BERANO NA kon makakita na ang mga tabanog nga naas langit ug mahimo kining bitoon sa hapon

nga magsayawsayaw daw mga kompetis nga i-dayandayan sa dalan kon piyesta. Berano na kon ang
among batang silingan molahos didtos dakong hawan ilawm sa mga punoan sa mangga ug kalimtan
na lang ang pamahaw kay ang kahinam sa pagduwag diyolin ug bato-lata di na gyod mapugngan. Ug
labaw sa tanan, ang labing tataw nga timailhan sa berano kay ang pag-abot ni Don-don sa among sityo
dala ang iyang ibaligyang mga kaka.

Mosugod dayon na si Don-don og baligya nga may pakapin nga taas nga sugilanon sa iyang
talagmanong adbintura sa pagkuha sa mga kaka sa tiilan sa bukid. Magtapok dayon ming tanan, daw
miabot si Hesus, aron mamati sa iyang mga sambingay sa bungtod.

Kinsa may di madani kon mosugod na siyas pagsugid sa iyang mga nasinati? Siya mao ang usa
sa mga tawo nga madanihon og tingog sa among sityo. Tingali, ikaduha siya ni Noy Dante nga
mamaligyag taho sa kadlawon, o ni Inday Cecil nga mamaligyag banana cue kon diin magpaduol siyas
mga manuwaay og bingo. Asa kaha siya nakakaplag niining tingog, sa? Tingali sa pagtan-aw og mga
kengkoy nga salida o naliwat ni siya sa iyang Amahan nga dispatser ug mamaligyag kendi ug tubig
didtos Colon.

Kon makahisgot sad siya mahitungod sa iyang mga kaka, ang mga pulong nga iyang mabatbat
kay mamahimo mang balaan daw gikan sa Bibliya nga di angayan namong kataw-an. Mas tinood pa
pamation ang iyang mga sugilanon kaysa sa sugilanon sa dakong lunop sa kalibotan o sa paghimo sa
Dios sa unang tawo. Pakapinan pa niyag mga kamay ug ekspresyon sa nawong nga makapabibo sa
iyang kasinatian didtos tiilan sa bukid.

Lisod kalimtan ang ngan sa iyang mga kaka:

a) Mais-mais – nga kasagarang makit-an sa kamaisan, didto kini motago ug mosuksok sa basbas
sa mais, ang kolor niini kay dalag, di ni angayan nga isulod sa posporo tibuok adlaw kay tingali
makuyapan kini samtang makigsangka sa laing kaka.
b) Black Knight – ang kolor niini kay itom, sa ngan pa lang daan niini. Sagad niini kay mamaak
sa ilang tag-iya. Aw, mapatay gyod dayon kay tumban man o lumsan sa mga magtag-iya niini.
Di kayo ni halinon.
c) Wan-tu-tri – maayo ni og math ning kakaa. Daw robot kon molakaw apan puyde ni paansiron
sa math nga asaynment. Kon kapoyan og tubag, tayhopi sa makadaghan aron dukaon ug
makatulog. Unya, paansira og balik.
d) Red Devil – ang labing halinon nga kaka sa tanan tungod sa kabagsik niini. Ang mga kasway
niini kay tag-as, puwa ang kolor, ug hilig moinom og gatas nga ibutang sa gapas. Sekreto nga
gisulti ni Don-don: paimnon kinig Alpine. Di ni kauyon sa Nido.

Nakasuway man sad kog palit og Marka Tuldok ni Don-don, kini nga kaka adunay tuldok sa
tiyan, ug Marka Espada, nga may pormang espada sa tiyan (kining duha namatay kadtong nabiyaan
nako ang posporo babaw sa lamesa ug gipangaon sa mga lamigas).
 Ang nagpabiling kaka nga wa gyod nako napalit kay ang Red Devil.

“Uy! Ari na mo, mga higala. Aduna na koy bag-ong mga kaka,” singgit niya samtang iyang
maskuladong bukton nagwara-wara. Gibuhian dayon ni Ling-ling iyang paper dolls ug gibitad iyang
manghod nga lalaki nga si Dodong-Himi. Taudtaod, mihilak dayon iyang manghod human niyag biya
sa iyang giduwaang mga lastiko. “Gikuha pa ko ni didtos duol sa sapa.” Dungag ni Don-don.

Sa layo pa lang, Makita na nako iyang lapad nga abaga daw pako sa langgam nga motanod sa
umahan. Sauna kay lagwisong man ni siyag lawas apan karon sa iyang pagbalik estatuwanhon na man.
Tingali tungod sad kay siya ang kamaguwangan sa iyang babayeng mga igsuon. Di malikayan nga mao
gyoy molihok. Balita nako nag-aguwador ni siya sa iyang mga silingan aron makakuwarta ug mitabang
sad ni siya og alsa sa mga sako sa bugas kuyog sa iyang amahan didtos siyudad. Bisan pa niini, maayo
pagkaporma iyang lawas. Dili lisod ang pagtandi niini sa lawas sa mga modelo nga naas itom ug puting
mga retrato didto sa salon sa pikas sityo.

“Emman!” iya ko gitawag ug mipahiyom. Iyang presensiya mitataw: nipis nga bangas, asul nga
tisirt, di malalis kini nga way utaw, aduna pa gani mansa, ug gi-asin-asin kini sa dughan ug ilokang
bahin. Adunay bagang buling sa iyang tuong langodngod nga morag buot mopuli sa iyang pekeng itom
nga ariyos. Iyang kamot dala ang puti nga plastic bag nga puno sa mga posporo. “Aduna koy bag-ong
mga kaka.”

“Pakit-a ko, pakit-a ko!” ni Ling-ling nga nagkinto-kinto aron lang makakita sa sulod sa
posporo.

“Di ni pang-babaye, uy!” tubag niya, dayon mitan-aw nako. “Asa man imong Nanay?”

Kapila na ni niya gipangutana nako kada bisita niya diris amoa. Kapila na sad nako ni nga tubag
niya, “Tua gihapon lagi sa iyang kuwarto.”

“Puyde ko makaadtos inyo? Di mana masuko imo Nanay, sa?”

“Ha? Di man. Nakaadto naman sad god ka sauna.”

MOLAHOS GYOD NA SI DON-DON og lingkod sa sopa, huboon dayon na niya iyang gi-asin-asin
nga tisirt, dayon mohigda ug ibutang iyang duha ka kamot luyo sa iyang ulo. Didto ko mitutok sa iyang
timgasong dughan nga naggilak tungod sa iyang singot. Misilang ang liboan ka mga abog gikan sa sopa.
Mingsayaw-sayaw kini palibot niya. Kapila ko nagpasiplat og tan-aw sa buhok sa iyang lawas: sa ilok,
sa atngal, sa bitiis ug paa, sa tiyan. Mahimaya-on kini nga aninawon. Apil na ang iyang sumbol --
sumpay sa bulbol.

“Ganahan ka makakita sa akong kaka?” hinay niyang gisulti samtang nagpiyong iyang mga
mata. Iyang tingog mingsuhop sa akong dugokan. Wa ko mitubag. “Ay, unya na lang.” Gapiyong
gihapon iyang mga mata.
 Ako siyang gibiyaan ug miadtos kuwarto ni Nanay sa taas. Abli ang pultahan ug nakita nako si
Nanay nga nagtutok gihapon sa abling aparador, samtang iyang mga kamot tuas iyang dughan daw
naningkamot sa di matagak iyang kasingkasing sa sawog.

“Nanay, naa si Kuya Don-Don. Kadtong mamaligya og kaka. Okey ra?”

Mitando siya ug milingi nako nga nag-umog ang mga mata.

Tulo na kabuwan nga wala na gisirad-an ni Nanay ang aparador. Giablihan kini kadtong mibiya
si Papa sa balay kay didto siya mikuyog sa silingan namo nga mamaligyag og budbod. Sa kadlawn
nasakpan ni Nanay silang Papa ug Manang Vergie, niadtong minaog si Nanay aron ibalik niya ang
arenola sa banyo. Kita kaayo ni Nanay nga naggunit pa si Manang sa kinatawo ni Papa samtang
naglingkod sila sa sopa. Paspas ang panghitabo. Nalabay ni Nanay ang arenola! Misunod ang pag-abli
niya sa aparador ug gipanglabay pod sa gawas ang iyang mga sinina, apan wa kini gikuha ni Papa.
Hilom ra siyang mikuha sa TV ug CD player nga gikan pa sa Dubai. Iya sad giapil og kuha ang mga
sapatos.

Nakahukom si Nanay nga sunogon na lang kining tanan sa nataran kon diin iya kasagarang
sunogon ang layang mga dahon sa nangka aron pang-abog sa mga lamok. Kadtong higayona, ang aso
nga gikan sa nangasunog nga sinina kay gigamit sa pag-abog ni Papa. Uyamot nga epiktibo kini.

“Ganahan kag pancit canton?” nako ug gipakita niya ang chilli ug seafood nga flavor sa noodles.

“O, kanang halang akoa. Apilig itlog.”

Misanong ko ug nagsugod og luto sa pancit canton “Naa na ba kay Red Devil, Kuya?”

Dugay siya nakatubag. “Wa na ko kitag mga Red Devil ron. Apan, naa koy Mais-mais ug Wan-
tu-tri.”

“A, mao ba? Maayo nuon kay nanginahanglan ra ba ko nga naay motabang nakog sag-ulo sa
multiplication table.” Dayon mikatawa ug nasikhan ang botilya sa mantika. Nausik kini. “Sori.” Dayon
gitrapohan ang talad sa mantikaong kamot gamit ang nuog.

Milanog sab ang katawa ni Don-Don. “Tanga-a nimo, Emman, uy.”

Silence. “Ngano man ka manginahanglan og kaka nga naa man ko aron motabang nimos math,”
dungag niya aron maputol ang kahilom. “A, ka sayon ra anang multiplication.”

Kalit nga miuga akong tutonlan sa iyang pagkidhat nako. “K-kanus-a man ka makadalag Red
Devil? Ganahan na kaayo ko makatag-iya sa imong pinakakusgan nga kaka, Kuya, uy!”

“Wa pa lagi ko nakaybaw kon kanus-a gyod ko makakita,” niya nga gabilangkad samtang ang
tiil nagpatong sa talad. “A, taym sa. Mo-gradweyt na ka, sa?”

“Tingali, kon di mahagbong sa sabdyek ni Miss Sumbilon. Nindot ba mo-graduate?”

 “Unsa?”

“Mo-graduate ug matiguwang na.”

“Ambot lang. Wa man ko kasuway og graduation. Ngano man?”

“Wa lang. Sige, kaon na ta.”

NAGDAKO KO NGA MAGDUWA og kasing. Ang mga lalaki sa among tunghaan naadik ini apan
naundang kini tungod kay nataop ang lansang sa bukobuko ni Bay Jun-jun, ang anak sa prinsipal. Ang
mga babaye kay nahilig sad og palit og mga piso nga lain-lain ang kolor didto ni Manang Asyon. Apan
naundang sad iyang pagpamaligya kay wa nay namalit niya kay nasakpan namo nga nangilad ra diay
siya.

“Mao gyod ni ang mga piso sa Ibong Adarna, Nang?” nako nga naggunit sa mga sinsilyo,
andam na nga mopalit sa mga piso.

“O, Dong! Unsa man imo ganahan nga kolor? Kining blue? Feyngk?”

“Hoy! Emman!” tingog gikan sa iyang klasmeyt nga si Cris. “Mopalit diay kag pangbabaye?
Bayota nimo, uy!”

Wa koy natubag. Nangurog akong mga tuhod. Ang akong kakuryoso ining mistikanhong
langgam daling nawala ug nailisdan kinig kalagot. Midagan ko padung luyo sa karaang laybrari ug
misugod og hilak, samtang naggunit sa piso. Bayota nimo, uy!

Samtang nagkupot kos piso, dungog kaayo ang huyong pagsiyap niini tungod sa kamingaw sa
lugar. Kalit nga may nadungog ko nga ngiyaw sa iring. Sa akong pagtutok sa mabulokong piso,
mipaduol sab ang itom nga iring nga napuno sa muta ug may dakong kugan sa liogang bahin niini. Di
nako matino kon gutom ba kini o may dakong kalagot lang gyod sa kalibotan. Ug sa way pagduha-
duha, giitsa nako ang piso. Mikusog ang pagsiyap. Way duda nga nakamatikod kini sa peligro. Inanayng
nagpaduol ang iring-itom. Mingarab. Ug didto. Mihilom ang pagsiyap sa piso. Mihilom ang pagngiyaw.
Mihilom pod ang palibot hangtod giputol kini sa pagtingog sa bagtingan sa tunghaan.

Gibiyaan ang gamayng Adarna nga naputol sa duha. Ang asul nga balahibo niini namansahan
sa puwa. Bayota nimo, uy!

Mi-cutting class ko sa mga klase sa hapon aron lang ilubong ang piso human kong nakigdungan
og paniudto ni Rex, nga alang nako nga usa sab ka mahuyang. Di malalis iyang kabuang ug kagusto sa
kano nga namaligyang munchkin sa may ganghaan sa tunghaan. Aron malikayan kining pagbiay-biay sa
bagis nakong mga klasmeyt, misaad kos akong kaugalingon: di na mopalit og duwaang pangbabaye.
Gibutangan dayon nako kinig kuros ug mihatag sad sa ikaduhang saad: mobisita sa piso kada adlaw sa
mga patay.
NAHUROT DAYON NI DON-DON ang pancit canton sa usa lang ka pamilok. Midig-ab ug
mireklamo siya sa kahalang dayon gikuha ang tisirt aron trapohan iyang singot sa iyang agtang ug
dughan. Nanaghoy dayon daw nanawag og hangin sa igang namong balay.

Gidunolan nako siyag bugnawng tubig, ug sa iyang pagdawat miingon siya, “Kaybaw ko asa
makakitag Red Devil.” Dayon mipahiyom. Mihalang kalit akong ngabil. Ambot ngano. Wa man unta
ko mitilaw sa pancit. “Ganahan ka mokuyog nako?”

“Ugma?” Paspas ko nga nakatubag. “Sure ka makakita ta? Sure gyod ka nga imo ko kuyogon?”

Misanong siya ug gisimhot iyang ilok. “Kon di ka, puyde ra ka magduwag munyeka nga papel
kuyog ni Ling-ling.”

“DI KO! DI KO, UY.” Naigking kos akong kaugalingong tubag. Aduna koy nahinumdoman.
“Kuyog ko nimo,” dungag nako. “Di ko makigduwa nila. Ug di ko moduwag inyo ana, uy! Nabuang
na.” Nagmahilomon si Don-don. Iyang gibutang iyang tisirt sa iyang abaga. “Apan, wa pa ko kasuway
nga milakawg layo. Masuko unya si Mama. Apan, suwayan nako. Mokuyog ko nimo.”

“Buyno,” mipaduol siya nako. Tataw na ang gagmayng lungag-lungag sa iyang nawong tungod
sa bugasbugas, apan nawahing man akong panan-aw ug didto kini mitutok sa iyang balahibo sa ilok
daw nipis nga mga bagon nga buot mogawas. Aduna na say nanubong balhibo sa iyang dughan. Ang
kahalang sa akong ngabil, miagay-gay padulong sa tutonlan. Di ko makatutok sa iyang mga mata.
Misuway kog tulon sa akong laway. Nabati nako ang kabakikaw sa panghitabo. Didto na lang ko
mitutok sa daw duha ka mga mata sa iyang maskuladong dughan. “Magkita na lang ta ika ugma sa
buntag.” Iyang ginhawa, halang ug isog.

“Basta ma-makakita lang gyod tag R-red Devil.”

MIABOT SI DON-DON alas otso sa buntag nga may dala nga bag.

Sa wa pako kabiya sa balay, naigking ko sa pagkita nako ni Nanay nga naa sa kusina nga
nanghugas sa mga plato. Ang sawg, nalampasuan na. Wa nay bagang abog sa mga jalousie.

“Molakaw na ka?” niya. “Unsa man sad ka orasa mouli?”

“Mobalik ra dayon ko, Nay.” Migawas ko sa balay. Di nako matino akong gibati, apan nalipay
ko nga nahibalik na si Nanay, ug limpiyo na pod ang balay.

Sa unang higayon, nakakita ko ni Don-don nga limpiyo. Kanang limpiyo nga bag-o lang
migawas sa banyo human naligog usa ka oras. Wa man say makabasol nako kay pirmi man gyod hamos
iyang nawong. Pamilyar ang iyang baho: Safeguard nga blue.

“Ta na?”
 Way duha-duha ang akong pagsanong. Andam na sad akong gamayng bag. Nagdala kog
payong. Nagdala kog tubig. Ug ang Good Morning towel naas akong buko-buko daw Superman nga
puti ang kapa.

Maglisod gihapon kog tutok niya samtang nagpadayon siyag sugid sa iyang pangaplag didtos
kabukiran, sa iyang pagkatagak gikan sa labing habog nga punuan nga iyang gituohang kataposan na
unta sa iyang kinabuhi ug sa makalilisang nga panghitabo kadtong nakakita siyag tulo nga way nawong
nga diwata. Matod niya sila daw ang nagpanalipod sa mga suba. Nagsanong-sanong ra sad ko aron di
siya makaingon nga mawala ko usahay sa pokus. Pasanginli ang pagtilap sa iyang ngabil matag karon
ug unya samtang nagpadayon siyag saysay sa iyang mga sugilanon sa kinabuhi. Apan, sa kataposang
bahin sa iyang makalingaw nga mga kasinatian, di siya makalimot nga ang akong kahilwasan maoy
iyang seguradohon. “Salig lang nako. Akoy bahala nimo.”

“Ay, bantay lang ka. Tingay ika uli nako, natunga na akong lawas o wa na kos akong saktong
pangisip kay imo ko gidala sa tulo ka diwata.”

Kadtong nag-abot na gyod ang among mga mata. “Pa-Pangitaon na ko ni N-Nanay.

Kinahanglang makaybaw ka nga manglung-ag pa ko.”

“Ikaw ba, bisag unsa na lang gyod na imong gihunahuna.” Dayon mikatawa ug gipikpik atong
abaga dayon hinayng gikumot.

“Wa lagi nay muscles, uy. Layo ra nas imo.”

“Awa, o! Morag manga.” Iyang gisaka ang bukton sa tisirt ug gipagahi iyang bihol. “Gahi pa
nis bato.” Iyang gilabtik-labtikan. Gikuha nako ang Good Morning towel sa akong buko-buko ug
gitrapohan akong gisingot nga agtang.

“Pausla ko, bi!” Gikuha ang toalya ug mitrapo sad siyas iyang liogan ug dughan. “Salamat.”
Giuli nako ug mipadayog lakaw.

Gisimhot nako ang toalya. Wa ko kasabot sa baho. Apan, humot. Miagbay dayon siya nako
kadtong naapas na nako ang iyang kusog nga paglakaw. “Paabota god ko,” nako samtang akong wang
abaga nagdikit sa iyang kiliran. Iyang kamot anaa gihapon sa pikas abaga. Bug-at kini, apan gaan sa
pamati.

Wa ko nakamatikod dayon nga miagi diay mi sa laing rota, o tingali, agianan gihapon ni nga
karon pa nako nasuwayan. Milabay mig usa ka tunghaan sa elementarya ug gamayng kapilya ni San
Antonio de Padua. “Mga bata,” matod sa katekista nga naas sulod sa kapilya. “Adunay higayon nga
kamo mawala. Apan, ayaw ninyo kalimti nga kon mag-ampo mos Labawng Makagagahom, makit-an
ra mo ug makit-an ninyo balik inyong kaugalingon. Si San Antonio kay usa na siya ka santos sa nawala
nga mga taw ug mga butang...”

“Hoy! Ari na.” Gitawag kong Don-don. “Init na kaayo.”

 “Taymsa god.” Midagan aron maapsan si Don-don.

“Morag di lagi ta moadtog bukid, Don?”

“Miagi tas laing dan, Emman. Mao ni ang labing sayon ug dali.”

“Puyde magpahulay sa ta?”

Milingo-lingo siya. “Ganahan ka alsahon na lang tika?”

“Ha? Ayaw, ayaw, uy. Unsa ko kimpang?”

“Bugal-bugalon, ay! Makagaba ra ba na.

“Aw, sori na god.”

Milakaw siya paingon sa kamaisan ug misinyas nga mosunod niya. Ang kainit sa udto misugod
og pahit sa akong anit ug tangkugo. Dali-dali kong misunod niya, nahadlok nga di na unya siya makit-
an tungod sa ka baga sa mga dahon sa mga mais. Lagsik akong paglakaw tungod sa kainit ug kakatol
nas akong bukton ug bitiis tungod sa mga dahon niini. Milingi siya nako ug mipahiyom. “Hinay lag
lakaw. Taymsa.” Buot na unta ko moreklamo ug mobalik na sa amoa apan akoa man sad ning desisyon
nga mokuyog kay lagi buot ko nga makaangkon na og Red Devil. “Paabota ko, Don, uy! Katola diri,
uy. Ari gyod ta moagi para makakitag Red Devil?” Mihunong ko kay nakamatikod ko nga morag way
padulngan ang akong pagsunod-sunod niya.

“O. Naay Red Devil diri.”

“Bantay lagi ka. Ingon baya ka ato nga Mais-mais ra nga kaka ang makit-an sa kamaisan.”

“Dira ka nasayop, ‘man.” Hinay niyang tubag ug inanayng nagpaduol nako. “Ingon baya ko
nga naay Red Devil diri, sa?”

Misanong ko. Iyang gibutang iyang bag sa yuta.

“Asa?”

“Ganahan ka makakitag Red Devil?”

Misanong ko. Ug mikalit siyag kuot sa ubos, gibuhanghang ang karsones. “Nara ang Red Devil,
‘man, o!” Dayon gikuha akong kamot. “Dakpa, ‘man!”

Red Devil. Wa ko kasabot sa akong gibati. Buot unta nakong buhian kini apan way bahin sa
akong lawas ang buot molihok. Molihok palayo. Red Devil. “Dako kay ang Red Devil, ‘man, sa?”
Gitutokan ra nako kini samtang ang akong kamot nagpadayon og gunit sa kaka. Red Devil. Red Devil.
Ang akong mga luha wala mitulo.

“Ingon bitaw ko adunay Red Devil diri.”

 “M-molakaw na ko, D-Don!” Ug midagan ko.

“HOY! Emman! Taymsa.” Midagan ko. Red Devil. Wa ko kaybaw asa padulong apan nagpadayon
kos akong pagdagan. Basta. Midagan ra ko. Dungog nako ang tingog ni Don-don. Kaybaw ko nga
nagsunod ra siya nako. Wa na ko kasabot sa kainit sa panahon. Nalipong na ko. Apan, nagpadayon
kos akong pagdagan. Red Devil. Init kini. Dako kay ang Red Devil, ‘man, sa? Wa ko kaybaw asa moagi.
Naa na ba kay Red Devil, Kuya? Nangurog ang akong mga tuhod. Mihunong ko. Gahi. Ang kaka.

KADTONG GRADE 5 PA KO, way laing hanas nga mosag-ulo sa mga parte sa reproductive
system sa lalaki, ako ra gyod. Testicles. Scrotum. Penis. Urethra. Prostate Gland. Ako kining gibalik-balik.
Way sayop. Kaybaw gyod kaayo ko ini. Kon makahigayon, ako kining drowingon sa luyo sa mga tally
sheet sa Jai alai gikan sa akong lola kon walay klase. Karon, lain na man ang mosulod sa akong ulo.

“Emman, ganina ra ka sigeg hugas sa imong kamot,” ni Nanay. “Husto na na. Kaon na. Awa god
na imong bukobuko singot kaayo.”

“O, Nay.” Wala na nawala sa akong hunahuna ang kinatawo ni Don-don. Penis. Scrotum.

“Asa man diay ka gikan? Wa man ka miulig sayo.”

“Nasaag ra ko, Nay. Gibiyaan kong Don-don god.” Iyang Red Devil, daghang kasway. Scrotum.

“Na, naa na sad ka anang kaka. Ug si Don-don pa gyod imong kuyog. Abi ba nako buotan tong
bataa.”

Misaka ko. Wala pa gihapon gisirad-an ni Nanay ang aparador. Dugay ko katulog adtong gabhi-
ona. Ug sa mga higayong makatulog ko, ang akong mga damgo: red devil. Dagkong mga red devil.
Daghang kasway nga mga red devil. Tambokong mga kasway. Ug makamata ko nga maghilak. Dili,
dili, magdanguyngoy.

MISAKA KO. Gisirad-an na ni Nanay ang aparador. Sa unang higayon nadunggan nako siya nga
naglalay sa kaugalingon samtang gisudlayan iyang buhok. Mipadayon kog lahos sa akong kuwarto.
Gisirad-an ang pultahan. Mipiyong ko apan dili gyod mawala sa akong hunahuna ang kintawo ni Don-
don nga iyang gipahikap nako. Ug sa unang higayon, wa ko kasabot sa akong gibati. Init akong pamati.
Adunay gustong mogawas nga kaka sa akong yagpis nga bayanan.

Gikuha nako ang gamayng botilya nga adunay mantika ilawom sa akong higdaanan. Tapad kinis
mga nuog. Gihapuhap nakog sugod ang akong kaugalingon gamit ang akong mantikaong kamot.

Sa akong huna-huna, si Don-don. Sa akong huna-huna, ang Red Devil.

Red Devil

[Translated by the Author]

SUMMER HAD ARRIVED when you saw the kites plying the skies and these became the
celebrities of the afternoon that would keep dancing like the flaglets that festoon the streets on
fiestas. Summer had arrived when the children in the neighborhood would swiftly go to the wide
clearing under the grove of mango trees, forgetting breakfast as the craving to play with marbles and
bato-lata could no longer be staved off. And most of all, the clearest signal of summer was Don-
don’s arrival in our sitio, with him the spiders for sale.

Don-don would start selling his spiders, dishing out tall stories on his calamitous misadventures
in capturing them in the foothills. All of us would gather around him, as if Jesus had come, to listen
to his fables about the hills.

Who would not be enraptured as he started spinning the tales of his experiences? He was one of
the persons with a captivating voice in our village. I suppose he was second only to Noy Dante, the
taho vendor at dawn, or to Inday Cecil, the seller of banana cue when she approached the bingo
players. Where did he find his voice, I wondered. Probably from watching kengkoy movies or he
must have inherited it from his father who was a dispatcher and vendor of candies and water at
Colon.

When he started telling stories about his spiders, the words that he used would become sacred
as if they had come from the Bible, words that we could not laugh off. His words sounded truer
than those of the story of the great worldwide flood or God’s creation of the first human being. He
sugarcoated each story, and his facial expression enlivened his experiences at the foot of the hills.

It was difficult to forget the names of his spiders:

a) Mais-mais – this was usually found in the cornfields, it usually hid and concealed itself among
the cobwhiskers, its color was normally yellow; this should not be placed inside matchboxes the
entire day because it would lose consciousness as it battled against another spider.
 b) Black Knight - it was black, as implied by its name. Most of these spiders bit their owners. Aw,
the owners could kill it instantly by stomping on it with a foot or by drowning it. It did not sell
well.
c) Wan-tu-tri - this spider was good in math. It moved like a robot but it could answer math
questions in assignments. If it got tired in answering math, you would need to blow your breath
on it several times so that it would get drowsy and sleep. When it awakened, it could answer again.
d) Red Devil - the bestseller of the spiders because of its fierceness. Its legs were long, red-
colored, and it liked to drink milk placed on a ball of cotton. Don-don had once told me secretly:
let it drink Alpine. It did not like Nido at all.

I had already bought Don-don’s Marka Tuldok, the spider that had a period mark on its
stomach, and Marka Espada, the spider that had the shape of a sword on its stomach (these two
spiders were killed when I left the matchboxes containing them on the table and they were eaten by
ants.)

The last remaining spider I had not yet acquired was the Red Devil.

“Uy! Please come here, you, my friends. I have new spiders,’” he shouted while his muscled
arms were waving in the air. Ling-ling immediately left behind her paper dolls and she pulled her
younger brother Dodong-Himi. A few minutes later, her younger brother cried as he had left behind
his rubber bands. “This I got near the stream,” said Don-don.

From afar, I could see his wide shoulders like the wings of birds that patrol the fields. His body
used to be slim but this time it had become statuesque. Probably because he was the eldest among
his all-sister siblings. So he could not help but work. I heard that he brought water to households so
he could make some money and he also would help carry sacks of rice with his father in the city.
Despite this, his body was well-formed. It was not difficult to liken his body to those of models in
black and white photographs at the beauty salon in the adjacent village.

“Emman!” he called me out and smiled. His presence was clearer now: thin beard, blue shirt
that obviously had not been ironed, and had some stains, and salt-smeared by the chest and armpits.
There was thick dirt on his right earlobe that threatened to take over the fake black earring. His
hand carried a plastic bag full of matchboxes. “I have new spiders.”

“Let me see it, let me see it!” Ling-ling said as she tiptoed to see what was inside the matchbox.

“This is not for girls, uy!” he replied, then he looked at me. “Where is your mother?”

How many times had he asked that question every time he came over? How many times had I
answered him, “She is inside her room.”

“May I come to your house? Your mother won’t get angry when I get there, will she?”

“Ha? No, she won’t. You had been to our house before.”
AS SOON AS HE CAME IN, Don-don immediately sat on the sofa, took off his salt-smeared shirt,
and then lay on the sofa, placing his two arms at the back of his head. I stared right at his taut chest
that shone with sweat. A thousand dust motes rose from the sofa. These kept dancing around him.
I took a glimpse of the hairs on his body: at the armpits, on the nipples, on his thighs and legs, on
the stomach. It was ecstatic to glimpse these. Including those near the protrusion below the mid-hip.

“Would you like to see my spider?” he whispered while he closed his eyes. His voice sank into
my insides. I did not reply. “Ay, only later.” His eyes remained closed.

I left him and went to Nanay’s room upstairs. The door was open and I saw Nanay staring still
at the open aparador, while her hand was on her chest as if she was struggling to keep her heart from
falling onto the floor.

“Nanay, Kuya Don-don is here. The vendor of spiders. Is it okay?”

It had been three months since Nanay left the aparador open. This was opened when Tatay left
the house because he went with the neighbor that sold budbud. That dawntime, Nanay caught Papa
and Manang Vergie, when Nanay went down to bring the arenola back to the toilet. Nanay saw
clearly that Manang was holding Papa’s penis while they were seated on the sofa. The events
happened quickly. Nanay threw away the arenola! Next, she opened the aparador and threw away his
clothes, but these Papa did not gather. Silently, he took the TV and CD player that had just come
from Dubai. And he also got a pair of shoes.

Nanay decided to burn all his clothes in the yard where she usually burned dry nangka leaves to
drive away the mosquitoes. This time, the smoke from the burning clothes was used to drive away
Papa. It was most effective.

“Do you want pancit canton?” I asked as I showed him the chili and seafood flavored noodles.

“Yes, I’d like the spicy one. Include an egg.”

I nodded and started to cook the pancit canton. “Do you have a Red Devil, Kuya?”

It took him a while to answer me. “I did not find any Red Devil this time. But I’ve got Mais-
mais and Wan-tu-tri.”

“A, is that so? That is good as I need to have someone memorize the multiplication table.”
Then I laughed and accidentally hit the bottle of cooking oil. It spilled. “Sorry.” My hands became
oily as I wiped the countertop with worn-out washcloth.

Don-don’s laughter echoed loudly. “You’re so clumsy, Emman.”

Silence. “Why do you need a spider to help you with math.” he added to cut the silence. “A, the
multiplication table is easy.”
 My throat went dry when he winked at me. ‘‘Wh-when can you bring a Red Devil? I really wish
to own your fiercest spider, Kuya, uy!”

“I still do not know when I will be able to find one,” he said as he spread his legs and placed
both on the table. ‘A, wait a while. Are you graduating?”

“Probably, if I won’t fail the subject under Miss Sumbilon. Is it nice to graduate?”

“What?”

“To graduate and to become older.”

“I do not know. I have not experienced graduation. Why?”

“Nothing. Come, let us eat.”

I GREW UP PLAYING with tops. The boys in our school were addicted to playing tops until they
stopped because the toy’s nail had dug into the back of Bay Jun-jun, the school principal’s son. The
girls were keen on buying chicks of various colors from Manang Asyon. But she also stopped selling
when no one would buy from her anymore after we found out that she’d been fooling us.

“These are the chicks of Ibong Adarna, Nang” I asked, in my hand some coins, ready to buy
some chicks.

“Yes, Dong! what color do you want? This blue? Feyngk?’’

“Hoy! Emman!” a familiar voice. His classmate, Cris. “You buy girls’ toys? You’re so bayot, uy!”

I did not answer. My knees shook. My curiosity over these mystical birds disappeared and anger
took over. I ran toward the back of the old library and began to cry, while still holding on to the
chick. You are so bayot, uy!

While I was holding the chick, I could hear its soft chirping as the surroundings were quiet. I
suddenly heard a cat’s meowing. As I stared at the colorful chick, a gunk-eyed black cat and with
two huge scabs by its neck arrived. I could not determine whether it was hungry or was just angry at
the world. And with nary a doubt, I threw the chick at the cat. Its chirping grew louder. Without
doubt, it had sensed danger. The black cat slowly came nearer. It yawned. And there. The chick
stopped chirping. The meowing stopped. The surroundings grew quiet as well until the quiet was
broken by the ringing of the school bell.

I left behind the small Adarna that was split into two. Its blue feathers were smeared with red.
You are so bayot, uy!

I cut classes in the afternoon so I could bury the chick after I had lunch with Rex, with whom I
was fon, for he was also a sissy. Everyone knew how he had fallen head over heels in love with the
Kano who sold doughnuts outside the school gate. To duck from the fierce blows of bullies among
my classmates, I promised myself never to buy any toys for girls. I placed a cross over the mound
where I buried the chick and made another promise: I would visit the chick every All Souls’ Day.

DON-DON QUICKLY FINISHED eating the pancit canton. He burped and complained about its
spiciness and immediately uased his shirt to wipe away the sweat gathering on his brow and chest.
He was whistling, as if to call for the wind to come into our airless house.

I gave him a glass of cold water, and as he took the glass, he said, “I know where to catch a Red
Devil,” and then he smiled. My lips felt hot instantly. I did not know why. I had not eaten the pancit.
‘‘Would you like to come with me?’’

“Tomorrow?” I answered instantly, “Are you sure we can find one? Are you sure you want me
to come with you?”

He replied yes, as he smelled his armpit. “If you do not want to come, you can play with dolls
together with Ling-ling.”

“I won’t! I won’t, uy.” I was shocked by my own answer. I remembered something. “I will go
with you,” I added. “I won’t play with them. And I won’t play with dolls. That’s crazy.” Quietly,
Don-don placed his shirt over his shoulders. “But I have not tried to walk far. Mama might get
angry. But I will try. I will go with you.”

“Bueno,” he said as he moved closer toward me. I could see clearly the small craters on his face
in the aftermath of acne, but my sight was riveted to the whiskers in the armpits, which looked like
vines wanting to escape. There were also hairs on his chest. The spiciness on my lips flowed to my
throat. I could not bear to look at his eyes. I tried to swallow saliva. The situation was getting
awkward. I concentrated on the two eye-like things on his muscled chest. “Let us meet at 7 o’clock
tomorrow morning.” His breath was strong and spicy.

“As long as we will find the R-red Devil.”

Don-don arrived with a bag at 8 in the morning.

Before I left home, I was surprised to find Nanay in the kitchen washing the plates. The floor
had been polished. The dust on the jalousies had been wiped.

“Are you leaving?” she asked. “And what time will you be back this time?”

“I will return immediately, Nay.” I left the house. I could not understand what I was feeling, but
I was glad that Nanay was back, and the house was clean again.

For the first time, I saw a clean-looking Don-don. He had that kind of cleanliness that meant
had just stepped out of the bathroom after having taken a bath for an hour. No one can blame me
for thinking this because most of the time he was grimy. The smell was familiar: blue Safeguard
soap.

“Let’s go!”

I answered without any doubt. I came ready with ra small bag. I bought along an umbrella. I
also had water. And the Good Morning towel on my back was like Superman’s white cape.

I still found it difficult to look at him directly in the eyes while he narrated how he had been
capturing spiders in the hills, including that one time he had fallen from the tallest tree and thought
he would die and the terrifying instant when he saw three faceless diwatas. According to him, these
nymphs protected the rivers. I kept on nodding my head so that he would not know that I had lost
interest. Blame it on his tongue lapping on his lips as he kept on telling the stories of his life. But the
best part was that, toward the end of his storytelling, he did not forget to assure me. “Trust me. I
will take care of you.”

“Ay, be careful. In case you will return me home with my body cut into two, or I would have
lost my mind because you brought me before the three diwatas.”

And then our eyes met. I muttered, “My Na-Nanay is already lo-looking for me. You must
know that I have to cook rice.”

“The trouble with you, you have plenty of things on your mind.” Then, he laughed and reached
out for my shoulder, and softly pressed it.

“Unlike you I do not have muscles.”

“Aw, that’s alright. They’re like mangoes.” He raised the sleeves of his shirt and showed off his
hardened muscles. “This is harder than a rock.” He flicked his fingers repeatedly. I pulled the Good
Morning towel from my back and wiped the sweat on my brow with it.

“Lend me that one, bi!” He got the towel and also wiped his armpit and chest with it. He gave
the towel back to me and continued to walk.

I smelled the towel. I could not understand the smell. But it smelled fragrant. He placed his
arms around my shoulders when I finally caught up with him as he walked faster. “Please wait for
me,” I said as my shoulders grazed his side. His hand was still on my shoulder. His hand was heavy
but it was light to my touch.

I did not realize soon that we had detoured to a different route, or the pathway was still the
same but I had not been here before. We passed by a small schoolhouse and the chapel of San
Antonio de Padua. “Children,” said the catechist inside the chapel. “There are times when you get
lost. Please do not forget that when you pray to the Most Powerful, you will be found. San Antonio
is the patron saint of lost things…”

“Hoy, let’s go.” Don-don called me out. “It’s getting hot.”

 ‘‘Wait,” I ran to keep pace with Don-don.

“Looks like we are not going to the hills, Don.”

“We are going through a different route. This is the easiest route.”

“Can we rest a while?”

He shook his head. “Would you like me to carry you instead?”

“Ha? No, no, I do not want to be carried. Am I a cripple?”

“Don’t vilify the cripple. You will beget gaba from them.”

“Ay, sorry.”

He went into the cornfield and signaled me to follow him. The noonday sun had begun to sting
at the back of my neck. I hurried after him, fearing that I would not be able to see him amid the
thick corn leaves. I walked fast, but my legs and hands were itchy because of the leaves. He looked
back at me and said, “Just walk slowly. Wait a while.” I wanted to turn around and go back home
but this had been my decision. I decided to go with him because I really wanted to acquire a Red
devil. “Wait for me, Don. It’s so itchy here. Must we pass this way to get the Red Devil?” I stopped
following him because I realized that we were going nowhere.

“Yes. There is a Red Devil here.”

“You better watch out. You used to tell me only the Mais-mais is found in the cornfields.”

“You are wrong there, ‘man.” He answered, whispering as he went near me. “Did I not tell you
that the Red Devil is found here?”

I nodded my head. He placed his bag on the ground.

“Where?”

‘Would you want to see the Red Devil?”

I nodded again. And he quickly drew from his below, opened the buttons of his pants. “Here is
the Red Devil, o! Then, he got my hand. “Go catch it, ‘man!”

Red Devil. I could not understand what I felt. I wanted to stop holding it but not a single part
of my body could move. Could not move to escape. Red Devil. “The Red Devil is huge, isn’t it,
‘man?” I just stared at it as my hand kept on holding the spider. Red Devil. Red Devil. My tears
would not flow.

“I told you there is a Red Devil here.”

 “I need to leave, Don.” And I ran away.

“Hoy! Emman! Wait.” I ran away. Red Devil. I did not know where to go but I kept on running.
Away. Basta. I just ran away. I could hear Don-don’s voice. I knew he was running behind me. I
could not understand the heat of the day. I was fainting. But still, I kept on running. Red Devil. It
was hot. “The Red Devil is huge, man , sa?” I did not know which way to go. “Have you found the Red
Devil, Kuya?” My knees were shaking. I stopped running. Hard. The spider.

WHEN I WAS IN GRADE 5, no one else but me could memorize the parts of the male
reproductive system. Testicles. Scrotum. Penis. Urethra. Prostate. Gland. I would repeat them over
and over. No errors. I knew them all. When I had time during non-school days, I would be drawing
these at the back of my grandmother’s jai-alai tally sheet. But now something different was inside my
head.

“Emman, you have been washing your hands for a long time already,” said Nanay. “‘That’s
enough. Go eat. Look at your back, you are sweating a lot.”

“Yes, Nanay.” Don-don’s organ could not be erased from my mind. Penis. Scrotum.

“Where have you been? You did not come home earlier.”

“I got lost, Nay. Because Don-don left me behind.” His Red Devil had many whiskers.
Scrotum.

“There you go with those spiders. And your companion was Don-don. I thought he is a good
boy.”

I went upstairs. Nanay had still not closed the aparador. I had difficulty sleeping that night. And
whenever I fell asleep, I dreamt: red devil. Large red devil spiders. Its legs were countless. Thick-
legs. And I always woke up crying. No, no, weeping.

I WENT UPSTAIRS. Nanay had already closed the aparador. For the first time, I heard her
humming to herself as she combed her hair. I went to my own room. I closed its door. I closed my
eyes but I could still see Don-don’s penis that he told me to touch. And for the first time, I could
not understand my feelings. Something spidery wanted to come out from my own thin matchbox-
self.

I got the small bottle of cooking oil under my bed. It was right next to the cleaning rugs. I
started to touch myself using my oily hands.

In my mind was Don-don. In my mind, the Red Devil.