1. The document describes a traumatic experience of finding the body of a young girl. The narrator takes in Tony, who is distraught, as he is one of the few in the village with some education.
2. Ramon insults Tony as he leaves, calling him names. The night before he disappeared, Tony remarked on how thin the narrator was.
3. The narrator fishes out the body of a young boy from another village. This is the first time the village, which had forgotten how to cry, sees the narrator beginning to remember how to grieve.
1. The document describes a traumatic experience of finding the body of a young girl. The narrator takes in Tony, who is distraught, as he is one of the few in the village with some education.
2. Ramon insults Tony as he leaves, calling him names. The night before he disappeared, Tony remarked on how thin the narrator was.
3. The narrator fishes out the body of a young boy from another village. This is the first time the village, which had forgotten how to cry, sees the narrator beginning to remember how to grieve.
1. The document describes a traumatic experience of finding the body of a young girl. The narrator takes in Tony, who is distraught, as he is one of the few in the village with some education.
2. Ramon insults Tony as he leaves, calling him names. The night before he disappeared, Tony remarked on how thin the narrator was.
3. The narrator fishes out the body of a young boy from another village. This is the first time the village, which had forgotten how to cry, sees the narrator beginning to remember how to grieve.
ORIHINAL NA TEKSTO SALIN MALINAW WASTO NATURAL KOMENTO
Pamagat: Fish-Hair Woman
1. You’re crazy, your 1. Baliw ka, wala sa ayos
village is crazy, this is ang baryo mo, Isa lang mad, a nightmare, why, itong bangungot, paano how could you . . . this mo ito nagawa… hindi ito is not happening, I don’t dapat mangyari, dahil understand, I don’t hindi ko ito maintindhan. know. . . Tony wept on Pinunasan ni Tony ang my wet, salty hair that aking mga luha. Mga earlier wrapped the buhok na nakabalot sa naked body of a hubad na katawan ng sixteen-year-old lambing-anim na taong amazona, a female gulang na babaeng guerilla. She hardly had guerilya. Walang naiwan any face left. Dark emosyon sa kaniyang blotches, the size of a muka. Ang maiitim at first, covered her pelvis malalaki niyang peklat ay and breasts which had sinakop na ang buto niya lost their nipples. In my sa baywang. Sa aking hut, Tony raved, twisting kubo sinung gaban ni my black rope around Tony at pilit ipinipilit ang his arms and face as if itim na lubid sa kaniyang wanting to shut out the mga braso at mukha na vision. In his shock, he parang gustong mawala did not notice that my ang paningin. Sa hair was growing kaniyang pagkagulat, several hand spans hindi niya napansin na longer; I was ang aking buhok ay remembering for the humahaba; naalala ko na dead the contours of her ang pagkawala ng lost face. Tony was kaniyang muka ay Para inconsolable. sa mga patay. Si Tony ay hindi naging masaya sa 2. I had to take him into nangyari. my home, because Pay 2. Kailangan kong dalhin Inyo said he would not siya sa aking bahay, dahil have a man gone mad sinabi ni Pay sa inyo na in his house, it is bad hindi siya magkakaroon luck, there’s enough ng isang taong walang bad luck as it is. pakinabang sa kaniyang Besides, you’re the one buhay. Dahil iyo ay may with some education, I masamang kapalatan. only have crooked Bukod dito ikaw ay may English, you know the pinag aralan, ako ay hindi old man added. magaling sa pag sasalita Ramon’s eyes darkened ng Ingles. Nagdilim ang when I led the sobbing paningin ni Ramon nang Tony away from the ilabas ko si tony at ang bank were and eight- walang taong gulang sa year-old grandmother bangko ang Matanda ay dumbly caressed the walang naging emosyon corpse’s feet as if she na hinawakan ang mga were trying to remember paa ng bangkay na something. I realized parang may gusto siyang that, by then, my village isipin. Napagtanto ko na, had forgotten how to nang panahon na iyon ay cry. nakalimutan ko na ang aking baryo ay 3. "Sissy Australian – naghihirap. bakla!” Ramon spat at 3. "Sissy Australian - bakla!" Tony’s back. Back. My tinapik ni Ramon ang back, most loved. The likod ni Tony. Ang gabi night before he bago siya nawala, disappeared, Tony nagtaka si tony Kung marveled are how thin I gaano ako ka payat. was from behind. You Lumabas lang ang iyong people are so thin. Your vertebrae alam mo, Sabi vertebrae just out, you niya na nabibilang ang know, he said, counting hagdan sa kaniyang the ladders to my nape, batok, hinahalikan ang kissing each bone, bawat buti at niluluto ang christening every hillock bawat burol na may with the name of a gem. pangalan na isang hiyas. Sapphire, lapis lazuli, Sapphire, lapis lazuli, jade, ruby . . . often, I jade, ruby…. MaMadalas remembered his lips na naalala ko ang and the trail of precious kaniyang mga labi at ang stones on my back, and mga landas ng always my hair hurt. mahahalagang bato sa aking likura at palaging 4. But let’s trade them for nasasaktan ang aking something more mga buhok. valuable than rungs of 4. Ngunit ipag Palit natin ito kisses, Tony, for sa Mas mahalaga na something like fishes bagay kaysa sa isang and loaves of bread - halik, Tony, Para sa white or brown – like isang bagay tulad ng mga those in your country isda at tinapay - puti man where it’s easy to o kayumanggi tulad ng choose, because there mga Basant iyong are choices. The village pagmamayari. Dahil ikaw has owned my hair, so ay may pagpipilian. Ang why can’t they have my baryo g iyon ang bones as well? nagmamayari ng aking buhok, Kaya bakit hindi 5. “Time to go, Estrella, nila maiwan ang aking time to go . . .” mga buto? 5. "Oras na Para umalis 6. After I fished out a boy’s Estrella, Oras na Para body, which nobody umalis…" claimed, the cracks 6. Matapos kong mailabas began to show. He must ang katawan ng isang have been ten years batang lalaki, na walang old. The small head was kumukuha ay nag thrown too far back, simulang ipakita ang mga flopping behind him. bitak nito. Siya ay Around his neck was a sampung taong gulang. necklace of weeds and Ang ulo ay itinapon sa the fattest prawns. likuran, na bumagsak sa Thank god, it’s not ours, kaniyang likuran. Sa but whose it is? We kaniyang leeg ay don’t we don’t know. It nakasuot ang kwintas ng must be from the next mga damo at mga prutas. village. But it can’t be Salamat diyos, hindi tayo, one of the rebels, too Ngunit kanino ito? Hindi tiny, too young. It is not namin Alam ito ay dapat “it!” I screamed, and for mula sa susunod na the first time the village nayon. Ngunit hindi ito that had forgotten how maaaring maging Isa sa to cry, saw that perhaps mga rebelde, napakaliit, I was beginning to Masyadong bata. Hindi remember how, behind ito "ito!" Sumigaw ako sa all sockets, there can be mauna unahan no real drought for the pagkakataon na ang mga eye. nayon na nakakaranas ng hirap ay nag sisimula 7. You who read this and kong isipin Kung paano shiver at this macabre makakatulog, nakita na war, may you never marahil Kung paano ako need to pretend that you mag alala, sa likod ng have forgotten. And lahat. may you never know the 7. Ikaw na nag babasa nito kinship between fishing at nanginginig sa for the dead and actual digmaang ito, maaaring killing. The first time you hindi mo na kailngan do either, you break. magpanggap na You, too, die within, nakalimutan mo na. At thus you begin to nawa'y hindi mo Alam practice the art of ang pagitan ng uncaring, teach your gut pangingisda Para sa to behave for the sake patay at aktwal na pag of your own salvation, patay. Sa unang so that the next time pagkakataon na gawin and the next, it mo ay masisira ka. Ikaw becomes easier to cross din ay namatay sa loob with mortality. Then you Kaya ikaw ay nag can at least breathe and sasanay sa sining na think heaven that it is walang kabuluhan, not you who had fallen. turuang kumilos Para sa But somewhere at the kapakanan ng iyong tail-end of that numbed sariling kaligtasan, upang routine, you give once sa susunod ay more. You break, and maipagtatanggol ang no amount of practice iyong sarili. Kung gayon can put you back ay maaaring Kang together again. huminga at isipin ang Langit. Ngunit sa isang 8. “I don’t think I can do it lugar na nakagawian na again - ever,” my voice gawain, ay bibigyan ka was so hollow, one muli. Walang halaga ng could knock at it and pagsasanay na mag balik hear one’s knuckles sa iyo Muli. echoing through. 8. "Hindi ko akalain na magagawa ko ulit ito, - 9. “Putang ina”, you’re kailanman," ang aking getting soft, big hair”. tinig ay maaaring Ramon yanked at my kumatok dito at marinig braids. The black and ang mga sigawan. red rope coiled at my 9. “Putang ina”, nagiging feet. mahina ka, malaking buhok, Si Ramon ay 10. “I might know who is hinatak ang aking tirintas. down there I can’t do it” Ang itim at pulang lubid nakapulupot sa aking 11. “Why, you have e.s.p., paanan. too woman?” Around his 10. “Pwede bang malaman Adam’s apple, the skin ko kung sino ang rippled as he laughed nandiyan hindi ko kaya ito” isang bagay ang 12. Before Tony arrived, I nakahawak sa aking suspected that the lalamunan. hindi ako sergeant had slyly makahinga desired me, maybe 11. Bakit ka may e.s.p sa even worshipped me, in babae? Sa paligid ng some grudging way, for kanyang lalamunan my nerves of stone. namula ang balat habang After each dive, he siya ay tumatawa would never look at 12. Bago dumating si Tony, what surfaced with me. ang aking hinala na ang He only stared at my sarhento ay may brown body in the wet seryosong pagnanais tapis, then at my face, sakin, kahit na ako ay always at my face, as if nagsisimba, kahit hoping to find some sign nakakainis na paraan, of breaking, for he never para sa ang aking saw me weep over any matigas na kalooban, of the corpses that I pagkatapos ng bawat netted even when the sisid, hindi siya whole riverbank howled. kailanman tumingin sa She has secret powers kung ano man ang inside, Pay Inyo had lumitaw sa akin. said, thumping at his Nakatingin lamang siya chest; in war, we need sa aking kayumanggi na secret powers. No knew katawan sa basang that my hair stole all the “tapis” tapos sa mukha grief from my face. How ko, na paraang umaasa could anyone see the na makahanap ng senyas ache in my scalp, the ng pagsira , sapagkat trick of memory, the hindi niya ako nakikita na betrayal of nerves at the umiiyak sa mga patay na roots of my hair? Come aking nakasama sa to think of it, it’s not my buong ilog. Meron siyang ancestry, not my tinatagong father’s Spanish blood kapangyarihan, sabi ni but the flush of blood Pay Inyo, hinahampas from the heart that had ang kanyang dibdib; sa cursed the red into my giyera kailangan ng lihim hair. na kapangyarihan. Walang nakakaalam na 13. My hair, the anchor for ang buhok ko ay ninakaw the remnants of a lahat ng kalungkutan village, for the soldiers, galing sa aking mukha. and later, for tony. The Paano nakita niya ang disappeared could at lahat ng sakit sa aking least be found for a anit, bilis ng pag iisip ang decent burial. And the pagtataksil at pinakaugat river would be restored ng aking buhok. Kung to its old taste, iisipin, hindi ito ang aking sweetened again by the pinanggalingan hindi hills. The we could fish Espanyol ang dugo ng again or wash our aking ama kundi para clothes there again, or sirain ang dugo mula sa gather the kangkong puso na sumumpa sa and gabi leaves at it’s buhok kong pula. bank again. It meant 13. Ang aking buhok, Ang sustenance, as food angkla para sa mga labi from the town had been ng isang lugar, para sa scarce. Even the mga sundalo, at soldiers partly pagkatapos kay Tony. depended on the river Ang mga nawala na for their daily needs. So natagpuan ay kailangan why dump the bodies magkaroon ng maayos there? The soldiers said na paglibing at ang ilog it wasn’t them, they said ay maibabalik sa dating the rain washed the anyo nito. Bumalik na bodies down to the ang tamis ng bundok, at river. pagkatapos ay pwede na ulit kame mangisda o 14. But how could you drink kaya malinisan ang this, eat my god! Tony aming mga damit ulit. At gagged over the fish kumuha ng mga steamed in lemon grass kangkong at dahon ng after he witnessed the gabi. At magiipon ulit. rescue of the young Nangangahulugan ito ng guerilla. The following sustansya , tulad ng day, he refused to eat or pagkain na mula sa drink. His limbs went bayan ang mahirap cold and locked around makuha. Kahit na ang him, then he developed mga sundalo ay a chill, even as his bahagyang nakadepende sweat soaked my mat. sa ilog para sa pang He became incoherent araw-araw nilang for weeks. Nearly pangangailangan. Bakit deranged by his strange itinatapon ang katawan ailment, he would doon? Ang sabi ng mga scream about the lemon sundalo hindi sila yon, grass fish growing fat kundi ang ulan at and swimming inside hinugasan nila ang mga the belly of the dead katawan sa ilog girl. I though he was 14. Pero paano niyo maiinom going to die. I wrapped ito, edi kainin diyos ko! Si him with my hair each Tony ay nagbiro at sa night to keep him warm, ibabaw ng isda na then fell in love. pinasingaw sa dahon ng lemon matapos niyang na 15. Another river swells on diskubre ang pagligtas sa desperate nights like babaeng guerilla. Sa this, flowing in the susunod na araw pelvis. Strange how, tinanggihan nito ang when close to death, we pagkain at pag inom at become more intimate malamig ang kanyang with desire. One tries to mga paa at nakapalibot hide it, but this river sa paligid niya overflows. Each night, pagkatapos ay bumuo ng when I hushed his cries isang malamig kahit na and calmed his shaking, pawis na pawis na ang my tapis betrayed me banig. Naging tuliro siya reweaving its flowers nitong lingo halos naiinis into fishes that circled sa kaniyang kakaibang my hipbone, which grew nararamdaman. as luminous as the Nagsigaw siya tungkol sa moon on the river, while dahon ng lemon na yung the fishes swam to my isdang mataba ay breasts, biting behind lumalago at lumalangoy the nipples. His cold, sa loob ng tiyan ng blue finger reached for babaeng namatay. Akala them, coaxing the fishes ko mamatay na siya to leap out. Then, pinulupot ko siya ng underneath my hair, he aking buhok tuwing gabi loved me over and over para mainitan, at again, until the chill half- napaibig na siya sakin. ebbed from his flesh, 15. Ang isa pang ilog ay because I had shared it meron malaking alon with mine- ay, dear mapanganib na sa reader, my scalp hurts gabing katulad nito. again. I can hear the Umaagos sa Pelvis, strands pushing out kataka-taka, kung gaano stretching; it is the hum kalapit ang kamatayan, of memory, my beloved naging mas matalik tayo mumbling something sa ating mithiin. about winter love in the Sinubukan ng isa na tropics, his breathe itago ito, ngunit ang ilog tinged with lemon grass. ay umaapaw, bawat gabi ng napapanatag ko ang 16. “Was he that good?” kaniyang iyak at Ramon grabbed me by napakalma ang kaniyang the waist, and pulled me pag nginig. Ang aking to him. His young tapis ay ipinagkanulo ko breathe travelled my ang mga bulaklak nito sa face from brow to chin mga isda na pumaligid sa and back. “ Really aking balakang, nung good?” he sniggered. lumaki naging maliwanag ito nasa likod ito ng aking 17. Yes, he was as good as utong. Ang kaniyang any man who had come lamig at asul na mga to the end of his daliri ay umabot sa journey, back to himself, kanila. Paghihimok ng but only to himself. isda para tumalon, pagkatapos ay sa ilalim 18. I'll take you away, Tony ng aking buhok, paulit ulit had promised, I'll take niya akong minahal, you back with me, back hanggang sa lumamig at to the light. And we will lumiit mula sa kaniyang cut the hair. Back to laman dahil bahagi nito clean, sunny beaches ang sa aking anit mahal where I could have long kong mambabasa, ang weekend breakfast and aking anit ay sumasakit gaze at the water that ulit. Naririnig ko ang mga never change flavour? sumasadsad sa pagtulak Strange, lucky Aus- at pag unat, ito ang mga traayl-yuh, savoured in kahihiyan ng pag iisip. one lazy role of the Ang isang bagay na tongue - but not home, aking mahal ay tungkol never home, Tony. He sa ibigan sa taglamig sa made ready to leave tropiko ang kaniyang anyway, so he could hininga na may dahon ng arrange something for lemon. me, for us at his 16. “Ganon ba siya embassy. The sharpest kagaling?” Si Ramon ay pair of scissors to cut humawak sa aking me off from my river. bewang at hinatak ako papunta sa kaniya. Ang 19. As he was about to go, I kaniyang hininga ay unbraided my hair which dumaloy sa aking mukha he could not bear to see mula sa kilay hanggang loose after he had sa baba at likod. recovered. I spread it “Napakagaling?” Siya ay around the house, ngumisi. hoping he would 17. Oo, siya ay magaling understand. You know tulad niyang nakatapos Tony, all of this is sa kaniyang paglalakbay, destiny, I whispered as bumalik siya sa kaniyang he left, but he never sarili, ngunit para sa heard me. I saw lights in kaniya lamang. his eyes. He seemed 18. Dadalhin kita, ipinangako happy, even inspired, ni Tony. Ibabalik kita sa perhaps at the thought akin, pabalik sa liwanag. of taking his lover home At puputulin namin ang with her cropped mane. buhok na iyon. Bumalik Time to go, he had said sa malinis, maaraw na after we buried the ten- mga beach kung saan year-old's body maaari akong magkaroon together. He had rocked ng mahabang pagtatapos me to sleep then, ng agahan sa katapusan wondering why there ng linggo at titigan ang where no tears though tubig na hindi nagbabago my voice cracked with ng lasa? Ang kakaibang, sorrow. Later he noticed masuwerteng Aus-traayl- the faint streaks of white yuh, naaliw sa isang at my nape. "For beauty tamad na pag ikot ng dila is nothing but the - ngunit hindi sa bahay, beginning of terror. . ." hindi sa bahay, Tony. and we have no need of Handa siyang umalis that, Estrella. kahit papaano, upang makapag-ayos siya ng 20. Lemon grass and isang bagay para sa akin, fireflies this time, para sa amin sa kanyang strange, but how embahada. Ang matulis beautiful, perhaps a na pares ng gunting miracle, perhaps upang maputol ako mula salvation, one never sa aking ilog. knows, shard of the holy 19. Habang papunta na siya, light of Damascus, hindi ko pinigilan ang maybe, sent for the aking buhok na hindi niya soldiers... And the river kayang makita na aysus, it does not taste maluwag pagkatapos like fresh blood, not at niyang mabawi. all... Pay Inyo brought Pinakalat ko ito sa paligid me the news. His bony ng bahay, umaasa na frame, hunched at the maiintindihan niya. Alam bottom of my steps, was mo Tony, lahat ng ito ay only a blur. But we want kapalaran, bulong ko our river to taste only habang umalis siya, like our river, he made ngunit hindi niya ako the point of his visit. I narinig. Nakita ko ang can't do it, no, please mga ilaw sa kanyang God, but I knew that I mga mata. Tila masaya could not escape my siya, kahit na inspirasyon, final appointment. My marahil sa pag-iisip na hair awoke to the dalhin ang kanyang knowledge and my kasintahan sa bahay scalp ached as it had kasama ang kanyang never ached before. I tinig na mane. Oras na wanted to pull out every pumunta, sinabi niya strand that heard my pagkatapos naming heart break then bang ilibing ang sampung my head on the wall. taong gulang na magkasama. Binato niya 21. “He wasn’t that good ako upang makatulog after all –“ Ramon noon, nagtataka kung paused, slowing his bakit walang luha kahit words for effect. “Your na ang aking tinig ay pale sissy did not even basag sa kalungkutan. know how to fight – like Nang maglaon, napansin a man.” He shoved his niya ang malabong mga lips onto mine. guhitan ng puti sa aking batok. "Para sa 22. A stone sank in my kagandahan ay walang womb. “You cur, you anuman kundi ang simula beast – hayop ka!” I bit ng terorismo ..." at hindi his lips and kicked him namin na kailangan iyan, in the groin, then lashed Estrella. out with my braids of 20. 20. Kahil na damo at mga black and red, alitaptap sa oras na ito, screaming, cur, cur, cur! kakaiba, ngunit kung gaano kaganda, marahil 23. “Putang ina!” He tried to isang himala, marahil ang duck the blows as he kaligtasan, hindi cocked his rifle and kailanman alam ng isang yelled out to his men. tao, shard ng banal na The welts were ilaw ng Damasco, blooming on his face marahil, ipinadala para sa and arms, the curse of mga sundalo ... At ang my red lights. ilog aysus, ginagawa nito hindi tikman tulad ng 24. “So you’re the better sariwang dugo, hindi man man? Oh, yes, pull the ... Dinala sa akin ni Pay trigger, brave Ramon,” I Inyo ang balita. Ang sneered, gripping my kanyang bony frame, whip of hair, eyes hunched sa ilalim ng blurred and stinging. aking mga hakbang, ay malabo lamang. Ngunit 25. “Ah, you cry after all, nais naming matikman Fish-Hair Woman,” the ang aming ilog tulad ng boys sergeant smirked, aming ilog, ginawa niya deliberately laying down ang punto ng kanyang his weapon as he pagbisita. Hindi ko approached me. “But magagawa ito, hindi, we’ll need nerves for mangyaring Diyos, ngunit this job, won’t we?” His alam kong hindi ko voice was dangerously maiiwasan ang aking tender. I raised my whip huling appointment. once more. His men Nagising ang aking cocked their rifles. I let buhok sa kaalaman at sa my hair fall. aking anit na sakit na hindi pa ito nasasaktan 26. “In her heart, she knows dati. Nais kong hilahin she’ll do it – don’t you?” ang bawat strand na Ramon unbraided my naririnig ang aking puso hair slowly, taking great ay bumagsak pagkatapos pleasure in smoothing it ay tumama ang aking ulo out into a net, for, as he sa dingding. suspected, that was the 21. "Hindi siya mabuti sa first time someone other lahat -" Tumahimik si than Tony and the dead Ramon, pinabagal ang had touched my hair. kanyang mga salita para The men watched this mabisa. "Ang iyong defilement in absurd maputlang sissy ay hindi respect, and the fireflies alam kung paano returned, circling their makipaglaban - tulad ng guns, drawing halos. isang tao." Inilapit niya ang labi sa akin. 27. We went, a grim 22. Isang bato ang nahulog procession to the river, sa aking sinapupunan. guarded by a host of "Ikaw cur, hayop ka!" flying lights, the soldiers Kinagat ko ang kanyang holding my hair like a mga labi at sinipa siya sa bridal train. Again, I singit, pagkatapos ay remembered his lips pinalabas ng aking mga and the precious stones balbas ng itim at pula, on my back and the sumisigaw, cur, cur, cur, river in my pelvis and cur! his lemon grass fish 23. “Putang ina!” He tried to swimming into it from duck the blows as he the belly of a dead girl cocked his rifle and yelled now growing her face out to his men. The welts and nipples back, and were blooming on his her feet as if trying to face and arms, the curse remember something, of my red lights. and the soft mound of 24. "Kaya't ikaw ang mas earth singing the ten- mahusay na tao? Oh, oo, year-old bones to sleep. hilahin ang gatilyo, matapang na Ramon, 28. Thus the betrayal of ”isinubo ko, hinawakan memory, while the ang aking latigo ng soldiers marvelled at buhok, namumula ang how my hair grew and mga mata at nagkalat. grew in their hands they 25. "Ah, sumigaw ka ng were in on the secret lahat, Babae na Buhok now. They knew that, na Buhok," ang mga once I dived into the sarhento ng lalaki ay waters sweet with napangiti, na sadyang lemon grass, I would inilalagay ang kanyang never leave my heart on sandata habang the bank again. papalapit siya sa akin. "Ngunit kakailanganin natin ang mga nerbiyos para sa trabahong ito, hindi ba tayo?" Ang kanyang tinig ay mapanganib na malambot. Tinaasan ko ulit ang aking latigo. Tinapik ng kanyang mga kalalakihan ang kanilang mga riple. Hinayaan kong bumagsak ang aking buhok. 26. "Sa kanyang puso, alam niya na gagawin niya ito - hindi ba?" Hindi inalis ni Ramon ang aking buhok ng dahan-dahan, na nasisiyahan sa pagpapagaan nito sa isang lambat, sapagkat, tulad ng hinala niya, iyon ang unang pagkakataon na may isang tao maliban kay Tony at ang namatay ay hinawakan ang aking buhok. Pinanood ng mga kalalakihan ang karumaldumal na ito nang walang paggalang, at ang mga bumbero ay bumalik, paikot-ikot ang kanilang mga baril, gumuhit halos. 27. . Nagpunta kami, isang mabagsik na prusisyon sa ilog, na binabantayan ng isang host ng mga lumilipad na ilaw, ang mga sundalo na hawak ang aking buhok tulad ng isang pangkasal na tren. Muli, naalala ko ang kanyang mga labi at ang mahalagang bato sa aking likuran at ang ilog sa aking pelvis at ang kanyang limon na damo na lumalangoy sa ito mula sa tiyan ng isang patay na batang babae na ngayon ay lumalaki ang kanyang mukha at nipples pabalik, at ang kanyang mga paa na parang sinusubukan na tandaan isang bagay, at ang malambot na bundok ng lupa na umaawit ng sampung taong gulang na mga buto upang makatulog. 28. Sa gayon ang pagtataksil ng memorya, habang ang mga sundalo ay nagtaka sa kung paano lumaki ang aking buhok at lumaki sa kanilang mga kamay sila ay nasa sikreto na ngayon. Alam nila na, kapag sumisid ako sa tubig na matamis na may damo ng limon, hindi ko na ulit iiwan ang aking puso sa bangko.