Ang Simula
Sabina Montalban
For as long as I could remember, Mount Victoria was home. Wala nang iba pa. Dito ka pinanganak, dito ka mabubuhay at magkaka-asawa, dito ka rin mamamatay. Noon pa man ay minahal ko na ang preskong hangin nito kung Disyembre at gintong palayan tuwing summer. I loved the people in our little province, and I loved how not-so little it had become. From being unknown in the map, it was now the home of prominent people and their vintage but decorated ancestry nonetheless.
Nga lang, sa tuwing pagmamasdan ko ang mga bulubunduking nakapaligid dito ay maihahalintulad ko sa isang presong nakakulong. Mount Victoria, seated between two other mountains, came from a myth that said it was a man-made fortress intended to protect its princess, Victoria, for her insurmountable wealth and beauty.
While I did not believe in myths, I believed in much gusto that at some point in my life, I must leave. May karagatan pa bukod sa mga talampas. May mga gusaling hindi ko pa nakikita. Maraming-marami pang iba.
"Saab? Papasok ka na?"
Katatapos ko lang mag-rubber shoes na puti nang dumating si Tito Jim. Pinagpag ko ang mga kamay at tumango rito.
"Opo. Kadarating n'yo lang ho ba ni Mama?"
I was very young when my father died of cancer, but I could still remember my comfortable childhood like it was yesterday. Iyon ang naiwan niyang masayang alaala sa akin. When my mother remarried, I did not complain because I believed a second chance at love does not come very often. Kaya lang ay hindi ko pa rin maalis minsan sa isip na nabigyan kami ni Papa ng magaang buhay noon pero si Tito Jim ay hindi.
Not that it's his job to do that. I just expected more. Or maybe I was my mother's daughter and her expression of dismay had gone through me.
"Oo, Saab. Nasa trak pa ang Mama mo. Magpaalam ka muna sa kaniya bago pumasok."
"Sige po."
Iyon nga ang ginawa ko sukbit ang aking backpack at suot ang itim na polo-shirt na uniporme namin, may tatak na 'DVN' sa kanang dibdib.
Palabas pa lamang ako ng aming street ay namataan ko na ang pahinante naming si Mang Pedro na sinesenyasan ang driver ng pumaparadang trak. Sumulyap ako saglit kay Mama na umuusok ang sigarilyo sa bibig habang nagbibilang ng kinita para sa balikang byaheng iyon.
My late biological father entered the import-export business and established his career at that. Naalala ko pa noon ay marami kaming warehouse at mga trak. Sa paglipas ng panahon, dalawa na lamang ang natira na siyang pinagsasalit-salit ni Tito Jim pang byahe ng mga sibuyas.
Hindi kami mahirap. Malaki pa rin ang kinikita nila Mama kahit pa dalawang trak na lang ang bumabyahe. Pero hindi na katulad ng dati. Pero kung dati, mayaman ba kami? Maaari... pero hindi kasing yaman ng mga prominenteng tao rito sa Victoria.
"Cardinal Law Office," ang nakalagay sa isang sign ng pasadahan ng tricycle na sinasakyan ko.
That's one rich family here. A family of lawyers who, for some unknown reasons, was best at knowing things they shouldn't.
"Ferrer Rice Milling. Ferrer Trading."
That's another one. Biggest family and most influential.
Although I couldn't help but notice, the silent ones were the filthy, old money rich. Tulad na lang ng mga del Valle na may-ari ng iilang winery sa bansa, iyong mga nakaboteng ilang dantaon kung bulukin at bago inumin. Ang ibig sabihin lamang noon, ilang dantaon na rin sila ganoon kayaman.
But as the saying goes, you can't have it all. Even with a godly beauty like theirs, they're known as the mad people here. Bali-balita ngang ang isang del Valle ay naanakan daw ng isang lalaking hamak na mas matanda sa kaniya at malaki na ang bata.
