“They cannot penetrate our town because of Camp Alagar and Camp Evangelista. If the rebels come here, it is for rest, recreation, and recruitment. They are especially active in the schools. They prefer our town to be peaceful.”
We ate silently. The combination of fresh ampalaya, pechay, onions, ginger, and garlic from our garden tasted spicy, sweet and tangy, and slightly bitter at the same time. My father harvested the ingredients this morning, and my mother cooked them right away. The freshness played on my tongue and in my nostrils. I added a little bit of soy sauce to the garden harvest and ate it along with my rice cooked with pandan. The gravity of the event, however, kept us silent throughout the meal.
RHUEL, NOLI AND I played hide-and-seek. Gerry tagged along, but Noli ejected hi
