RAIN AND WOODEN CLOGS

by D. Paulo Dizon
(Summary)

It was raining hard. The streets were filthy and muddy, and in our neighborhood, they were
submerged almost knee – deep in water. There was no promise of a sunny day for many days,
and now it was raining hard again. Rain or shine, I had to be in school. Miss Santos, my teacher
in English had warned me that there was no excusing in school or my coming in dirty clothes and
in wooden clogs, like I did the previous day.

I had promised Miss Santos and the class in general that I would come to school in presentable
attire and wear shoes instead of wooden clogs. It made me feel very low when I made that
promise. Miss Santos had a very cruel way of making her pupils promise, especially those she
did not like at all. She made you feel ashamed of yourself, whether you deserve it or not.

But now, it was raining hard and because I did not have a raincoat, I was wet through and
through. I hugged my pair of shoes… I mean my cousin Martin’s… against my breast inside y
polo shirt to prevent them from getting wet. My cousin Martin had lent them to me because he
felt sorry for me when I told my father and my mother the previous day that I was home from
wearing wooden shoes. My father had threatened to stop my school if I could not go to school in
wooden clogs.

When I left our house, my clothes were still fresh and clean, although patched up in some parts,
but now they were wet and soiled, and I could not help feeling bitter. I had intended to make a
good showing in class that day. I had planned to come in class freshly dressed and with shoes on.
I was very well prepared for recitation, and I was sure none could beat me that day. But, I fekt
very bad about the rain, and my getting wet, and our being so poor that I could not go to class in
good warm clothes and in my own shoes.

I was late by five minutes. Everybody turned toward the door when I entered the door. I found it
very hard to walk with my cousin Martin’s shoes because they were a bit too long, but tight
around my toes. Miss Santos mockingly called my name with her ominous frown darkening face.
She ordered me to go out and get an excuse slip.