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Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Flavier: The parable of the shy farmer
By Juan Flavier
THE farmer was a most unobtrusive person. If he had his way, he would rather not talk to nor be seen by anyone. His daily cycle of activities was simple. In the morning, he went to his farm where he worked alone through the day. Before nightfall, he returned home. By 9 p.m. he was asleep.
He did not even have a best friend. When neighbors passed by, he would acknowledge their greetings with a smile. But that was all. Invitations to social events were all disregarded.
The slightest attention turned towards him was cause for great discomfort. He was happiest being alone to tend plants, read or simply listen to the radio.
On rare occasions, he would grudgingly go to town. These were the times when the middlemen failed to pick up his produce. Not wanting to see his crops go to waste, he brought the vegetables to town for direct marketing.
It was one of those days, the farmer found himself in the market place. He always quickly disposed of his produce. Haggling was something he did not relish. He hated even the slightest confrontation and detested bargaining with the wily vendors.
As he left the main market building, he felt a strong urge to relieve his urinary bladder. There was no toilet in sight. He decided to go to the side of the market. The farmer checked around for any soul in sight. When he saw the coast was clear, he urinated on the building wall.
Before he could finish, a policeman suddenly grabbed him roughly on the collar. The loud and shrill police whistle called the attention of many vendors and other townspeople.
The policeman made a big show of his catch by forcibly pulling the farmer to the front of the marketplace. An even bigger crowd formed.
"This man urinated on the wall of our market. That is against the law. We have numerous signs to remind everyone. And yet, this man deliberately ignored the warnings," the policemen hollered.
The farmer was extremely humiliated. He wanted to evaporate into thin air. His face was flushed like a ripe tomato as he perspired feverishly.
Out of shame, he decided to move and live in the adjoining province. It took him years to get over the incident. When he finally outlived the embarrassment, he decided to return to his hometown. He was sure everyone else had forgotten the humiliating experience as well.
As the farmer walked along the main road by the town market, he marveled at the newly paved road.
"When did the government finally pave this dirt road?" he asked a bystander.
The man replied, "Oh, the roadwork started a week after you were caught urinating on the wall of the market." |
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