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Friday, January 23, 2004
Flavier: Father
By Juan Flavier
COMMENTARY
The farmer prided himself for being hard working and smart. He liked the label listo used by others to describe him. Listo meant alert but also connoted being manipulative, or being a sly operator.
The farmer owned two hectares of land, which he got after the mortgage arrangements lapsed.
This happened because a few years back, the original owner needed money for the hospital needs of his wife. The farmer loaned the amount with the piece of land as collateral. A deed of sale was prepared stipulating that the land was considered sold if repayment was not made in 90 days.
Thus, the farmer suddenly found himself the owner of two hectares for the unpaid loan at one-tenth of the real market value.
“Is that proper, Father?” asked his teenage son. “It appears unjust.”
“It is perfectly legal,” answered the farmer. “Ganyan talaga ang buhay. Ang marunong ay sumusulong.” Marunong literally meant wise or intelligent. But it also connoted being street smart.
When the farmer was found to be delinquent in paying real estate tax for his property, he went to see the assessor. All was settled without a problem.
“How did you do it, Father?” the son asked.
“Easy,” he said with an air of pride. “Ayos, lagay, at lakad lang ang kailangan. Ganyan talaga ang buhay.”
In time, the teenage boy entered college. His grades were not good enough. But somehow his father managed to save him.
“How did you get me in, Father?”
The farmer replied: “Abilidad, anak. Ganyan talaga and buhay.”
Things went well for a while. Then one day, the teenager returned home with the sad news of his expulsion from school.
“What happened?” the father asked.
“I was caught cheating in our final examination, Father. So I was expelled. I can never go back to school.”
“What a great shame,” shouted the farmer. “My son being expelled! What a shame to the family. What have I done to deserve such treatment? You are so ungrateful. With all the things I have done for you, is this any way to repay me?”
(Juan Flavier writes for Sun.Star Baguio)
(January 23, 2004 issue)
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