Why I was not allowed to go to the plantation with my grandfather because of my foot, whereas he never protested to Lena dragging me everywhere is completely beyond me.
Sa bawat araw ay kung ano-ano na lang ang mga mungkahi niya sa akin para naman daw hindi ako mabagot sa bahay. Umikot kami sa mansyon isang maulan na araw. I could not help but see how carefully preserved the whole house was. My grandfather must have taken great pains to build a house that would last for generations of Peñalvers.
One day, Lena took me to a river that was a few kilometers from the house. Hindi pa kami nakararating doon ay iritable na ako. Pinagpilitan niya kasi na umangkas ako sa likod ng bisikleta niya kaya iniwan namin ang crutches ko. Mukha tuloy akong tanga na iika-ika sa gilid niya.
"Puwede ba, bumalik na tayo sa bahay! Tingnan mo o, ang init ng sikat ng araw!"
"Hindi naman ah. At saka marami namang puno rito. Doon tayo sa may batuhan," sabi niya at itinuro ang isang mapunong bahagi sa gilid ng ilog na may patag na mga bato na puwedeng upuan.
"Why the hell are we even here? Don't tell me you want to go swimming 'cause I'm telling you now, you're going into the water alone."
"Sungit," bulong niya na hindi ko na lang pinansin kaya hindi niya alam na narinig ko. "Dito ka lang, Renz ah. May kukunin lang ako."
Ngumuso siya sa bahagi ng dinaanan naming mabatong lugar kanina, na may mga matataas na puno na maingay pag hinihipan ng malakas na hangin. *
I exhaled heavily, already bored. Nevertheless, I surveyed the scene before me since I really did not have anything else to do.
We were on a dip of land between two hills that hid the seemingly shallow part of a river that was not visible from the road earlier. Despite what I told her, the rush of the water looked refreshing and the afternoon sun was hot. By the time she came back, I had taken my t-shirt off.
"Ano'ng ginagawa mo?"
Her forehead creased in a frown as she walked over to where I was sitting. She was holding a slender pole that she must have taken from the trees we passed earlier. She had managed to tie a long string of nylon on one end and a small hook dangled from it.
"Akala ko ba hindi ka maliligo? Hindi rin naman puwede, Renz. Mababasa ang cast mo," saad niya at ngumuso siya sa paa ko. Mas lalo tuloy akong nainis.
"Ba't kasi tayo pumunta pa rito? Umuwi na nga tayo!"
"Mamimingwit tayo! Teka lang, kukuha ako ng bulate!" She placed the pole on top of the rock where I was sitting and took a short stick to dig through the softest part of the soil at the edge of the river.
"Kadiri!" komento ko nang walang pag-aalinlangan niyang pinulot ang isang mahabang bulate.
"Ito ang pinakaayaw ko sa lahat eh. Kawawa ang mga bulate. Pero wala na akong ibang pain." That should have warned me of what she was gonna do next. Dali-dali niyang itinusok sa hook 'yong bulate na hawak niya at nagbanlaw ng kamay sa ilog. Gross.
Hindi ko napansin pero unti-unti ay nalibang na rin ako sa ginagawa niya, lalo na at nang may kumagat na isda sa pain niya at gumalaw ang pamingwit.
"Renz, may huli na tayo!" natutuwang saad niya nang bumaling sa'kin.
She expertly maneuvered the makeshift fishing pole and in the span of two minutes, the fish was already stringed and hanging on a low branch of a tree.
"Ikaw naman!" She offered the pole to me, a piece of worm already on the hook.
Outwardly, I pretended to be bored, but I was excited about it too. The good mood even lasted me the entire evening. Ikinuwento ni Lena kay Lolo ang pagpunta namin sa ilog at kung ilan ang tilapia na nahuli namin. He didn't say anything to suggest he was particularly pleased or interested, but I swear, there was a hint of smile on my grandfather's face when we ate the fishes we caught for dinner.
🌿
The day after the town doctor removed the cast, my grandfather finally agreed to let me accompany him to the cacao plantation that was more or less his great pride and joy.
Tahimik lang kami sa sasakyan na siya rin mismo ang nagmamaneho kahit kasama naman namin ang driver.
I have to admit, the size of the plantation is impressive. Especially when you take the fact that my grandfather was the sole one in charge of it into consideration. I felt a pang of sadness for the old man. I don't know what really happened between him and my father, his only son. But it's a fact that my father should have been here in all the years that he was gone.
I noticed that my grandfather was observing my reaction as I surveyed the scenery we passed. I don't need to pretend that I am interested though, because I really am.
The trees weren't that tall but they were loaded with fruits. Hindi ako maalam sa lupain pero tantya ko ay totoo nga na malawak ang taniman namin ng cacao.
Napapagitnaan ng tatlong metro ang bawat puno para may tamang espasyo lang sa paligid ng mga ito. At the heart of the plantation was the barn and the building where the fruits were fermented, dried, sorted, roasted, pretty much everything to make them into chocolate. The old man patiently explained the process to me.
"Nang nagsimula ang hacienda ay hindi pa ito ganito kasagana. Mga mangga ang nakatanim dito noon," paliwanag ni Lolo habang nag-iikot kami. Panay ang bati ng mga tauhan kay Lolo kahit na abala sila sa paggawa ng kani-kanilang obligasyon.
"Bakit po pinalitan 'nyo ng cacao?"
He laughed gruffly before replying, his quiet pride evident in his eyes. "Dahil mangga na ang produkto ng karamihan. Samantalang kaunti lamang ang suplayer ng cacao sa buong bansa."
Nag-aangkat kami ng tsokolate sa iba't ibang bayan dito sa Guimaras at pati na rin sa Iloilo. Ang gusto ni Lolo ay balang-araw makilala ang Chocolateria del Peñalver sa buong Pilipinas.
Binisita rin namin ang pagawaan ng mga pastry na yari sa tsokolate na galing sa mga cacao sa plantasyon. Kaunti lang ang produkto dahil sa ngayon ay gusto ni Lolo na mahasa muna ang aming reputasyon bilang dekalidad na suplayer ng tsokolate. Kung papalarin, puwedeng palawakin pa ang negosyo balang-araw. Naalala ko agad ang mga cupcake na gawa ni Lena. Isang hapon ay cake naman ang pinatikim niya sa'kin— chocolate cake.
I was surprised when I realized it was time to go home. I did not expect to be the slightest bit interested in how the plantation was run. I could see that my grandfather was pleased too. Sure, his bushy eyebrows looked as stern as ever but he can't fool me. There was a glint of honest pride and pleasure in his rare smiles.
Tahimik kami habang naghahapunan tulad ng nakagawian sa bahay na 'yon. Pero may kung anong nagbago sa pagitan naming dalawa ni Lolo sa araw na 'yon. Sa unang pagkakataon din ay hinigop ko ang mainit na tsokolate na siyang panghimagas na may kasamang pagkagalak na gawa 'yon sa tsokolate na mismong produkto ng aming lupain. Siguro nga, kahit pa hindi ako rito lumaki, sa sandaling umapak ako ng Guimaras ay nagising ang pagiging Peñalver ko. Ang isla na ito ay nasa aking dugo.
Halos araw-araw ay kasama ako ni Lolo sa plantasyon. Kung minsan ay sinasama namin si Lena, pero mas madalas ay pinipili niya na manatili na lamang sa mansyon.
Matulin na naubos ang mga araw ng Mayo at hindi nagtagal ay pamilyar na ako sa pamamahala ng Chocolateria pati na rin sa mga tao na katuwang sa pagpapatakbo ng aming lupain.
My mother rarely called to check on me. I figured she was purposely distancing herself from me as she knew my grandfather never really liked her. If she wants him to grow fond of me, she must remove every reminder of her existence in both our lives, if only until I am surely named heir.
🌿
Author's Note:
*Renz was referring to bamboo trees.
BINABASA MO ANG
Unlike Any Other
Romance|COMPLETED| "Gusto kita. Gusto talaga kita, Renz. Simula pa nang unang dating mo rito sa Guimaras." The summer Lorenzo Peñalver III was sent home to Aguadulce was unlike any other one he had before... It was in that small town that he came to know h...
