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1222 Words
Miguel has been to all kinds of war in his career, but he has not waged a war all by himself. And this time, he was going to his very own war.
The task last night kept him awake until 1:00 am but Miguel managed to get up before the first light pierced the blackness of the mountains. Miguel filled his bag with a bottle of water, his halved pack of red Marlboro, a lighter and his packed lunch wrapped with fired banana leaves. His wrapped breakfast was consisted of fried rice, a piece of grilled pork chop and two pieces of hard-boiled eggs buried in the middle of it. Then, Miguel brought his father’s machete with him. He ripped the page where he wrote the list and left it pinned on one of the house’s posts. Then, he knocked on the mute woman’s door to tell her he was going up. When the sun started to burn the skies red, he started his hike to the peak of the mountains. The mute woman woke up a few minutes after Miguel left. She reheated yesterday’s coffee and poured herself a cup. Then she took Miguel’s note and she read it while sipping her coffee. At fifteen after five that morning, she closed the door of the house and she descended to the town proper.
Miguel has easily walked that track numerous times before when he was still young, but Miguel was already panting when he reached the middle of the hike. He rested under the cool shade of the big avocado tree for a couple of minute. He took a swig of his bottled water and wiped the water that trickled at both sides of his mouth. Miguel looked around the place and he realized that a lot of what he needed grew in that place. But he also knew that he could not touch a single tree there for that part of the mountains was owned by the most litigious man in their place. So after his stopover, he proceeded to his father’s land at the top of the mountains. It took him almost an hour, but he finally reached their land and he saw that there was an abundance of trees that he could use for his purpose. Miguel started to work.
He felled four narra trees big enough for making the posts, and then he cut several smaller ones for the beams. Miguel worked tirelessly for two hours straight before he stopped. He opened his bag and took out his packed food and his bottle of water. He ate quickly, keeping his mouth full throughout the time and chewing it like some mechanical grinder. He had no time to dilly-dally for something was bound to happen. Miguel lit a cigarette after eating and smoked while he was figuring out how to carry all of them downhill. Ten minutes later, he stood up and searched for a durable kind of vine that grew in that forest. It took him thirty full minutes and countless fire ant bites before he found one. Miguel took the full length of it and then he got rid of all its leaves, leaving only the vine that he needed. He tied all the smaller wood cuttings, each slightly bigger than his biceps into one large bundle. He stood it up and hammered all around it until all the wood cuttings could not move at all. That part was done. Now the real labor’s going to start, he told himself.
Miguel took the four big trunks of the narra tree and one by one, he let it roll down the steep part of the mountain. He was soaked with sweat, and his whole body was covered with soil and fallen leaves. He was also starting to itch all over his body but he kept on. Each trunk of the narra tree landed at the bottom with a crashing sound, but the trick got the job easier done. Now, he was only left with the smaller but longer pieces. Miguel made an artificial pillow for his head out of dried banana leaves. Then, in one fluid, forceful motion, he heaved the bundle of wood to his head. It was too heavy for him and he almost lost his balance when he stood up. But he got hold of it and his feet got a solid plant on the ground, making him steady enough to walk downhill. Now, all he had to do was endure the immense pressure on his head and neck until he reached the house again.
The hike to the top was indeed tiring, but it was no match to the danger and amount of work required for the descent. One wrong step and he could break his own neck. So Miguel took one careful step after another on the steep part of the mountain and when he reached safer lands, Miguel could not help but rejoice and say a prayer. He threw the bundle of woods a few meters from the house and went back for the bigger ones. He dragged them one at a time near the bundle which he threw earlier before. When he had taken them all, he let himself fall on the soft, cool bed of grass which the mute woman cultivated years ago. Miguel was exhausted to the bones but it was still only half of the job done. He just had prepared the materials he would use. Now, he needed to do the other half. Miguel heard someone just arrived so he sat up and waited for them to reach the top of the stairs. It was almost noon already.
The mute woman appeared with a smile after a few seconds
What’s all that for? Are you going to move out of the house already?
Miguel laughed.
“No, Inday. This is all a part of that plan.”
You mean last night.
“Yes. I see you coming empty-handed. Is there a problem? Did you not get a single thing on my list?”
You really are like your father, always impatient. I got them all. But as you can see, I can hardly carry myself up here. What more if I bring three boxes of your listings?
The woman compassionately smiled at the tired man sprawled on the grass.
Bernie is coming to bring all of the things that you needed. He also brought something for our lunch. He said he wants to meet you so I told him to bring the boxes here and we’ll have lunch, the three of us together.
Miguel had a doubtful look on his face.
“This Bernie, Inday, can we trust him? Does he know who I am?”
Don’t worry about him. He’s a good kid and he doesn’t know anything about what happened. Besides, the lad idolizes you more than anybody so I’m sure he won’t talk.
Miguel was still doubtful but he trusted her. Moreover, he might need his help on some things.
You still did not say what all of that is for, Mikoy.
“All of this, Inday, is my new war room.”
- Writer
