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Friday, March 28, 2003
Flavier: Airplane trip
By Juan Flavier
COMMENTARY
THE FARMER had two dreams since childhood. One was to see Manila and the other to ride an airplane.
He was born in a remote barrio in the far south. Even just the town he visited only twice. By hitchhiking part way, he was able to reach the provincial capital.
But Manila was something else. That would take two days by ship and two full hours by jet plane. This was not the problem. It was the prohibitive cost of the fare that hindered him. He attempted to save money but somehow inflation invariably caught up with the airfare.
Then he got married. When the children came in quick succession, his income from rice and corn farming could hardly cover their basic needs. His savings for the dream trip to Manila had to be used for the educational fund of the growing children.
Reluctantly, he decided to give up the dream. He instead concentrated on his children. By educating them, perhaps one of them could afford his trip someday.
He poured his energy into farming. He studied modern system of rice and corn growing. In so doing, he produced the highest rice yield in the region.
To his surprise and shock, he was selected the year’s most outstanding farmer in the region. He was understandably happy. But he became ecstatic when he learned that his prize was an all-expense paid air trip to Manila during the awarding the awarding rites.
The farmer got the notice two months before the actual awards. The wait was agonizing. He could not sleep, thinking of the plane ride. And he imagined the sights in Manila he only heard being described by others: tall buildings, busy streets, lights at night, etc.
Days seemed not to move. Nights were stationary. Morning did not come until his weary mind got numb. He tried on his new barong tagalog, heavily embroidered for the special occasion.
But a day before his trip, he was downed with excruciating pain in the right lower quadrant of his abdomen. This was followed by high fever and vomiting. “Lintek na buhay!” he cursed. “Why are you doing this to me, God? If I miss the trip, I will never forgive you.”
Against his will, he had to be hospitalized and operated on. When he woke up from the anesthesia, he cursed and bewailed God’s cruelty.
Until he was informed of a tragedy the previous day. The airplane he was supposed to take had crashed, killing everyone on board.
(Juan Flavier writes for Sun.Star Baguio)
(March 28, 2003 issue)
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