Pearl Of The East | ✓

Chapter 48

Kasalukuyan nang pinag-aaralan ang tungkol sa pagbuwag ng China mula sa naturang kasunduan. Kung ako ang tatanungin ay hindi ko na gugustuhin pa’ng pag-aralan ang tungkol doon dahil malinaw na naman nilang ipinapakita ang totoo nilang intensyon.

But policies are policies. Besides I’m not allowed to drop an order in a very short period without studying it’s factors. Kaya’t mukhang kailangan ko pa’ng maghintay na matapos ang pag-aaral nila. Hence, how I hope that the cabinet members will agree on my idea. But afterall I’m the President and I have my jurisdictions.

Alas-nuwebe na ng umaga nang makarating kami sa Bicol. I’m with Styyx and the rest of the 1st infantry battalion. He volunteered to accompany me so I can do nothing about it. We brought 6 choppers containing the foods, medicines, and anything that can help the people here on surviving life. If only I can renew things for them then I will surely do it without hesitation. But I can’t.

“Everything’s gonna be okay Eury.” Styyx whispered after seeing my reaction when I saw the region’s situation. Saglit ko s’yang binalingan ng tingin at tipid akong ngumiti sa kan’ya, ngunit natitiyak kong hindi ito umabot sa mga mata ko.

Sino nga ba naman ang makakaramdam ng tuwa kung ganito ang makikita mo? Sirang kabahayan. Maputik na daan at walang buhay na mukha ng mga tao. And the latter one is the most painful image that a person’s eyes could see. The lifeless face of the people here in this place just indicates how tragic and how undermining the phenomenon was.

It left them voided, restless, weary, hopeless, and lifeless. I feel like I’m inside the movie of The Walking Dead. Everything is lifeless.

Higit isang buwan na ang lumipas mula noong nangyari ang kalamidad. Pero heto pa rin ang lugar, at kitang-kita pa rin sa bawat sulok ang bakas ng karahasan. Magpapasko ba silang ganito na lang? Although there are already tents and huts that was built, but still it didn’t change the situation of the place.

Halos lahat ng pera na meron ako sa loob ng bangko ko at ang bawat sweldo ko ay naibigay ko na rin sa mga tao sa Bicol para itulong sa kanila, upang kahit papaano ay hindi na rin magalaw pa ang badyet sa Social Amelioration Program na noong nakaraang buwan ko pa gustong ipatupad.

Well what’s the value of money for me anymore? I don’t care if all my hardworks in reaching this kind of success in life will be in vain. Though I really can’t call this as success. I know that success doesn’t depend on the material things that are tangible and visible, it is on the things that can be felt and in the happiness of the people that you love. Besides I don’t care if I’ll lose the every property I have. I don’t care if I will be known as the least successful President. Money doesn’t matter to me. My people does.

I carefully drag my feet following Styyx. I don’t even bother my self on minding the muddy road that’s smudging my shoes. This is where I came from. Mud became my comfortable ambience when I was a kid. And it just feels so good feeling it’s viscous texture together with its sound everytime my feet land on it.

To some people, they may call me as a filthy woman for admiring this kind of things. But I don’t care. This mud reminds me of my childhood. Of how I used to play on it with a toy gun on my hand and aiming it to someone who passes by. And it’s the thing which contributes a great part on molding the person who I am right now. It’s the same thing which witnessed my pain and perseverance during the military training.

I immediately ran towards an aged woman who tried to walk nearly in the choppers where Styyx and the other soldiers are giving some basic needs, yet she failed. She could hardly stand on her fragile knees anymore.

“Huwag na po kayong tumayo lola, ako na lang po,” magalang kong wika sa kan’ya habang inaalayan ko s’yang bumalik sa pagkakaupo. Nag-angat s’ya ng tingin sa ‘kin, ang mga mata ay binabalot ng kalituhan. Bumalot din ang kalituhan sa sistema ko nang maigi n’ya akong tinitigan tila kinikilala kung sino ako.