DEATH IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The lion has just returned from his Sunday morning chore of going to market for their weekly food provisions when on his way home he passed by the shanties of the fishermen at their backyard and there Liza, Jimbo;s wife said: “Nong Jun, patay na ang imong amigong si Cesar Pogi” (Bro. Jun, your friend Cesar Pogi, is dead.)

And so the lion retorted: “Ngano man?” (Why?) And she said: “Ambot sa’!” (I don’t know. ) “Pero namatay siya, kanginang mga alas tres sa buntag ra! (But he died only about three this morning.) she added.

So without additional word the lion entered their backyard and upon entering the house immediately reported the sad news to the lion tamer.

Just who is Cesar Pogi??

Cesar is a one-year old son of a septuagenarian neighbor who was born in November of last year whom the lion befriended and later he playfully nicknamed “Pogi”. The second son by a second marriage to a woman half his age, it is said that Cesar’s mother who was still in her early twenties when the ailing first wife was still alive some twelve years ago, the latter allegedly expressly wished that his husband marry the young girl once she pass out to the next world.

Whether this is true or not, one could no longer tell, but he did, and so, aside from his six grown-up children by his first wife and who have since lived apart from their father, the father later added another set of children composed of two boys, one now ten years old named Mark, and the other he named Cesar, who would oftentimes execute the “high five” or hold the lion’s hand to place it on his forehead for blessing, a custom widely known to the rural folks. At times the lion would take Cesar from his mother and playfully baby-talk with him to the child’s utmost delight.

The father is a “retired fisherman” whose family now subsists on the generosity of his adult children. His electric bills are paid for by a daughter who works for the local electric company and even the “pampers” of Cesar, a luxury item in this rustic place, is provided for by an elder brother. Another brother, now abroad, would also periodically send in remittance to his father to support their needs. But since these dole-outs are not regularly sent and are neither substantial, their daily subsistence cannot be considered luxurious and in all respects, may be considered as strictly on a hand-to-mouth basis.

And so it was that when the lion broke out the sad news to the lion tamer, it came to her as a total shock. Which made her remark: “How can we help?”, and got from the lion this reply: “Well, you can first visit them and see what you can do! For a start, bring a little money to enable the mother at least to buy coffee.” You may also decide to send five kilos of rice that relatives from distant places may have something to eat upon their arrival.

So the missus barked back: “Will two hundred bucks do?” “Well, the lion said: “For start, I guess that will do. But play it by ear. They may need more than that later.” Which she did.

An hour later she was back and said that the septuagenarian father, after receiving the P200, went out of the house but when he returned had with him a 4”x 8” plywood instead of coffee and sugar. Promptly, he took out his carpentry tools and proceeded to make a coffin the size where his youngest son would fit. Also, he matter-of-factly said that instead of holding a wake for several days, he and his wife decided it will be best that their child be buried the same afternoon. There is no need to stretch the agony any longer.

Upon arrival from the cemetery later in the afternoon, the mother said that the evening prayers will be held, but only for one night. And so the missus instructed his favorite twelve-year-old neighbor to ask for voluntary contributions so that at least, there will be something to partake after the novena that will be held later. Wherefore the boy promptly returned with fifty pesos in his hand.

So the lion said, “double the amount. I think, a hundred peso worth of pan de sal will suffice.” Much as we would want to give more, under these exigencies and considering the number of attendees during the evening prayer that would already be enough.

And so it was that one young soul exited from this to the other world without even a whimper. Quite handsome even with his frail but angelic face, he did not have a chance to show his wares and prove his worth in this unpredictable and cruel world. But then perhaps, it was for the better, facing extreme poverty, he probably deserves to be reincarnated to another time and place and there enjoy a more challenging and fruitful life instead on this that is extremely and totally in want.