29ON THE SIXTH floor of an old residential building in Manila where the streets were named after Jose Rizal’s literary characters, David had stayed holed up in his small, almost-empty apartment for a week now, after Teresa had been taken to the island-colony for lepers. His wife Luz left him yesterday to return to their hometown. This morning, David was supposed to look for work, but he didn’t have the will to leave his rattan bed that had no mattress, one of the few furnishings that came with the apartment. He had a dining set for four persons. There was also an electric stove on the extended sink counter. The main area of the room, where the bed and the dining table could be found, served as the receiving, dining room and bedroom. There was only a cubicle-type toilet and bath. Lying flat
