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Sunday, February 22, 2004
Luab: So much can still be shared
By Evelyn R. Luab
Lightsunday
There was a time when I left for Manila and my set of clothes was limited to three. I had one pair of shoes and the minimum of cosmetics. Once one set got dirty, it was easy to have it laundered.
Because an emergency arose, I had to go straight to the hills from the airport with the same set of clothes. This realization dawned on me when I opened my luggage but it was really no big deal. We had free flowing water, soap and sunshine up in the hills.
While emergency work had to be done in the kitchen, I got to observe the ways of my tenant and neighbor. What I noticed amazed me. Both were very practical.
Our jackfruit gave us something to do while waiting for the repairs to be done. We ripped off the edible part which was very sweet. The seeds were selected. Those that were good planting material were separated. The rejects were cooked for food.
Merienda for them is not a routinary thing. So when I gave four pieces of pan de sal with palaman I noticed that our three field workers only ate two pieces. When I told them I had more for the afternoon snack they answered. “Sakto naman ang duha day. Dili man kinahanglan nga mabusog gyud and tawo. Karon nasad ning hapon!” (Two pieces for each one of us is enough. It is not necessary for man to be fully satisfied. These other two pieces are good for this afternoon.” My heart went into a nosedive. To think that when we go out to eat we waste so much food and so many of us gorge with no thought of later.
Another incident woke me up to their ways. I sent back Dita (our tenant) to the house to get straw.
I needed to tie the plastic covers of the cacao fruits to dissuade man and insects alike from getting the fruits. In less than two minutes she came back bringing lopis (the brown outer covering of our banana stem). It served our purpose well.
Dita then excused herself to make pais. I didn’t know what it meant so I asked. She said she would get the gills and the intestines of the fish, put salt on it, wrap her cencoction in a banana leaf and then put it on the dying embers on our earthen stove. Curious, I followed. After a time I saw her feed our cats and dog with her pais. They enjoyed it. To think that we throw away our fish gills and intestines.
My neighbor has so many hens and roosters roaming all over her place. I asked her how do you keep track of them? She answered, “I don’t I just call them home by feeding them once a day. I feed them to make them come home. In the daytime they fend for themselves.”
Again, I was curious. “Are you not afraid that they would die or someone would steal them?”
Her answer was a classic. “ As long as I get eggs for breakfast and a chicken now and then for food, I don’t bother worrying too much about them otherwise I will go crazy. If the deadly atay (a chicken disease) attacks my chickens then I am able not to go hysterical over them. I just enjoy watching them come home. Besides she added, I really don’t need much! After her explanation, I turned to our hens and roosters. I’ve been worrying over our 10 chicks. They are so cute.
Whenever they go out in the morning, I watch in trepidation as they come back home at dusk. I’m a natural worrier! My neighbor had better sense.
Now let’s take a look at us. We work and we work so hard. We store and we store for the future. Even if our children are all grown up and have husbands and families of their own our habit of acquiring more and more for ourselves has stuck. Some of us do not even know how to spend anymore.
My mother had a wonderful sense of humor sometimes to her own undoing. At one time my Dad and I were dressing to leave for my grandparents’ house. I asked her why she was not coming with us. She giggled and impishly looked at my father, “Well, everytime I ask for your lola’s blessing as I put her hand to my forehead she smells of inun-unan (fish tempered with vinegar and garlic). Then she broke into laughter and I knew she was joking. But joke or not I knew that because of their lifetyles, my grandparents had money. I’m betting that many of our more affluent families can still remember that their ancestors had the same lifestyle as mine did. If they could only speak now, I’m sure I’d get a retort like “ Why, is there anything wrong with inun-unan?” My answer to that be would, “of course not, it’s healthy eating but wouldn’t it be nice to have lechon once in a while?” You don’t have to skimp on food so much. As far back as I can remember, my parents, too, tried so hard to make us save. We did and we still do but not at the expense of storing so much more than what we need.
I like the hills very much. My other neighbor has ripe guyabanos hanging on his tree. I know for sure that if I will go over to buy one, his answer would still be very typical of the generosity of the hills. He would say, “Kuhaa lang na, day. Imo na, unsaon ko man ang sobra?” (Just get it. I only need so much.) Praise God for people who are willing to share. Actually their ways work. I shared the jackfruit I spoke of earlier. We all enjoyed feasting on it. The beauty of their ways is that to them sharing is no big deal. Along the way of life, it’s a pity we have forgotten that it also doesn’t take much in order to be able to share.
(February 22, 2004 issue)
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