.

"Anak ko!" she shouted, rushing to him, embracing her son.

("My son!")

"Let's pray, Ma!" Mario told his mother who was crying.

They had just begun praying when they heard a man shouting that the Christian College of the Philippines1 building collapsed.

### . . .

Wilfredo Agnir, then having coffee in a café along Session Road, quickly rushed out after the first tremor.

He was already on Session Road when the second tremor struck.

Wilfredo heard the sound made by a collapsing building. There were people crying and screaming on Session Road.

Cars and taxis stopped right on the middle of the road.

Wilfredo wondered if the "Rapture" had already occurred, and shuddered at the thought that if it had, he was left behind.

He could hear the bell's toll. He thought it might be the bell of the Baguio Cathedral.

As the bell tolled, Wilfredo thought that thousands might die due to the earthquake. He bowed his head and prayed.

Back to Table of Contents

. . . CHAPTER . . .

6

"A powerful earthquake of tectonic1 origin measured at intensity 8 on the Richter Scale hit the island of Luzon in the Philippines at about 4:35 p.m. today!" the male newscaster of the Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) in Hong Kong announced.

Rose, who had regularly tuned in to the 6:00 p.m. FEBC news broadcast, stopped slicing the Chinese pechay she needed for the dish she was about to cook, and listened with thirsty ears to the newscaster.

"The damage created by the powerful quake is still undetermined, but it is feared that thousands may be affected either as injured or as casualties. Cities in the Philippines hard-hit by the earthquake include Cabanatuan City, Dagupan City, and Baguio City. Metro Manila only experienced a mild shock, and only one person died as of this hour," the newscaster said.

Rose was worried upon hearing that Baguio was one of the cities hit hard by the earthquake.

"In Baghdad, Iraq's President Saddam Hussein accused Kuwait of stealing oil from Iraq's territory. Hussein warned Kuwait of grave consequences if it did not compensate Iraq for the oil that the former allegedly stole from the latter. Kuwait's ruler, Sheik Jaber al-Ahmed, on the other hand, denied the Iraqi leader's allegation, saying that Hussein was making up stories to justify his aggressive design in the Arab region."2

There were knocks on the door.

Rose turned off the radio and walked to the living room.

"Perhaps, it's Ma'am," she said to herself, as she opened the door.

It was Patrick Lee, her male employer.

"Good afternoon, Sir," Rose greeted him.

He nodded.

"Ma'am not yet around?" Mr. Lee asked.

"Not yet, Sir?" she replied.

"What you doing?" he asked in broken English.

"Cooking, Sir."

"Me rest. Sleepy!" he said.

"Okay, Sir. I'll continue cooking."

Mr. Lee nodded and went to his room.

Rose, on the other hand, went back to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients for chopsuey.

She turned on the radio again for the news. But the newscast was over.

The announcer was playing an instrumental piece of the song "Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing". She liked the song, and wished that she and Daniel could have chosen it as their theme song. They had none.

The song is the theme of the movie of the same title, based on a novel titled "A Many Splendoured Thing" written by a Chinese author named Han Suyin. The novel was written during the Korean War. She had already read the novel twice, but she had not seen the movie yet. Her mother, who saw it, told her once that it was a beautiful film shot in Hong Kong. How she had desired to see it.

But that night, even as she listened to the song, that desire was far overshadowed by her concern for her family in Baguio. She knew that Baguio was hit by an earthquake. But that was all she knew at that moment.

How was her family? Especially her mother?

And Daniel?

She was deep in her thoughts about them when the phone rang.

"Hello, Ma'am?" she said, thinking that the person on the other end of the line was her mistress, May Lee.

"Hello, is this Rose?" the caller asked.

"Yes! Who is this?"

"Rose, si Manang Consuelo mo. Nangngeg mo daydiay news?" Aling Consuelo asked.

("Rose, this is Manang Consuelo. Did you hear the news?)

"Tungkol po sa earthquake?"

("About the earthquake?")

"Wen! Pati Baguio kano ket heavily hit! Madanagan ak kadagidiay addim ken ni Manong mo."

("Yes! And Baguio City was heavily hit. I'm worried about my children and my husband.")

"Pati siak, Manang Consuelo. Ni inang masaksakit pay."

("Even I, Manang Consuelo. My mother is even sickly.")

Both of them were anxious.

Consuelo realized, since she was older, that one of them should provide strength and encouragement.

"Agkararag ta ading. Ammo ni Apo Dios nga tulungan dagidiay umawag Kaniana."

("Let's pray. God knows how to help those who call upon Him.)

For the first time in their lives, they prayed together while using the phone. Each one agreed to the prayer of the other.

They both believed that the Immutable, Omniscient, and All-Powerful God answered the petitions of those who had no one to turn to except Him who guides and rules the destinies of men and nations.

He who levels the strong and proud is also the only One who can truly strengthen the weak and the lowly.

And when the contrite in heart turn to Him, everything – worries and cares, present and future, their whole lives – then, the heart of God is touched, and He comes to the aid of those who implore His name.

Rose felt lighter after their intercession. God knew what was best for her family. And she believed He would rescue them.

"Manang Consuelo, ipaubaya na lang po natin sa Lord ang lahat."

("Manang Consuelo, let's leave it all to the Lord.")

"Yan ang talagang dapat nating gawin," Consuelo stressed.

("Yes, that's what we should do.")

Rose nodded.

"O, paano, tatawag na lang uli ako sa 'yo kapag wala akong ginagawa," Consuelo said.

("So, I'll just call you again in my free time.")

"Sige po, Manang Consuelo."

("Okay, Manang Consuelo.")

"O kaya, kapag wala kang ginagawa, tumawag ka sa akin. Magbalitaan tayo kapag may nadinig tayong news tungkol sa Pilipinas," Consuelo stated.

("Or you can also call me whenever you're free. Let's exchange information whenever we hear news about the situation in the Philippines,")

"Sige po," Rose said.

("Okay.")

Consuelo hung up the phone.

Rose continued what she was doing.

Though she still thought about her family, and Daniel, she was less worried now.

"The Lord will take care of them," she said to herself.

Back to Table of Contents

. . . CHAPTER . . .

7

It was July 18, 1990, Wednesday. Brother Ben Cervantes anxiously tuned to the 7:00 a.m. news of DZAS.

He heard the other day that Baguio City was heavily damaged by the earthquake, and that twenty-one1 buildings, including hotels like the Baguio Park Hotel, Nevada Hotel and Hyatt Terraces Hotel, collapsed.

What happened to his wife Arlene and to their two-year old daughter Ruth? Were they safe?

Communication lines to Baguio were completely cut off. He had no way of getting in contact with them.

"President Aquino, yesterday, declared a state of emergency for all areas devastated by Monday's killer quake. Placed under the state of calamity were the provinces of Pangasinan, Benguet, and Nueva Ecija, as well as the cities of Dagupan, San Carlos, Baguio, Cabanatuan, San Jose, and Palayan," the lady newscaster said. "The President also thanked the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Switzerland and Israel for their assistance in rescue and relief operations. Fifty U.S. civilian engineers, 50 physicians, and 100 hundred U.S. Air Force personnel were flown from Clark Air Base to the affected areas in Central and Northern Luzon yesterday morning."

Brother Cervantes stirred the cup of coffee as he listened to the newscaster.

"Public Works Secretary Fiorello Estuar formed a team headed by Undersecretary Teodoro Encarnacion and Bureau of Design Director Francisco Pascual to find out if anyone can be held liable for the collapse of the Christian College of the Philippines building in Cabanatuan City, where more than one hundred students and teachers are believed trapped in the ruins."

The newscaster continued broadcasting news about the havoc wrought by the killer quake.

"In Dagupan City, City Vice Mayor Al Fernandez said potable water, food and medicine supply are running low. Portions of the city, heavily damaged, had sunk by an average of two feet. Hospitals are at peak capacity with the continuous arrival of the injured and the dead. Some hospitals were also damaged by the earthquake. Some portions of Dagupan had fissures from which mud sprang, flooding the streets. Vice Mayor Fernandez had placed the damage on public infrastructure at 600 million pesos and 1 billion pesos on private establishments."

Brother Cervantes increased the volume of the radio when the lady newscaster broadcast the news about Baguio.

"Reports from Baguio City said many people have slept outdoors beginning Monday night due to continuous aftershocks.2 Burnham Park has virtually become a tent city. The earthquake cut off telecommunication lines, isolating Baguio City. It also affected the Binga Hydroelectric Plant, disrupting power. Supply is scarce. Food may be enough for now, but residents have been hoarding food and other necessities. As of today, Baguio has 80 dead, the highest in the casualty list. Dagupan City has 34, Cabanatuan City has 33, and Manila has 2 dead. The casualty lists may increase due to the numerous people still trapped in fallen buildings."

Brother Cervantes whispered a prayer upon hearing the news.

"Meanwhile, U.S. President George Bush has offered whatever help is needed by the Philippines. The United States has donated an initial amount of 500,000 pesos for the earthquake victims, and fielded at least 9 helicopters and 200 civilian and military personnel for relief and rescue operations. U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Platt said a C-141 cargo plane will soon arrive in Baguio City to bring relief goods to the earthquake victims."

"In another development, 30 gold miners were reported killed in a mine which collapsed in Benguet, roughly 30 kilometers northeast of Baguio. It is believed that the miners did not survive because no rescue team has reached the area until now."

### . . .

Mario Vicente could only feel pity and sorrow as he watched the girl being taken out from the collapsed Christian College of the Philippines building by a combined team of Filipino and American soldiers, and a few civilian volunteers.

The girl, one of the students trapped in the collapsed college, was crying due to the pain in her right leg crushed by a portion of a collapsed wall.

"Ang paa ko! Masakit!" she cried.

("My leg! It hurts!")

Two American volunteers, one a medic, immediately applied first aid on her bleeding leg before they put her on a stretcher.

Her father, who had been anxiously waiting for her rescue, ran to her crying.

"Anak ko! Anak ko! Salamat at nakaligtas ka," the anxious father told her while holding her hand.

("My child! My child! Thank goodness you're safe,")

"Itay... ang singsing ko, nawawala," she said.

("Father... my ring, it's missing.")

"Hindi bale, anak! Papalitan ko 'yun. Ang mahalaga'y ligtas ka."

("Don't worry my child! I'll replace it. What's important is that you're safe.")

The girl's gold ring, given as a gift by her father, was stolen by a civilian volunteer.

After giving her first aid, the Americans brought her to a waiting ambulance.

Right after the ambulance had left, Mario saw a local radio reporter approach a member of the American rescue team, a marine who was in the group of Olongapo City mayor Richard "Dick" Gordon.

The reporter, without batting an eyelash, asked the marine if the rescue effort being undertaken by Americans was related to the U.S. bases issue.

The marine was stunned at the question. He looked the radio announcer straight in the eyes. The announcer repeated his question.

"I want to know whether your rescue effort here is related to the issue of the American bases in the Philippines," he asked rudely.

"Aw, c'mon, cut the bull----. Why'd you always have to tell us this crap?" the marine quipped, his uniform wet with sweat, as his herculean arm held an electronic drill he was using to break up the rubble of the Christian College of the Philippines.

His ego bruised, the radio reported left the scene embarrassed.3

"Patuloy ang rescue operation dito sa Baguio kahit gumagabi na. Medyo umuulan ngayon at basang-basa ang mga rescue teams namin dito," Marco de Dios, a field reporter of DZRH, stated. He was a few meters away from the collapsed wing of the Baguio Hyatt Terraces Hotel.

("The rescue operations here in Baguio have continued despite nightfall. The rescue teams are drenched because it's even raining at this hour,")

"Sinu-sino ang mga nariyan?" Rey Langit, who was manning the DZRH announcer's booth in Makati, asked.

("Who are there?")

"Na mga rescue team members?" Marco asked, clarifying the question.

("You mean, who are part of the rescue team?")

"Roger, Marco! Roger!"

"Ang mga Igorot miners ang nangunguna. Sila talaga ang mga pumapasok sa mga guho. Parang wala silang takot. Nandito rin ang mga British, Japanese, Americans at Singaporeans."

("Igorot miners are leading the rescue effort. They are the ones entering the collapsed building. It seems they have no fear. The British, Japanese, Americans and Singaporeans are also here.")

"Yung mga PMA cadets, nand'yan pa ba?" Rey Langit asked.

("Are the PMA cadets there?" PMA stands for Philippine Military Academy)

"Roger, Rey! Roger!"

"Pwede bang mag-interview ka ng isang member ng rescue team d'yan?"

("Can you interview one of the members of the rescue team?")

"Roger, Rey! Sandali lang at lalapitan ko ang isa," Marco said.

("Let me approach one.")

He approached a member of the British team.

"Sir, is it possible to ask a few questions?" Marco asked the British.

"Go ahead."

"Do you think there are still people alive in the rubble?"

"Yes, I think so."

"How long will it take 'til the rescue teams finish this work in Hyatt?"

"I don't know. A few days perhaps."

"When did you arrive here, Sir?"

"Just this morning. We could have arrived yesterday from London, but we were waiting for your government's confirmation that it needed assistance. We were also delayed for eight hours in Manila."

"How come?" asked Marco.

"I don't know..."

"Marco! Marco! Tanungin mo ang pangalan niya," Rey Langit said.

("Ask for his name,")

"Sir, may I know your name please?"

"Hugh MacMillan."

"Thank you very much, Sir!" Marco said.

"You're welcome."

"Rey..."

He would not finish his statement. Another aftershock occurred.

"Rey, may aftershock na naman dito!"

("Rey, there's another aftershock!")

"Malakas ba?! Malakas ba?!"

("Is it strong?! Is it strong?!")

"Roger, Rey! Medyo malakas!"

("Quite strong!")

"Palagi ba ang aftershock d'yan?"

("Are you frequently experiencing aftershocks in that area?")

"Roger, Rey! Roger! Ayan... tumigil na."

("Finally... it stopped.")

"Marco, kumain ka na ba?"

("Marco, have you eaten?")

"Hindi pa."

("Not yet.")

"Mabuti pa, kumain ka muna at pagod ka na rin. I'll contact you later."

("Why don't you eat and take a break since you're fatigued.")

"Roger, Rey! Roger!"

### . . .

Darkness.

Complete darkness.

Only the noise created by the electronic drills disturbed the silence and the horror of the rubble.

Daniel and Tony were both wounded when the table they hid under collapsed. The wall nearby crumbled on it. Then, the ceiling fell on them likewise, like the weight of a meteor falling from the sky.

"Tony, kumusta ang sugat mo?" Daniel asked with difficulty. He had a hard time breathing. His abdomen was hit by the table, which in turn was cut into half by fallen rubble.

("How's you're wound, Tony?")

"Patuloy pa ang dugo..." he answered. His face and neck wet with blood oozing from his wounded head.

("Blood continues to flow out...")

"Kaya mo pa?" Daniel asked.

("Can you still make it?")

Tony was skeptical.

"Nanghihina ako."

("I feel weak.")

There was silence. A terrifying one.

The possibility of impending death was certainly on their minds.

Tony's tears began to fall.

"Daniel, ayaw ko pang mamatay."

("Daniel, I don't want to die yet.")

There was silence again.

Then Daniel spoke. "Palakasin mo ang loob mo. May awa ang Panginoon."

("Be strong. The Lord is merciful.")

"Daniel, ayaw ko pang mamatay..." Tony said again. He continued to cry.

("Daniel, I don't want to die yet...")

"Tony, ang buhay natin ay nasa Panginoon. Siya ang may hawak nito. Kung gugustuhin niya tayong makaligtas, makaliligtas tayo. Ngunit ang mas mahalaga ay kung handa tayong humarap sa Kanya," Daniel said. "Ano ba ang pumipigil sa iyo upang tanggapin mo ang Panginoon?"

("Tony, our life is in God's hands. If it is His will that we survive, we will survive. But what is more important is that we are ready to face Him. What is preventing you from receiving the Lord into your life?")

Tony poured out his feelings.

"Daniel, may poot pa sa puso ko hanggang ngayon... Hinalay ng aming mayor ang nakababata kong kapatid na babae. Pagkatapos siyang halayin ay pinatay pa siya upang hindi makapagsumbong. Naipangako ko sa kanyang puntod na ipaghihiganti ko ang kanyang kaapihan."

("Daniel, there is hate and bitterness in my heart until now... Our mayor raped my youngest sister. After she was raped, she was killed so that she could not talk. I made a promise over her grave to avenge her injustice.")

Daniel was silent for a while. Then he spoke.

"Hindi mo ba maipagpaparaya sa Panginoon ang paghihiganti?"

("Can't you wait for God's retribution?")

Tony would not reply

"Nakikita ng Panginoon ang mga paghihirap ng mga inaapi... Nadidinig Niya ang kanilang mga iyak... At sa takdang panahon, ipapataw Niya ang nararapat na parusa sa mga nang-api." Daniel stated.

("The Lord sees the plight of the oppressed... He hears their cries... and at His appointed time, He exacts just punishment on the oppressors.")

Tony continued to cry.

"Hindi mo nga maaaring tanggapin ang Panginoon kung may poot sa puso mo... Kung tatanggapin mo ang Panginoon, dapat malinis ang iyong puso... Malungkot ang nangyari sa buhay ng kapatid mo... sa buhay mo... Ngunit mas malungkot pa kung mamamatay ka ng wala si Kristo sa iyong buhay," Daniel said.

("Truly, you cannot receive the Lord if there is hatred in your heart... If you ever receive the Lord, you should be willing to let go of the hatred in your heart... What happened to your sister... and to your life... it' sad... But it will be even sadder if you die without the Lord in your life,")

The last sentence brought fear in Tony's heart. He had a feeling that death was not far behind. Anxiously, he asked Daniel if the Lord would forgive him for all his sins.

"Oo, kahit ano pang pagkakasala mo ay papatawarin ng Panginoon kapag magsisisi ka at bubuksan mo ang iyong puso sa Kanya. Ang Panginoon ay maawain at mapagpatawad. Lahat tayo ay nangaligaw, kaya nga't bumaba siya at namatay sa krus para sa ating mga kasalanan."

("Yes, no matter what your sins are, the Lord will forgive them all if you will repent and open your heart to Him. The Lord is gracious and forgiving. All of us have gone astray, that is why He came to earth and died on the cross for our redemption.")

"Gusto kong magsisi at humingi ng tawad sa Kanya... Paano ko bubuksan ang puso ko sa Panginoon?"

("I want to repent and ask Him for forgiveness... How will I open my heart to Him?")

"Sa pamamagitan ng panalangin. Panalangin ng pagtanggap sa Kanya."

("Thru prayer. A prayer of acceptance.")

"Daniel, gusto ko Siyang tanggapin sa puso ko ngayon."

("Daniel, I want to receive Him into my heart right now.")

He taught Tony how to receive Christ into his heart, explaining to him Revelations chapter 3 verse 20.

" _Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."_

"Ang pinto ay ang pinto ng iyong puso, ng iyong kaluluwa. Kapag bubuksan mo ang iyong puso sa Kanya, Siya ay papasok sa iyo gaya ng pangako Niya. Lilinisin Niya ang iyong buhay at bibigyan ka Niya ng buhay na walang hanggan."

("The door is the door of your heart. If you open your heart to Him, He will enter your heart as He promised. He will clean your life, and give you eternal life.")

At that very moment, when life was fleeting fast and death was sure, Tony wholeheartedly opened his heart to the Savior. After Tony prayed, repeating the prayer of Daniel, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Daniel prayed the Lord's prayer.

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name... Thy kingdom come... Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven..."

Back to Table of Contents

. . . CHAPTER . . .

8

"Rose! Come! Quick!" Mrs. Lee, her mistress, called her.

Rose was in the kitchen, cooking food for dinner.

She quickly walked to the living room where Mrs. Lee was seated on a sofa, watching the 6:30 p.m. Chinese news on television.

"Look! Your country! Horrible! Horrible!" Mrs. Lee exclaimed.

News footage showed a cargo vehicle half-buried in a big fissure.

Then a collapsed building.

Next was a collapsed hotel.

Rose was horrified. She bit her lip.

The collapsed hotel was very familiar to her.

"Ma'am, that's the Hyatt Terraces Hotel," she nervously said.

A footage also showed the collapsed Baguio Park Hotel.

Footage of a crashed plane was also shown. Then the body of the pilot.1

"What's the newscaster saying, Ma'am?" Rose asked.

"Plane crashed. American plane. Pilot killed, and co-pilot seriously wounded," Mrs. Lee replied.

The last footage about the Philippines showed Mrs. Aquino. She was caught laughing on camera after the earthquake.

"Your President, right?" Mrs. Lee asked.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Why is she laughing? Many killed already, but why is your President laughing?2"

Rose felt embarrassed at Mrs. Lee's question.

"I don't know, Ma'am," was all she could say.

After the news about the earthquake in the Philippines, the Chinese newscaster broadcast news events in other countries: Iraq's President Saddam Hussein's threat to send hundreds of thousands of troops and hundreds of tanks to its border with Kuwait; the decision of the Soviet Union and Hungary to accept the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) offer to establish diplomatic relations with the alliance; deployment of the United States' planned space based missile defense system in 1993, popularly known as "Star Wars"; the decision of the United States to withdraw recognition of the Cambodian resistance's coalition against the Vietnamese-backed government of Hun Sen; and the threat of South Korea's opposition parties to resign from parliament and attempt a merger to challenge President Roh Tae Woo's government.

When the newscast was over, Rose asked Mrs. Lee for a favor.

"Ma'am, I'm worried about my family in the Philippines," she said. "May I make a long distance call to the Philippines tonight?"

Mrs. Lee understood her concern.

"Go ahead. Call your family."

"Thank you, Ma'am. I'll just finish what I'm doing."

Mrs. Lee nodded.

Rose went back to the kitchen to resume cooking.

Calling Marianne Alonzo was what she had in mind, a friend in Baguio whose family had a phone.

After dinner, when Mrs. Lee and her husband were already resting in their room, Rose asked the telephone operator for a long distance call to Baguio City, Philippines. The female operator called up Baguio City.

"Miss, Afable, the line is out."

"Kindly make another call," Rose requested.

The female operator dialed the number again.

The line was out again.

"Miss Afable, something is wrong with the line to Baguio City. It's out."

There was no way they could call up Baguio City. Communication lines to that area were down at that time. Baguio City had been isolated since the killer quake struck.

"Thank you, Ma'am," Rose said.

She hung up the phone.

Worried and sad, she was on the verge of tears. What would she do?

She remembered her Aunt Mely, the sister of her father.

Her aunt, a widow, had been residing in an apartment in Sampaloc, together with her children. They had a telephone in the house.

Rose called back the telephone operator.

"Ma'am, kindly call up Manila, 721-976. Collect Hong Kong. Our phone number here is 5-836-429."

The operator dialed the Manila number. This time, the line was working.

"Long distance call from Hong Kong for Mrs. Mely Nicolas," the operator said.

It was Thea, Aunt Mely's eldest daughter, who answered the phone. "Si Mommy, tawagin mo, long distance," she told Helen, her younger sister. Soon, Aunt Mely was on the phone.

("Call Mommy, tell her it's a long distance call from Hong Kong.")

"Auntie, si Rose 'to," she said, worried. "Kumusta kayo d'yan?"

("Auntie, this is Rose." "How are all doing?")

"Naku! Ang lakas ng lindol dito. Akala ko, katapusan na ng mundo."

("Oh no! The earthquake here was very strong. I thought it was the end of the world.")

"Auntie, tumawag ako dahil makikibalita sana ako tungkol kina Inay. Tumatawag po kasi ako sa Baguio, ngunit wala namang sumasagot."

("Auntie, I called because I wanted to find out if you had any news about my mother and siblings. I tried calling Baguio, but I couldn't get through.")

"Rose, isolated ang Baguio ngayon! Cut-off ang telephone lines."

("Rose, Baguio is isolated right now! The telephone lines are cut-off!")

"Auntie, anong pwede nating gawin? Gusto kong malaman kung ligtas sina Inay."

("Auntie, what can we do? I just want to find out if they're safe.")

Aunt Mely, who had been listening to the marathon broadcasts of DZRH, thought of seeking the help of the radio station.

"Bayaan mo. Bukas, pupunta ako sa DZRH. May mga field reporters sila sa Baguio. Hihingi ako ng tulong sa kanila. Nakakatawag ang mga taga-Baguio sa DZRH sa pamamagitan ng kanilang mga field reporters. Patatawagan ko ang inay mo. Kung may balita man sa kanila, tatawagan kita. Ano ba ang telepono n'yo d'yan sa Hong Kong?" her aunt asked.

("Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll go to DZRH. They have field reporters in Baguio. I'll try to ask for their help. People in Baguio are able to call DZRH's main station through these field reporters. I'll see if we can reach your mother this way. If I obtain any news about them, I'll call you. What's your number there in Hong Kong?")

"5-836-429, Auntie."

"Sandali't kukuha ako ng ballpen."

("Wait, let me find a ballpen.")

She was immediately back.

"Ano nga 'yun?"

("What was that again?")

"5-836-429, Auntie."

"5-836-429," her aunt repeated the number as she wrote it.

"Opo."

("Yes.")

"O sige, Rose, tatawagan kita kung may balita ako tungkol sa Inay mo't mga kapatid."

("Okay, Rose. I'll call you once I have news about your mother and siblings.")

"Please, Auntie," she appealed.

"O, ikaw? Kumusta ka naman d'yan?"

("What about you? How are you?")

"Mabuti naman po. Kayo po, Auntie? Kumusta po kayo d'yan?"

("I'm okay. And you, Auntie? How are you?")

"Mabuti naman sa awa ng Panginoon."

("They are doing well by God's grace.")

"Ang mga bata po? Kumusta sila?"

("And the kids? How are they?")

"Okay naman sila. Ikaw, mag-ingat ka d'yan. Wag mong pababayaan ang sarili mo."

("They are fine. You take care of yourself, alright? Don't neglect your health.")

"Opo, Auntie," she replied. "O, sige po. Pakibalitaan na lang ninyo ako tungkol kina Inay."

("Yes, Auntie." "Again, if you hear news about mother, don't hesitate to call.")

"Sige," her aunt answered.

("Okay,")

Rose hung up the phone.

Her thoughts were on her family in Baguio City.

And on Daniel.

Back to Table of Contents

. . . CHAPTER . . .

9

July 28, 1990.

From their house in Sampaloc, Aunt Mely and her eldest daughter Thea took a jeepney to Quiapo after dinner.

They took a bus in front of Quiapo Church to Ayala Avenue.

They got down near Makati Medical Center, and asked a pedestrian where DZRH is.1

Fortunately, the pedestrian knew where the radio station is, and showed them how to go there.

They were at the radio station by 8:45 in the evening.

Radio station DZRH started a 24-hour daily broadcast immediately after the natural disaster to offer assistance to earthquake victims and to governmental and private organizations helping in the rescue and relief work.

"Magandang gabi po. Magpapatulong sana kami kay Mr. Rey Langit," Aunt Mely told the receptionist.

("Good evening. Would it be possible to ask for the assistance of Mr. Rey Langit?")

"Tungkol po saan?" asked the lady staff.

("Regarding?")

"Mananawagan sana kami sa Baguio. Alalang-alala na kami dahil may mga relatives kami doon. Hanggang ngayon, hindi namin alam ang kalagayan nila. Hindi naman kami makatawag, o matawagan, dahil cut-off ang telephone lines. Kaya dito kami pumunta dahil may contact ang DZRH sa mga field reporters n'yo sa Baguio."2

("We would like to get in contact with the people in Baguio. We are worried because we have relatives there. Until now, we do not know their status. We could not call them, or wait for their call, since the telephone lines are cut-off. So we went here because DZRH can contact the reporters on the field in Baguio.")

"Doon na lang po kayo sa announcer's booth. Sasamahan ko po kayo," the receptionist said. Immediately, she accompanied them to the booth.

("Please wait in the announcer's booth. Let me take you there,")

Four women were seated in the booth, while two men, one in his late sixties, were standing, waiting for their turn to make announcements.

Rey Langit was then commenting on people who were taking advantage of relief donations.

"Pambihira talaga ang ibang mga kababayan natin. Kahit sa panahon ng kalamidad, hindi pa rin natatakot sa Diyos. Patuloy pa rin ang pagsasamantala sa kapwa Pilipino. Pati ba naman mga blankets at damit na donations sa mga earthquake victims, ipinagbibili sa Fairview, at ang mga donations na itlog galing sa ibang bansa, ipinagbibili d'yan sa Pampanga! Ano ba naman iyan? Hindi na ba natin ititigil ang pandurugas? Sa panahong ito ng krisis, sana naman ay pagtulong sa ating mga nakakaawang mga kababayan ang ating isipin, hindi ang pagsasamantala!!!" Rey Langit exclaimed.

("Some of our countrymen are really devious. Even in times of disasters, they still fail to fear God. They continue to take advantage of their fellow Filipinos. Imagine, even blankets and clothes that have been donated for the earthquake victims are ending up for sale in Fairview, and eggs that have been donated by other countries, are being sold in Pampanga! What kind of behavior is that? Can't we stop being deceitful? In times of crisis, helping our poor countrymen should be on our minds, not exploitation!!!")

Mr. Langit turned to the women and men in the booth.

"May mga panawagan tayo ngayon. Tawagan natin ang isang babae. Ano pong pangalan n'yo at tagasaan po kayo?"

("We have several people who would like to make an announcement. Let's call on one of the women. What's your name and where are you from?")

"Miss Flordeliza Gabriel po. Taga-Baguio City po kami. Galing po kami sa Baguio ng kapatid ko."

("I'm Miss Flordeliza Gabriel. My brother and I are from Baguio. We just came from there.")

"Paano po kayo nakababa? Closed pa po ang Naguilian Road hanggang ngayon."

("How were you able to get down from Baguio? Naguilian Road is still closed until now.")

"Naglakad po kami pababa. Naglalakad po ang mga taga-Baguio ngayon pababa. Mananawagan sana kami sa tatay at nanay ko, si Mr. & Mrs. Juan Gabriel, na umakyat sa Baguio. Itay, Inay, nandito na po kami sa Manila. Naglakad po kami sa Naguilian. Wag na po kayong mag-alala sa amin."

("We had to walk all the way down. People from Baguio are leaving on foot. I'd like to call out to my mother and father, Mr. & Mrs. Juan Gabriel who went up to Baguio. Dad, Mom, we're already here in Manila. We walked via Naguilian. Don't worry about us.")

"Ang ibig mong sabihin Flordeliza, umakyat ang parents mo papuntang Baguio upang makita kayo?"

("You mean to say, Flordeliza, that your parents went up to Baguio to search for you?")

"Opo. Nagkasalisihan po kami."3

("Yes. And unfortunately, they have already left Manila when we were leaving Baguio, so we missed each other.")

"Tsk! Tsk! Tingnan mo nga naman ano. Marami bang naglalakad pababa?"

("Tsk! Tsk! That's regrettable. Were there a lot of people walking on the road down?")

"Opo! Crisis po kasi sa pagkain sa Baguio, at palagi po ang aftershocks. Nakakatakot!"

("Yes! There's a food crisis in Baguio. And there were frequent aftershocks. It was scary!")

"O, sige. Mayroon pa ba?"

("Okay. Is there anything else?")

"Wala na po. 'Yun lang po. Salamat po."

("No. That's it. Thank you.")

"O sige, Hija."

("Okay, Miss")

Rey Langit called another woman.

"Kayo po, misis, anong panawagan n'yo?" asked Rey Langit.

("And you, Ma'am, what would you like say?")

"Mananawagan po sana ako sa mister ko at mga anak ko sa Bagabag, Nueva Viscaya."

("I'd like to call on my husband and my kids in Bagabag, Nueva Visacaya.")

"Anong po'ng pangalan ng mister n'yo?"

("What's your husband's name?")

"Juanito Afan po?"

("Juanito Afan.")

"Ang pangalan po ninyo, misis?"

("And your name, Ma'am?")

"Arsenia Afan po."

("Arsenia Afan.")

"O, sige po, Manawagan na po kayo."

("Okay, go ahead and make your announcement.")

Mrs. Afan was teary-eyed as she spoke.

"Juanito, kumusta kayo r'yan? Mabuti naman ako rito sa Manila. Uuwi sana ako noong Martes, July 17, ngunit ganito naman ang nangyari – lumindol. Alalang-alala ako sa inyo. Adela, Ramon, Ato! Kumusta kayo r'yan mga anak? Gusto kong umuwi r'yan sa Bagabag, pero sarado ang Dalton Pass.4 Hindi makadaan ang mga sasakyan. Kaya't matatagalan pa ako rito sa Manila. Mag-ingat kayo r'yan."

("Juanito, how are you all there? I'm safe here in Manila. I was about to go home last Tuesday, July 17, but you know what happened – there was an earthquake. I'm worried about you all. Adela, Ramon, Ato! How are you my children? I want to go home to Bagabag, but Dalton Pass is closed. Vehicles cannot pass. I may have to stay here in Manila for some time. Please take care of yourselves.")

"Meron pa po, Aling Arsenia?" Rey Langit asked.

("Is there anything else, Ma'am Arsenia?")

"Wala na po, Mang Rey. Salamat po," Mrs. Afan replied.

("That's it, Sir Rey. Thank you.")

Rey Langit called for the third woman.

"Misis, ano po ang pangalan n'yo?"

("And you're Mrs.?")

"Miss pa po ako," the woman, in her late fourties replied.

("Mind you, I'm still a Miss.")

Rey Langit burst in laughter.

"Anong pangalan n'yo, Miss?"

("Sorry, my mistake. Miss?")

"Paquita Soriven, Mang Rey."

("Paguita Soriven, Mr. Rey.")

"Taga-saan po kayo, Aling Paquita?"

("And where are you from, Miss Paquita?")

"Sa Agoo, La Union po."

("Agoo, La Union.")

"Oh! Sa Agoo! Di ba bumagsak ang municipal hall n'yo roon?"

("Oh! Agoo! Didn't your municipal hall collapse?")

"Oo nga po."

("Yes.")

"Anong panawagan n'yo?"

("What is your announcement?")

"Gusto ko lang pong iparating sa mga magulang ko, sina Mr. & Mrs. Rolando Soriven, na ligtas po kami rito sa Maynila. Tatang, Inang, madi kayo nga madanagan kadakami ditoy. Agawid ak inton Miyerkoles dita Agoo. Kung sino man po ang nakikinig na nakakakilala kina Mr. & Mrs. Rolando Soriven sa Agoo, pakisabi lang po sa kanila na ligtas kami rito sa Maynila kaya wag po silang mag-alala. Salamat po."

("I want to reach out to my parents, Mr. & Mrs. Rolando Soriven, and tell them that we're safe here in Manila. Papa, Mama, don't worry about us. I'm going home to Agoo this coming Wednesday. If anyone listening in Agoo knows Mr. & Mrs. Rolando Soriven, please inform them that we are safe here in Manila and that they should not worry. Thank You")

"Okay. Next!" said Rey Langit.

Another woman went forward to the microphone to make an announcement.

"Ano pong pangalan n'yo, Miss o Misis?" asked Rey Langit.

("And you are, Miss or Mrs.?")

"Misis na po."

("Mrs.")

"Misis...?"

("Mrs.?")

"Mrs. Adelina Jose po."

("Mrs. Adelina Jose.")

"Taga saan?"

("From where?")

"Sa Villasis, Pangasinan po."

("Villasis, Pangasinan.")

"Malapit po ba kayo sa bumagsak na Carmen Bridge?"5

("Do you live near the Carmen Bridge? The one that fell down?")

"May isang kilometro po ang layo ng bahay namin."

("Our house is about a kilometer away from that bridge.")

"Ano po ang panawagan ninyo, Mrs. Jose?"

("What is your message for those listening, Mrs. Jose?")

"Gusto ko pong manawagan sa mga magulang ko, sina Mr. & Mrs. Bernardo Mariano, o sa sino mang nakakakilala sa kanila sa Villasis, Pangasinan. Tatang, Inang, safe kami ditoy Manila. Kami po ang nag-aalala sa inyo. Kung makakatawag po kayo sa amin, alam po naman n'yo ang telephone number namin. Tumawag po kayo para hindi naman kami nag-aalala."

("I want to call on my parents, Mr. & Mrs. Bernardo Mariano, or whoever knows them in Villasis, Pangasinan. Father, Mother, we're safe here in Manila. We are the ones worried about you. Please call us if you can. You know our telephone number in Manila. Call us so that we can have peace of mind.")

"Okay na po, Mrs. Jose?"

("Is that it, Mrs. Jose?")

"Okay na po. Marami pong salamat, Mang Rey."

("Yes, that's all. Thank you very much, Mr. Rey.")

"Wala pong anuman!"

("You're welcome!")

"Kayo naman po, Lolo. Ano pong pangalan ninyo at sino po ang tatawagan ninyo?"

("What about you, Grandpa? What's your name and who would you like to reach out to?")

The old man sounded nervous as he spoke.

"Ako po si Mr. Alejandro Briones."

("I'm Mr. Alejandro Briones.")

"Taga-saan po kayo, Lolo?"

("Where are you from, Grandpa?")

"Taga-Cabanatuan City po."

("I'm from Cabanatuan City.")

"Ano pong panawagan ninyo?"

("And your message?")

"Gusto ko pong manawagan sa anak kong si Amado Briones. Amado, nananalangin kami sa kaligtasan n'yo ng asawa at mga anak mo. Ipaalam mo sa amin ang inyong kalagayan d'yan sa Cabanatuan."

("I want to reach out to my son, Amado Briones. Amado, we are praying for you, your wife, and your kids' safety. Please give us an update of your status in Cabanatuan.")

"May mga apo po ba kayo na nag-aaral sa Christian College of the Philippines?"

("Do you have a grandchild studying in Christian College of the Philippines?")

"Isa po. Elementary pa lang s'ya?"

("I have one. He's still in elementary.")

"Wala pa po ba kayong balita tungkol sa apo n'yo, kung kasali s'ya o hindi sa mga na-trap sa Christian College of the Philippines?"

("Don't you have any information, whether or not your grandchild is one of those trapped under the Christian Coleege of the Philippines building?")

"Wala pa po..." he answered with sorrow.

("No, I don't...")

"Mayroon pa po ba kayong panawagan?"

("Would you like to say anything else?")

"Kung sino man po ang nakakakilala kay Mr. & Mrs. Amado Briones d'yan sa Cabanatuan City, pakisabi lang po na nag-aalala kami rito sa Manila. Kung maaari ay pakitawagan lang po kami upang malaman namin ang nangyayari sa kanila."

("If anyone knows Mr. & Mrs. Amado Briones who are in Cabanatuan City, please tell them that we are worried about them here in Manila. If possible, please give us a call so that we would know if they are okay.")

"Ano pong telephone number ang tatawagan nila, Lolo?"

("What telephone number could they call, Grandpa?")

"972-675 po. Telepono po ito ng kapitbahay namin, si Mr. Gil Estrella. Makisuyo na lang po sila sa kanya. Salamat po."

("The can call 972-675. This number belongs to our neighbor, Mr. Gil Estrella. You can reach us through him. Thank you.")

"Okay! Kayo naman, Mister..."

("Okay! And the next one is Mr....")

"Ako po si Nardito Impe, taga-Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya."

("I'm Nardito Impe, from Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya.")

"Ano pong panawagan n'yo, Mr. Impe?"

("What's the message you would like to broadcast over the radio, Mr. Impe?")

"Mananawagan po sana ako..." he began to cry.

("I'm calling on....")

"Mananawagan po ako sa mga kamag-anak ko sa Kayapa na tulungan ang aking mag-ina."

("I'm calling on my relatives at Kayapa to please help my wife and kid.")

Rey Langit surmised that the man's family may have been among the victims of the landslide in Kayapa.6

He tried to comfort the man.

"Relax lang po kayo. May awa po ang Panginoon."

("Please, just relax. The Lord is merciful.")

"Gusto ko po sanang umuwi sa Nueva Vizcaya ngunit sarado pa po ang Dalton Pass."

("I want to go home to Nueva Vizcaya but Dalton Pass is still closed.")

"Nasubukan na po ba n'yong humingi ng tulong sa Philippine Air Force?"7

("Have you tried asking for help from the Philippine Air Force?")

"Hindi pa po, Mr. Langit. Hindi ko kasi alam kung paano pumunta roon."

("No, Mr. Langit. I don't know how to approach them.")

"D'yan lang po sa Villamor Air Base. Makiusap kayo kay General Tereso Isleta."

("You can try going to Villamor Air Base. Ask for the help of General Tereso Isleta.")

Mr. Langit instructed his assistant to give the telephone number of the Villamor Air Base Relief Operations Center (VABROC).

"Marami pong salamat," Mr. Impe said.

("Thank you very much.")

"Wala pong anuman," Rey Langit replied.

("You're welcome.")

It was Aunt Mely's turn.

"May isa pa tayong panawagan. Misis hali na po kayo," Rey Langit said, calling Aunt Mely forward.

("We still have another announcement. You can go ahead, Ma'am.")

"Ano pong pangalan n'yo, at taga-saan?"

("What is your name and where are you from?")

"Mrs. Mely Nicolas po. Taga-Baguio City po, pero dito na kami sa Sampaloc nakatira."

("Mrs. Mely Nicolas. I'm from Baguio City, but I now reside in Sampaloc.")

"Ano pong panawagan n'yo?"

("And your message?")

"Gusto ko pong manawagan kay Mrs. Alejandra Afable, at sa kanyang mga anak, si Boy at Tina. Aleja, Boy, Tina, kung nakikinig kayo kay Mr. Langit, pakitawagan n'yo ang DZRH sa umaga hanggang alas onse ng gabi. Palagi kaming nakikinig sa DZRH, kaya't malalaman namin ang sitwasyon n'yo r'yan kung tatawag kayo. Kung sino man po ang nakakakilala kay Mrs. Alejandra Afable, pakisabi na lang po na tumawag dito sa DZRH. Salamat po."

("I want to call on Mrs. Alejandra Afable, and her children, Boy and Tina. Aleja, Boy, Tina, if any of you are listening to Mr. Langit, please call DZRH at any time in the morning until 11 p.m. in the evening. We are always listening to DZRH, so we will be informed of your situation once you call. If anyone listening knows Mrs. Alejandra Afable, please tell her to call DZRH. Thank you.")

"Okay! Thank you very much din po sa pagtangkilik n'yo sa DZRH."

("Okay! And thank you for continually listening to DZRH.")

Rey Langit shifted to news commentary this time.

"Tungkol naman dito sa officer ni cashiered Colonel Gringo Honasan na 'truce'8 with the government ngayong panahon ng emergency. Palagay ko, walang masama kung tatanggapin ito ng Pangulong Aquino during this period. After all, Pilipino tayong lahat, at dapat magtulungan sa panahon ng kagipitan."

("In other news, cashiered officer Colonel Gringo Honasan offered the government a truce in this time of emergency. I don't think there's anything wrong if President Aquino will accept this ceasefire offer during this period. After all, we are all Filipinos, and we should help one another in time of need.")

Mr. Langit drank water from his glass to quench his thirst.

Then, he resumed his commentary.

"At ang CPP-NPA naman, sana maging sincere sa offer nilang unilateral ceasefire. Sa panahong ito na daan-daan o libo-libo ang na ang namamatay9, huwag na nating dagdagan pa ang paghihirap ng ating mga kapwa Pilipino. Tigilan natin ang away, at tumulong tayo sa mga kaawa-awa nating mga kababayan."10

("And as for the CPP-NPAs, I hope they will be sincere in their offer of a unilateral ceasefire. In a time when hundreds or thousands are dying, let's not add to the difficulty of our fellow countrymen. Let's stop the fighting, and help those of our compatriots in need.")

Back to Table of Contents

. . . CHAPTER . . .

### 10

July 29. Thirteen days, long days, had passed since the killer earthquake struck.

Tony is dead. He passed away two days ago.

"If you survive," he appealed to Daniel, "please tell my family about the Lord."

"Yes... I promise..." Daniel replied.

"Please tell them that I love them," he said. "Mahal ko sila..."

("I love them...")

"Tony, kung uuwi ka na," Daniel said, "sana wala na ang galit sa puso mo. Ngayong natanggap mo na si Jesus, ipagpa-ubaya mo na ang paghihiganti sa Kanya."

("Tony, if you are going to die," "I hope there is no longer any hatred in your heart. Now that you have received Jesus in your life, leave all retribution to Him.")

Tony received the Lord on the 9th day of their ordeal, totally surrendering himself to the will of God.

Daniel led him in a prayer of acceptance of Christ as Savior of his soul, and Lord and God of his life.

"Wala na ang galit ko. Ipinapanalangin ko na ang aking mga kaaway... sana'y matagpuan din nila ang pagpapatawad at kapayapaan na tanging si Jesus lamang ang makakapagbigay."

("There's no more hatred in me. I have already prayed for my enemies... I hope that they, too, will discover the forgiveness and peace that only Jesus can give.")

A few minutes after he said these words, Tony felt cold.

"Daniel... nanlalamig ako... palagay ko, malapit na..."

("Daniel... I feel cold... I think my time is near...")

"Takot ka pa bang mamatay?" Daniel asked.

("Are you afraid of death?")

"Hindi na... Gusto ko na ring magpahinga..."

("Not anymore... I now want to rest...")

Several minutes later, when Daniel tried to talk to him again, he no longer replied.

"Lord, please be merciful to his soul."

### . . .

This time, two days after Tony passed away, Daniel also felt cold.

He sensed that death was coming, and coming fast. The words of the Lord Jesus in John, chapter 11 verse 25, flashed in his mind.

" _I am the resurrection and the life. He who lives and believes in Me will never die."_

"Lord, I believe... I believe..." he said

Faith. It matters a lot to a dying man.

At the last moment of one's life, all dreams, all hopes, all cares are but parcels of memories. What is left for the future, which is but a breath away, is faith – faith in the One who has sanctified His blood for the redemption of our sins.

Daniel recited Psalm 23 aloud:

" _The Lord is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing._

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for You are with me,

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

He felt colder, weaker. He began to lose consciousness.

"Ma... Pa... Rose..." he said in tears.

("Mother... Father... Rose...")

These were his last words.

Back to Table of Contents

. . . CHAPTER . . .

### 11

August 1, 1990, 11:30 in the morning. The phone in Aunt Mely's house rang. It was Judith, the second to the youngest among Aunt Mely's children, who answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello, sino 'to?"

("Hello, who's this?")

"Si Judith po."

("This is Judith.")

"Hello, Judith! Si Auntie Aleja mo ito. Nandito kami sa Villamor Air Base!"

("Hello, Judith! This is your aunt Aleja. We're here at Villamor Air Base!")

"Sino 'yan, Judith?" Aunt Mely asked.

("Who are you speaking with, Judith?")

"Inay, si Auntie Aleja!" she replied.

("Mama, it's Auntie Aleja!")

Aunt Mely rushed to the phone, relieved and excited.

"Aleja, si Mely 'to! Naku! Salamat sa Diyos at tumawag ka. Alalang-alala kami sa inyo. Nasaan kayo ngayon?"

("Aleja, this is Mely! Thank God! You finally called. We were worried about all of you. Where are you now?")

"Nandito kami sa Villamor Air Base. Kararating lang namin galing Baguio. Sumakay kami sa eroplano ng Philippine Air Force."1

("We're here at Villamor Air Base. We just arrived from Baguio. We rode one of the planes of the Philippine Air Force.")

"Si Boy at Tina, kumusta sila?"

("How are Boy and Tina?")

"Nandito sila, kasama ko. Mabuti naman sila, sa awa ng Diyos."

("They're with me. They're okay, by God's grace.")

"Hintayin n'yo kami d'yan. Susunduin namin kayo," Aunt Mely said.

("Wait for us. We'll fetch you.")

"Wag na, Mely! May mga buses dito patungong Luneta. Hintayin na lang ninyo kami d'yan."

("There's no need to, Mely! There are buses here going to Luneta. Just wait for us at your place.")

"O, sige. Kumain na ba kayo?"

("Okay. Have you all eaten?")

"Hindi pa."

("Not yet.")

"Dito na lang kayo kumain! Ipaghahanda ko kayo."

("Then just eat here! I'll prepare food for you all.")

"O sige, Mely. Hintayin ninyo kami r'yan."

("Okay, Mely. Wait for us there.")

Mrs. Afable hung up the phone.

Then, she walked with Boy and Tina to a waiting bus in front of the Villamor Air Base Relief Operations Center (VABROC) building, with just bags of clothes on their shoulders.

### . . .

Mario Vicente grievingly looked at the collapsed Chrisitan College of the Philippines building, now associated with death. The American marines from Clark Air Base who had volunteered for the rescue work had already departed the rescue area.

Only a few Filipino soldiers were left in the area with civilian rescure volunteers, still hoping that one, two, maybe three students trapped under the collapsed edifice were still alive.

Mario saw an old woman sitting on a pavement, her palms covering her face.

Feeling pity for the old woman, he approached her to give comfort.

"Lola, talagang ganyan po ang buhay..."

("Grandma, that's life...")

"Ang apo ko... Ang apo ko..." she said with controlled grief.

("My grandchild... My grandchild...")

Mario decided to keep silent.

"Wala na yata ang apo ko... Iniwan na yata ako ng apo ko..." she continued crying.

("My grandchild is gone... My grandchild has left me...")

Mario knew that only a miracle could make the old woman's grandchild survive. Sixteen days had passed since the killer quake had struck!

Sitting beside her on the pavement, he wanted to say words of comfort, but none came from his mouth.

He didn't know exactly how she felt.

He didn't know what to say.

### . . .

"Pale, filst time nangyali ito sa Dagupan," a Chinese businessman told Mr. Guillermo."

("My friend, this is the first time this tradgedy happened in Dagupan.")

Grace was seated near them, listening to the conversation. She didn't go back to Baguio anymore, for classes in all levels remained suspended.

"Sampu taon ko inipon pela pampatayo building ko. Ngayon, sila na building. Collapsed na!" the Chinese businessman complained.

("I saved money for ten years to put up my building! Now, my building is gone. It has collapsed!")

"Talagang ganyan, pare... wala tayong magagawa."

("Sometimes, that's the way things are, my friend... We really can't do anything.")

"Pale, poble na naman kompale mo. Noon, ako tinda taho pala kita. Ipon ako pela pala sa building ko. Ngayon... wala na building, pale... Ako tinda na naman taho!"

("Buddy, I'm poor again. Before, I sold soybean curd to earn money. I saved money for my building. Now... my building is gone... I'll have to sell soybean curd again!")

Grace didn't know whether she would laught at, or feel pity for the Chinese.

The Chinese businessman reminded her of the story of the man who built his house on the sand.

### . . .

A Sarao jeepney full of relief goods was going up to Baguio City in Naguilian Road, now open to traffic.

The jeep only had three passengers: the driver, Reverend Orlando Manalang, and Brother Ben Cervantes.

Brother Cervantes felt pity on the thousands of people walking down Naguilian Road, escaping the isolated city.

"Ang daming bumababa," Reverend Manalang told Brother Cervantes.

("There are so many people trekking down.")

The latter was anxious for his family. How were they? Where were they?

Brother Cervantes saw a familiar face walking down with a group of students. It was Wilfredo Agnir, one of the members of his Saturday Bible Study-Fellowship. Brother Ben asked the driver to temporarily park on the side of the road.

"Willie!" Brother Cervantes shouted.

Wille looked at him. "Brother Ben!"

He walked to the jeep after asking his fellow "marchers" to wait for him.

"Bakit kayo naglalakad?" Brother Cervantes asked.

("Why are you on foot?")

"Wala kaming masakyan, Brother Ben. Wala ng bus na bumababa."

("There are no public vehicles available, Brother Ben. No buses are travelling down.")

"Kumusta ba sa Baguio?"

("How's Baguio?")

"Chaotic! Halos wala nang makain, at mabaho! Saka marami pang aftershocks, kaya nag-decide po kaming bumaba na lang kahit kailangang maglakad."

("Chaotic! Food is scarce. It stinks. And there are still frequent aftershocks. That's why we decided to go down even if we had to walk.")

Brother Cervantes bit his lip. The Baguio City he knew was in ruins.

"Wala na po ang Baguio, Brother Ben. Taon ang aabutin bago ito muling makabangon." Willie said.

("Baguio is gone, Brother Ben. It will take years before it can rise from the ruins.")

### . . .

"Matakot naman kayo sa Diyos!" Bal Lopez, one of the announcers of DZRH, thundered in his late afternoon program.

("Have you no fear of God?!")

"Pati ba naman biscuit at canned goods para sa mga biktima ng lindol, nanakawin pa ninyo? 'Yang isang mayor sa Pangasinan, hindi ko na babanggitin ang pangalan at nakakahiya. May balita kami from reliable sources na ang mga relief goods para sa kanyang mga kababayan ay ibino-bodega n'ya. Ano ba naman 'yan, Mr. Mayor! Mahiya ka naman! At saka 'yang mga pulitiko d'yan, tigil-tigilan muna natin ang pulitika. 'Yang mga provincial officials d'yan sa Nueva Vizcaya. Ang balita namin ay nilalagyan n'yo pa ng 'LOVE CORY'2 'yang mga relief goods na idini-distribute n'yo. Hindi naman galing sa Malacañang ang mga relief goods na 'yan, kundi sa mga private donors! Ano ba naman! Tigilan muna 'yang pulitika! Malayo pa ang 1992!" Bal Lopez said indignantly.

("You would even steal biscuits and canned goods for the victims of the earthquake? There's a mayor from Pangasinan, who will not be named because what he's doing is so disgraceful. But we have news from a reliable source that he is keeping relief goods for himself. What kind of behavior is that, Mr. Mayor?! Have you no shame?! And to other politicians, please stop campaigning so early. We have news that some provincial officials in Nueva Vizcaya are placing 'LOVE CORY' stickers on relief goods being distributed. But those relief goods were from private donors, not Malacañang! What kind of behavior is that! You're already campaigning now, when elections are still at 1992!)

Aunt Mely and Rose's mother were then in the living room, listening to Bal's tirades. Mrs. Afable had a late lunch. Boy and Tina were upstairs, together with Aunt Mely's children.

"Talagang walang puso ang ibang kababayan natin!" Aunt Mely said with disdain.

("Some of our countrymen are really heartless!")

"Samantala, narito ang tatlong pinakahuling nahukay mula sa gumuhong Hyatt Hotel sa Baguio City. Isa sa kanila ang buhay! Siya'y si Arnulfo Pinga, buhay pa after sixteen days! Himala ito! Ang dalawang patay... Antonio de Guzman, isang staff ng Hyatt Hotel, at si Daniel Lardizabal. Si Daniel ay isang fifth year engineering student sa University of Baguio. Ayon sa kanyang identification card, siya ay taga-Urdaneta, Pangasinan!"

("Meanwhile, three more persons were taken out from the rubbles of Hyatt Hotel. One of them is alive – Arnulfo Pinga! He's alive after sixteen days! It's really a miracle! The two dead... Antonio de Guzman, a staff of Hyatt Hotel, and Daniel Lardizabal. Daniel is a fifth year engineering student from the University of Baguio. Based on his I.D. card, he is from Urdaneta, Pangasinan.")

"O, Diyos ko! Si Daniel!" Mrs. Afable exclaimed.

("Oh, My Lord! It's Daniel!")

"Sino 'yun?" Aunt Mely asked.

("Who is that?")

"Boyfriend ni Rose. Patay na s'ya." Mrs. Afable, bit her lip.

("Rose's boyfriend. He's dead.")

"Kailangang masabihan si Rose. Tawagan natin siya mamayang gabi," Aunt Mely said.

("We need to tell Rose. Let's call her up later in the evening.")

Mrs. Afable was silent.

She wondered how her daughter would react to the news that the man she loved had gone to be with the Lord.

Back to Table of Contents

. . . FINAL CHAPTER . . .

She sat on the grass on a lonely hill, as she beheld the retreating sun.

It was called the Hill of Tears, perhaps because it was where the people in Aberdeen poured out their sorrows.

The top of the hill can be reached through stairways. It takes quite an effort.

After learning about Daniel's death from her mother and Aunt Mely when they called her up last night, emptiness best described her day.

She cried almost the entire night. It was already about four o'clock in the morning when she fell asleep.

She slept only for two hours because she had to prepare breakfast for Mr. & Mrs. Lee. Then, she had to do her usual daily tasks.

After that, she took lunch. She fell asleep due to exhaustion. It was already past three o'clock in the afternoon when she woke up.

She cooked early for dinner, and after her cooking was done, she went down to Park'n Shop for groceries, taking with her a pen, a notebook, and a pocket radio.

From there, she decided to go up to the Hill of Tears.

It was a bit cold up there, though summer had not passed.

Looking at the islands across Aberdeen, she couldn't help thinking about the sad state of the people living in more than seven thousand islands called the Philippines – her country.

She tuned her radio to an English program for soft music, to console herself.

No music was being played, but the news about the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait caught her attention.

"Iraq's President Saddam Hussein justified the invasion of Kuwait by declaring that the tiny oil-rich nation was once an Iraqi territory, and Iraq's act could not be mere invasion but liberation," the newscaster said.

"In the United States, U.S. President George Bush condemned Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, saying that it was a shameful act of aggression ordered by a 'peanut despot'. Bush called on Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to immediately withdraw his troops or face sanction from the international community."

Rose thought of Ida, her high school friend who had been working in Kuwait for two years.

"In London, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher called on the United Nations to rally against Iraq, saying that if nothing was done to repulse Iraqi aggression, Saddam Hussein would be even more emboldened to continue his adventurist acts. She said that Saudi Arabia could be Iraq's next target."

Rose plucked a wild, deep blue flower near her left foot as she listened to the newscasts.

"In Tokyo. The Tokyo Stock Market plunged today as a result of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Japan has been heavily dependent on Middle East oil for its industries. In a related development, stock markets in other Asian oil-consuming countries like Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and including Hong Kong, suffered a nose-dive after today's invasion of Kuwait. It is expected that the economics of oil-consuming nations will suffer as a result of the Iraqi invasion."

Rose took a deep breath after hearing the news.

She thought of the toll of the invasion on the already faltering economy of the Philippines, a country heavily dependent on Middle East oil.

The newscaster then played the song "Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing".

It was among Rose's favorites.

The song reminded her again of Han Suyin, the Chinese author who lost her beloved in the Korean War. She wrote her story in a book titled "A Many Splendoured Thing" fourty years ago, in 1950, when North Korea invaded the South.

Rose's grandfather, then a major in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, was a member of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK). The Philippines was one of the countries which contributed to the United Nation's forces in Korea during that time of conflict.

Rose bitterly smiled as she imagined a short parallelism of her life with that of Han Suyin. Suyin lost her beloved. And so did she. The former lost him at a time of international conflict. So did she. Suyin was then in Hong Kong. So was she.

The last chapter of the author's autobiography presented herself alone, seated on the grass, looking at the mountains, and the sea, and sorrow, grieving the loss of the man dear to her heart.

Now, by mere circumstance, she was on the Hill of Tears alone, seated on the grass, looking at the mountains, and the sea, and sorrow, grieving the loss of the man dear to her heart.

She couldn't help but start crying again.

Is life a cycle? She wondered.

Is the experience of some, bound to be repeated in the lives of others?

Is sorrow as inseparable, inescapable part of human existence?

"Mabuti pa si Aling Consuelo," she told herself.

("Aling Consuelo is better off.")

Aling Consuelo told her on the phone that her whole family was safe, and their house was miraculously spared from the earthquake.

She looked at the grass. They covered the earth.

"I am the grass, let me work," wrote the poet.

The grass. They would soon cover the resting place of the man she loved.

She took her pen and wrote an untitled poem on her notebook.

It was addressed to Daniel.

Here I am,

alone on this hill,

sitting on the lowly grass,

suffering the pain,

grieving your loss,

drinking my tears...

I wish to grasp your hands,

I want to touch your brow

which I once kissed,

I long to be at your side this very hour,

but I'm so far from where you sleep...

Here,

on this hill where I suffer the pain,

where I sit on the lowly grass

drinking my salty tears,

I think of you more than you think of me,

I long for you more than you long for me...

Do you know what it means

to really long for you?

Can you take this sorrow

which is slowly killing me?

Do you feel my pain,

my loneliness, my grief?

No... for you are now asleep.

No ill can trouble you now...

But the lowly grass

feels my maddening ache,

for here,

on this hill of tears

where I sit alone and grieve,

even the grass bleeds.

It was a short poem.

But it poignantly summed up how she felt that moment.

She closed her notebook and placed it on the grass. She looked at the mountains, no longer bluish, darkened by the clouds which struggled to hide the setting sun.

Again, she thought of her country, the Philippines. The land her grandfather had served with sweat and tears. The land her father had served with his blood, with his honor, with his life.

Poor land. So rich with God's bountry. So poor with its leaders, with its people.

Killings. Communist insurgency. Coup d'état. Crime. Drought in Mindanao. Typhoons in Luzon. Corruption. Nepotism. Cheating in elections. Wanton exploitation of its natural resources. Destruction of its forests. Mismanagement of its economy. Arrogance and ineptitude of its leaders. Then the July 16 killer earthquake. And now, the coming oil crisis.

People speak of fate. Of the sign of the comet in the dark Philippine sky. Perhaps, a disastrous crossing of the stars.

But deep in her thoughts, in her heart, she knew it was sin – the sins of the leaders in both government and private sector, the sins of even those who lead the flock, and the sins of the people who call their nation "the only Christian nation in Asia".

Ah! Divine judgement. How pure! How sharp! How terrifying!

"Lord, forgive us. Please forgive our people. Please heal our land..." she said in prayer.

"And Lord, take care of him whom I have loved. I know he is happier now with you, for there in your kingdom, he will no longer experience grief, or man's ill-will, or pain. You know I miss him... Lord, I love him. Thank you for sending him into my life, even for a brief time."

She wiped her tears with her palms, tears which would soak but could hardly wash away the lucid but painful fragments of the past, the torpid scars of love's happiness and grief.

It was darker now.

Half of the sun was already buried in the sleeping mountains.

She looked at the sea, and envied its calm, the calm which she wished she possessed in her hours of sorrow, amidst life's tumultuous rage and endless inconsistency.

Then, an afternoon breeze gently blew by her, as if reminding her that Someone above whose compassion for the broken is full, and whose mercy for the downtrodden is rich and overflowing, was watching over her in her sadness, feeling the way she felt, bearing the cross of humanity, bleeding like the lowly grass.

THE END

Began in Quezon City, Philippines

August 3, 1990

Finished on the Hill of Tears, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

October 22, 1990, 9:44 p.m.

Authors note: Chapters 1 to 8 of this novel were written in the Philippines, chapter 9 and 10 in Hsinchuang City, Taiwan, and chapters 11 and the last chapter in Hong Kong.

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. . . DEDICATION . . .

" _I dedicate this humble work to_

_Trygve_ _and_ _Borghild Bjorkas_

whose commitment to God's work

and whose compassion for

less fortunate Filipinos are exemplary."

Norbert L. Mercado

" _I am the grass,_

let me work."

A POET

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. . . REFERENCES . . .

CHAPTER 4

1 An expression among Filipino workers abroad, meaning "to go home permanently" Return

2 64,400 Filipinos as of December 1990 Return

3 The author was able to inverview the Filipina who was accused of stealing tissue paper. She vehemently denied, in tears, the accusation. Return

CHAPTER 5

1 The Christian College of the Philippines was formerly known as Liwag College and is located in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. Return

CHAPTER 6

1 According to plate tectonics theory, the surface of the earth consists of about 20 rigid plates that move slowly past one another. The motion of these plates squeezes and stretches rocks at the edges of the plates. If the force becomes too great, the rocks rupture 'break' and shift, causing an earthquake. World Book Encyclopedia Return

2 Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, fifteen days after the July 16 earthquake Return

CHAPTER 7

1 Later, a total of twenty-six buildings were confirmed to have collapsed. Death Toll May Rise to 1,000. Philippine Star. 1990 Jul 18. p. 1. Return

2 Interview with Nick Estrellas who was in Baguio City when the killer earthquake struck. Return

3 This incident really occurred during the rescue operation of the Christian College of the Philippines. Return

CHAPTER 8

1 "It was a U.S. Marine plane which crashed on July 20, 1990 while on a reconnaissance-mercy mission over quake hit areas in Northern Luzon. The pilot, a certain Captain Shannon, was killed, and his co-pilot, Captain David Colbert was injured." U.S. Spotter Plane Crashes. Philippine Daily Inquirer. 1990 Jul 21. p. 1. Return

2 "This newsclip was also shown on U.S. television. It was an infamous scene of President Aquino laughing with gusto while relating to Malacañang reporters how she and some Cabinet members and senators docked under a conference table at the height of the temblor." Mischief and Malice in Wake of Disaster. Philippine Daily Inquirer. 1990 Jul 21. p. 4. Return

CHAPTER 9

1 The author went to DZRH twice, at night time on July 18, and July 23 to make announcements on the relief operations effort of Christian groups coordinated by Christians for the Upliftment of the Poor [CUP]. Return

2 All roads to Baguio City were closed due to landslides Return

3 This is a true incident heard by the author over DZRH Return

4 Dalton Pass was made totally impassable by landslides. It was reopened to traffic by Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos three weeks later. Return

5 Portions of the Carmen Bridge collapsed during the earthquake, causing the road to Baguio to become impassable. All vehicles had to pass through Camiling, Tarlac. Return

6 More than 130 people were buried in a landslide in Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya. Return

7 The Philippine Air Force sent everything which flew to earthquake devastated areas, especially in Baguio City, Dagupan City, La Union, Cabanatuan, and Nueva Vizcaya. It was the biggest rescue-relief mission ever undertaken by the Air Force. The authors set up the Christian's Coordinating Center right at Villamor Air Base to assist in the relief operations in cooperation with the Villamor Air Base Relief Operations Center (VABROC). Return

8 Colonel Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan of the rebel Reform the Armed Forces Movement [RAM], later Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa, offered a 'truce' with the government during the period of rescue-relief operations for earthquake victims. The offer was spurned by President Aquino. Return

9 At least 1,621 people killed, more than 3,000 people injured and severe damage, landslides, liquefaction, subsidence, and sandblows in the Baguio-Cabanatuan-Dagupan area. Damage also occurred in Bataan Province and at Manila. Large fissures were observed in the epicentral area. Surface faulting occurred along the Philippine and Digdig faults. Person, Waverly J. 2010 Jan 05. Significant Earthquakes of the World 1990. Retrieved August 8, 2012, from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/ Return

10 The day the CPP-NPA [Communist Party of the Philippines – New People's Army] command declared a 'unilateral ceasefire', Sparrows in Metro Manila ambushed and killed three Capital Command soldiers in Pasig. Then, a few days later, they ambushed a Vice Mayor in Ifugao who was on his way to a relief area, killing him and the military soldiers with him.) Return

CHAPTER 11

1 The C-130 cargo planes which airlifted relief goods to Baguio City from Villamor Air Base were used to evacuate Baguio residents to Manila. The author, based in Villamor Air Base Relief Operation Center, was involved in the evacuation operations. Return

2 The author was informed about this while he was in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya during a relief work after the killer earthquake. It was a doctor who actually saw the 'LOVE CORY' labels who informed him. Return

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. . . A HISTORICAL NOVELIST FOR PEACE . . .

"In this age of revolution, the contemporary writer should utilize the pen for the preservation of peace," Norbert Mercado, a Filipino author, stressed. The books he has written and published, including his anthologies, unapologetically assert the indispensability of peace in a nation's progress.

The author has written more novels than any Asian writer had in just a brief period of time. In fact, he has surpassed the number of novels written by world-renowned novelists like Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn (winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, 1970) and American authors Ernest Hemingway (winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, 1954). Solzhenitsyn has four novels to his credit, while Hemingway has eight.

His style of writing is simple and succinct, but poignant and colorful like Hemingway's THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, and Solzhenitsyn's ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF IVAN DESONOVICH. "The simpler the novel, the better," he said.

In line with Japanese Yasunari Kabawata's writings about the Japanese way of life, most of Norbert's novels focus mostly on the current situation in his country. Kabawata is the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968.

His books present hope to the Filipino, especially to the "economic exiles" in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan whom he has spent most of his time with, in their daily struggles. But most of all, his novels lucidly show the futility of war and violence in the resolution of political-economic-class conflicts in the Philippines.

"War should not be used as an instrument in resolving political conflicts. Writers who abet wars and revolutions must think of the widows and the fatherless, the chaos, destruction, and suffering of the people whom they claim to be concerned about," he said.

What if, like Solzhenitsyn, Hemingway, and Kabawata, he eventually wins the Nobel Prize? What will he do with the US$1,000,000 award?

"I will use the prize for establishing a Peace Foundation that will assist in the formulation of policies which will resolve the current shooting conflicts in the country and help alleviate the continuing poverty of our countrymen."

He will take charge of the foundation and personally campaign for a peaceful settlement of the conflicts in the Philippines.

"The insurgency and the secessionist rebellion have foreign support. A Nobel title will give me the personality to approach the leaders involved in the conflicts," he explained.

Born on March 25, 1955, he is the youngest among the children of Mr. and Mrs. Aurelio Mercado, Sr. of San Manuel, Tarlac. He graduated from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, with two degrees, Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Communication.

Voted Outstanding Campus Journalist in 1974, he was a columnist and associate editor of the Philippine Collegian, the campus publication of the University of the Philippines.

He has also written articles for various newspapers and magazines in the Philippines, as well as abroad.

He also won the 1981 National Essay Writing Contest sponsored by SIDESTREETS Magazine.

Norbert is a graduate of the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), the topmost armed forces school in the country, where he was conferred a Master's degree in National Security Administration (MNSA) and the rank of Lt. Colonel in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

He graduated from the NDCP at the age of 32, the youngest in Class 21 which had already produced several generals in the Armed Forces, and the youngest graduate in the history of the National Defense College of the Philippines. He was elected one of the fifteen directors of Class 21.

He was conferred the degree of Doctor of Divinity (Applied Servanthood), Honoris Causa, for his almost 30 years work in Christian literature. His batch mates include Senator Robert Barbers, Undersecretary of Trade and Industry and Bulletin Columnist Nelly Villafuerte, Actor and Producer Fred Galang, Rev. Peter Vasaya, and the His Royal Highness Sultan of Sulu and Sabah Ishmael Kiram.

A sports lover, he was a rifle marksman in his UP ROTC days, and a winner of the 1988 and 1989 5,000 meter-run sponsored by the National Defense College Alumni Association. His sports include swimming, basketball, volleyball, boxing, karate, cycling, and marathon among others.

A traveler, he has attended various international conferences and trainings in Asia and Europe. His travels have widened his insight not only of places, but also of people he has constantly observed and empathized with.

He is the youngest graduate of the Singapore Haggai Institute for Third World Leaders in 1980 at the age of 24.

"Let us work for peace in our country, in any way we can," Norbert stressed. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers."

Ria M. Mercado

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### DID YOU ENJOY THIS BOOK?

If so, then I would like to hear from you. Get in touch with me through my blog,

http://norbertomercado.blogspot.com

YOU CAN ALSO CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorbertMercadoNovels/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mercadonorbert

Yahoo E-mail: mercadonovels@yahoo.com

Share your thoughts and suggestions on how I can further improve my work.

Once more, thank you for purchasing this book and for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Norbert Mercado

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DISCOVER OTHER TITLES BY NORBERT MERCADO:

### THE CHILDREN OF MARS

"Do you really think that the Japanese Imperial Army can forever conceal its barbaric acts committed against the helpless Bataan marchers? Your soldiers had killed the weak and the sick marchers. And Japan had rejoiced over such kind of victory? Hiroshi, your soldiers have shown the world what kind of people the Japanese really are. History is against you! You are the children of Mars, a people who love war, gladdened by the sight of blood and suffering of those you have vanquished!"

Hiroshi's blood surged to his face. He gave Aurelio a sharp look, sending him a message to stop his provocative remarks against the Japanese people. Didn't Aurelio realize that he was in front of a Japanese military officer?

And yet, friendship prevailed in that moment. Hiroshi gave leeway to Aurelio's bitter state. His son, Henry, had just died, and the distress of a father was fresh in his friend's heart.

Softly, Hiroshi told his friend, "No, Aurelio... We are the children of Mars, and as such, we are brothers.

And because we are brothers, we should not fight..."

### CHRYSANTHEMUM

She had decided to go back to the Philippines for good after the expiration of her contract in Revolving 66.

Music had been a part of her. Maybe, she could teach music to kids in elementary or high school in the Philippines. She had wanted to do that. It was time to do it, she thought.

She was alone now.

The Japanese tourists who came to the park had already left.

She had been sitting there for more than an hour. It was already dark.

The wind was gently blowing. It was very cold.

She stood, walked up to the map marker of Hong Kong, and beheld the view of the city.

Hong Kong was glowing in the night.

The Victoria Harbour was serene. Ships were docked. Only the two Star Ferry boats, crossing Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central and back, were moving on the water.

Staring at the glowing city below, she tried to recall the times she spent with the man she had chosen to love.

### IN THE SHADOW OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

"The Jews love freedom, and they will fight for it with their blood," Marcus Aurelius told his military aide Flavius as the hexareme ship Oceanus, with troops on board, was plying the Mediterranean Sea, the new lake of the Roman Empire.

Marcus Aurelius was the newly designated chief centurion in Jerusalem. He was personally chosen by the Roman Emperor Caesar Tiberius, successor of Caesar Augustus. Marcus Aurelius was a former infantry soldier of Tiberius who was known for his bravery and boldness in battle. Tiberius always took him in his military campaigns, and often included him in surprise assaults against the enemy.

After the death of Caesar Augustus, the Roman Senate unanimously voted for Tiberius to be the new emperor, succeeding Caesar Augustus, Tiberius' father-in-law. His mother, the beautiful Livia, married Augustus when the father of Tiberius died.

Tiberius was not the real choice of Emperor Augustus, who had no son as his heir apparent. But Livia influenced her husband to put Tiberius in the line of successors to the emperor.

One successor died after the other, by illnesses which were rumored to be caused by arsenic poison. And when Tiberius was already alone as the successor, Caesar Augustus also succumbed to illness and died.

Critics of the Empress Livia said that she did not shed a tear when her husband died. And she was so happy when her son Tiberius was proclaimed as the new emperor by the Roman Senate.

But Empress Livia's court and friends said that the empress grieved much when Caesar Augustus died. They even said that Empress Livia had lost weight in the course of mourning. Of course, she was happy when her son Tiberius became Emperor of the Roman Empire, considered the most powerful person on earth in his time.

And when Tiberius became Emperor, he chose Marcus Aurelius as one of the palace guards.

Through the years of Tiberius' rule, beginning in 14 A.D. when Emperor Augustus died, Marcus Aurelius slowly rose through the military ranks in the Emperor's palace due to his trainings in infantry, cavalry tactics, and intelligence gathering. He was faithful to Tiberius. He would not hesitate to lay down his life for him.

Marcus Aurelius did not really want to become a soldier when he was growing up in Rome. He wanted to be a lawyer.

But his parents were poor. His father was a blacksmith, and his mother was a plain housekeeper. He had two siblings – the eldest was a girl, and the second was a boy. He was the youngest in the family.

He attended a preparatory school for boys. He was financially supported by his rich uncle. Later, he quit school and joined his father in his work as a blacksmith. A few years later, a boyhood friend who had joined the Roman infantry encouraged him to likewise join the army. He asked his father for permission, which the latter gave. After months of training in the Roman infantry, he was one of the graduates of the Roman infantry course who were recommended by their infantry trainer Picciu to join the army of Tribune Tiberius in his military campaigns.

Tiberius knew Picciu as an able trainer of the infantry. He accepted all of Picciu's recommendees which included Marcus Aurelius.

Aurelius was twenty years old when he joined the army of Tribune Tiberius. At that time, the former never thought that the latter would become the emperor of the Roman Empire.

"We can easily defeat the Jewish rebels, Sir. We are stronger than those zealots," Flavius told his master.

"Of course we can! The Roman army is the strongest army in the world. We can crush any rebellion anywhere in the inhabited world!" Marcus Aurelius said.

"Caesar Tiberius personally chose you to be the chief centurion in Jerusalem because of his confidence in you, Sir. The emperor knows that you can defeat that rebel Barabbas and his band of thieves!" Flavius told his master.

Marcus Aurelius laughed at his military aide and asked him, "Since when did you learn to flatter men, Flavius?"

Flavius was embarrassed at the question of his master.

"Sir, I'm not flattering you..." he sheepishly replied.

Marcus Aurelius nodded and smiled at him.

"I know Flavius... And I was just kidding you. I know what I am, who we are, and what we are capable of doing. We will crush Barabbas and his band of fanatics. Easily!" Marcus Aurelius confidently remarked.

"Barabbas is just a murderer and a thief, Sir! He and his band are just good in ambushing our troops and looting them. He is not a principled warrior like you or Caesar Tiberius, Sir!" Flavius said.

"We will crush him!" Marcus Aurelius said.

Flavius looked at his master and said, "When we confront Barabbas and his band of thieves, I will look for him and thrust my sword into his heart. My sword will penetrate into his heart in memory of the Roman soldiers and merchants he had looted and killed!"

Marcus Aurelius smiled at his aide and said, "Flavius... Don't do that... Leave him to me... I want him alive... Understand?"

Flavius was surprised at the statement of his master. Doesn't Barabbas deserve death?

"I want to present him to Pontius Pilate alive... I don't want him to fall by the sword... Do you understand?"

"But Sir, he deserves to die!" Flavius stated.

"Barabbas will die! But not by the sword. He will die by crucifixion! I want Pontius Pilate to see the body of Barabbas slowly relished by vultures!"

### THE LAST ROMANOV

"I thank the Lord that He gave us wonderful children," the Empress said.

"Yes. And they are all that we really have now. I regret that it's only now that I realize the importance of spending time with one's children. It gives you fulfillment, happiness, peace of mind – things I hardly noticed before because I was preoccupied with the affairs of the state," the Monarch said.

"I think the feeling is the same with me," the Empress said.

"Now, I understand what my father said about children – that they are worth more than the wealth of the world."

The Empress smiled, fighting back her tears.

The Monarch looked at her.

"The years run by so fast. I became Tsar in 1895, and now it's 1918," he said, thoughts of the past flooding his mind.

"We never thought we would grow old so easily," the Empress said.

There was a brief silence between the Royal couple. After the lull, the Monarch asked her, "Aleksandra, do you recall how many times I have told you 'I love you'?"

The Empress was amused. "Seven times?" she asked in jest.

The Monarch smiled.

"Nicholas, please tell me something. I wanted to ask you this before, but other things preoccupied my mind."

"What about?" the Monarch asked.

"If you were to begin your adult life again, would you rather marry a full-blooded Russian?" the Empress asked.

The monarch's reply was in the form of a question. "It's like asking me if whether I regret my marriage with you, isn't it?"

The Empress was silent.

"No. I'll do it as before. I'll still court and marry the young woman from Germany whose beauty has captivated my poor heart," the Tsar said in earnestness.

The Empress smiled, happy to hear those endearing words she had longed for years now.

"The years have given us wrinkles. But they have not lessened the warmth of my love," he said.

"Even if your adversaries have despised you for marrying a German relative?"

"You don't love and marry a woman simply because she is a full-blooded Russian. I don't think real love is like that," the Tsar said.

"This race thing..."

"Love knows no race, it's not bound by any flag or creed," the Monarch said.

The Empress bit her lips.

"I love you, and I always will, until the last breath of my life," the Tsar said.

Then he embraced his wife, and kissed her.

