PUL-OY (Breeze)
San Vicente Ilocos Sur RP to the World Series
Ur-urayenka, Anakko
(I am waiting for you, my child.)
English Translation in Part 2
Sarita ni Dr Abe V. Rotor
Ti daan a simbaan ti San Vicente Ilocos Sur.Naipadakder idi tiempo ti Kastila, kamaudian ti siglo 1700.
Agladladingit ti langit. Nangisit ken lumabbaga ti tangatang, bumabbaba ti ulep.
Maisaak nga Prodigal Son. Siak ni Inting.
Nasursurko ti uppat a suli ti lubong, binirbirukko ti makuna a Utopia ti las-ud ti innem a pulo a tawen – mamitlo a nasuruk iti kabayag a natnaturog ni Rip Van Winkle, ti suyyek nga lakay ti istoria ni Washington Irving. Nagsardeng metten ti Cold War – lima pulo a tawen nga nabingay ti lubong iti dua a kampo a nagginginnura, nagsinsinnikap. Ngen saan pay la nga nagun-od ti pudno a kappia ti sangalubungan. Rimmasok iti gulib ti terrorismo.
Ket itan agawidakon ditoy ili a nakayanakak ken dimmakkelak. Simmabat ni tatang, aginnarakup kami. Ti ragsat saan nga maibalikas. Ket napaut ti panagkatkatawa ken panagtedted ti luami. Impagarupko nga ti adsaibbek ubbing laeng.
“Pakawanennak, Tatang.”
Ngen kunana, “Agragsat tayo. Nagbiag ti natay nga anakko. Partien ti kabubusnagan nga urbon a baka. Ket awisen dagiti kakailian.”
Lakay unayen ni tatang. Nabalo idi gubat idi dua pay laeng ti tawenko. Saanen a nagasawa. Saan metten a pimmanpanaw diay ilimi.
“Ni Manong Tonio, Tatang?”
“Umayto. Adda’t taltalon isuna.”
Agsangpet dagiti tattao.
Ditoy San Vicente nasapa ti panagbaro ken panagbalasang. Adu kami a pimmanaw, sinursurotmi diay bangir ti Cordillera ken ballasiw taao dagiti ar-arapaap ti agkabanuag. Lumakay ken bumaket inton makasubli kami - kaaduanna, balikbayan. Ngem adu met dagiti saanen a makaawid, numanpay a kasta, saanda a makaliplipat.
Sibibiag ni Apo Lagip - ti naglabas ken masakbayan kasla saan nga nagsina. Naanos ti tiempo. Bassit ti nagbalbaliwan ti ili, kasta met dagiti umili.
Saan a nagsukat ti abbong ti altar a naburdaan ti Ur-urayenka Anakko. Ubingak pay idi adda daytoy nga isu’t mangsabat ti mata pagserrek ti dakkel a simbaan. Agkupkupas ti kaaapros dagiti agraem ken Apo San Vicente Ferrer, patron ti ili.
“Ibagam man dagiti napnapanam ken nasarsarakam, Inting.” Kiddao dagiti kaubingak. Mabilbilangdan.
“Nasapulam kadi ti puon ti bullalayaw, Inting?” angaw ni Belen, maysa idi a princesa ti komedia no agpiesta ti ili, maudi a martes ti Abril. Badong latta ni Badong, ti katuturedan diay klasemi ti elementaria. “Ania, umay manen ti gubat?” Sa nagmulagat. Maymaysa’t petsa ti pannayanakmi idi gubat.
Umad-adu ti tattao, awanen ti pagtugawan. Nagdalupakpak pay ketdin dagiti dadduma. Malutluto ti pagraramanan. Malang-ab ti maletletson a baka.
“Denggentayo ti maisa nga anak ti ili.” Imbaga ni Mayor Simeon, apo ti dati nga alkalde. Sa immabay kaniak. “Mailiw dagiti umili kenka.”
Narigat ti agsarita no saan a naragsak ti ibaga. Kayatko a saritaen ti saan a nasayaat a rupa ti panagprogreso ti lubong. Ti siudad a balitok adda laeng ti arapa-ap. Ti Paraiso awan ditoy rabaw daga. Pantasia laeng ti Utopia.
Kasla mabasbasa ni Ben ti pampanunutek. Ni Ben ti valedictorianmi ti high school diay Vigan, daidi CIC, Divine Word College ita. Iniarisa-asna, “Istoria-em ti Four Horsemen of Apocalypse.” Naadalmi daytoy ken ni Sir Boni - Mr. Rafanan, titsermi ti history.
Saan nga pantasia daytoy a istoria. Impakdaar dagiti propeta, kasta met ni Nostrodamus. Ket dagiti saan a namatpati isudanto ti umuna a biktima. Kasla ti Sodom ken Gomorrah, Pompeii ken Herculaneum, ti dua a nagsaruno nga gubat ti lubong, ti panakabomba ti Twin Towers ti New York, ket umayto kano iti ukum.
Daytoy manen ti ibagbaga ni Alvin Toffler, ti autor ti Future Shock, ken da Naisbitt ken Aburdane, ti naggapuan ti tema a postmodernism. Kunada, “Ti panagprogreso saanen a malappedan ket dumardaras pay. Ti laplapusanan isu ti palab-og ti panagrigat ti tattao.
Immasideg, adu’t rigatna ni Lolo Silli, kalalakayan ti ili. Tinulonganda. Immasideg met ti Apo Padimi. Inyam-ammo na ti bagina. “Siak ti anak ti Bernardo Rada.” Kasinsinko daidi tatangna. Karuprupana.
“Kayatyo a denggen ti istoria dagiti uppat nga nakakaballo ni Apokalypso?” Bimtak ti iisemmak. Dagiti ub-ubbing ti immuna a nagtung-ed. Ipagarupda a maysa a pelikula.
“Adda uppat a nakakaballo nga akukuyog. Ti umuna isu ni Genie, ti higante nga awan bigbigenna nga amo no di laeng ti akin-iggem ti enkantado a lampara a naggapuanna. Sibubutengen ti lubong manipud idi bimtak ti umuna nga bomba atomiko diay Nagasaki ken Hiroshima. Ita ti armas nuclear napigpigsa nga adayo. Awan lisian ken pilpilienna, ket addan ti ima dagiti terrorista!”
“Dumanon kadi ditoy no bumtak dayta a bomba?” Sinongbatan met laengen ti kaabayna, ket saanen nga intuloy ti bumarito. Narigat a maawatan dagiti bambanag maipuon ti gubat no saan mo pay nabaddek ti paggugubatan.
“Ket ituloyko. Maikaddua a nakakaballo isu ti al-alia ni Mathus, ti nangipakdaar ti panagbisin ti lubong gapu ‘ta nadardaras iti panagado ti tattao ngen ti kabaelan ti lubong a mangted ti umanay nga pagbiag. Rirriw ti mabisbisinan - ket umad-adoda. Saanen a mabilang ti matmatay.”
Awan ti nagsaludsod. Naulimek. Adda manutbuteng idiay likod. Naka-abbbungot ti nangisit. Tinalliao dagiti tattao ingana’t nagsardeng isuna ket pimmanaw.
“Ituloyko. Maikatlo, ni Frankenstein, ti doktor nga nangpartuat ti maysa a monster nga awanan puso ken kararua. Arigna isu dagiti nangpartuat ti hybrid nga virus ti trankaso nga naggapu ti tao ken billit. Narungrungsot nga adayo daytoy a virus mgem daidi virus idi rugrugi ti 1900. Nasuruk nga sangagasut ng ririw (20 million) ti natay.
Ita makaaramiddan dagiti sientista babaen ti “genetic engineering” ti klase a mais, soya, manok, ken sabasabali pay, a saanen a natural – dagiti makuna a GMO wenno Frankenfood. Saan nga adayo ti panagballegida a makaaramid ti tao ti babaen ti cloning nga makaparis ni Dolly, maysa a karnero nga immuna a clone. Kasla ketdin inagawen ti tao ken ni Apo Dios ti pannakabalin a mangparsua, kasta met ti mangpaungar ti natay!”
Dimmadakkel ti mat-mata dagiti agdengdenggeg. Maysa kaniada ni Maestra Karing, titser ko ti elementaria. Nakabakbaketen. Inasitgak. Inongngonak.
“Ket ti maika-uppat a nakakaballo isu ti inheniero ti Torre a Babel, agdan kano a mapan sadilangit. Napugipug daytoy, kasta met ti naatap nga ar-arapaap dagiti nangaramid ken dagiti buyotda.
Nangatngato nga adayo dagiti torre a maar-aramid ita. Atitiddug dagiti rantay. Agtutuon dagiti kalkalsada ken reles. Riwriw ti luglugan. Dumaddadakkel dagiti siudad, ket umad-aduda. Dumaddadakel met dagiti makina ti industria. Amin dagitoy ti pagtaudan ti pollusion ken panagdagaang ti lubong.
“Awanton ti lugar nga saan nga maabot ti komunikasyon. Kasla baryo ti kabassit ti lubong, awanen ti paglemmengan. Napukawen ti karbengan nga agmaymaysa. Ket posible a makadanonto metten ti tao idiay Mars?
“Siak ni Superman! Siak met ni Batman! Flash Gordon!” Ikkis dagiti ub-ubbing nga agpipinnalsiit ken agpipinnalsuot idiay liklikudan. Nagparang ni Rambo. Pinasiatna dagiti saan nga katataoan. Umap-apoy ti debateria nga paltu-ogna. Awanen ti aridengan.
“Agay-ayam kayo diay adayo.” Tegmaan ni Kapitan Inggo. Pimmanaw ket
intuloyda’t nagay-ayam diay minuyungan. Naggungon dagiti sangsanga, nagtinnag ti bul-bulong. Rimmuar ni Tarzan. Kasla Safari ti inaramid dagiti ub-ubbing. Maisaak kaniada idi.
“Ay, dagitoy ub-ubbing, ay-ayam laeng ti ammoda.” Adda gayam ni Celia, ti nalaing a kumakanta ti sarsuela no agpiesta ti ili idi.
“Umay ti Armageddon. Magunao ti lubong. Agbal-baliw tayo.” Timmakder ni Tacio a mangaskasaba, agtaytayegteg kasla propeta.
Saan nga agpa-udi ni Cosme, agpadi koma idi. “Quo vadis?” Ig-igananna ti daan a biblia. Inukragna ket binirokna ti pahina a mabasa. Inwarasna ti matana nga aglawlaw. Nagsardeng ti batugko.
“Maysa nga parbagon naglibas ni Pedro ket addan idiay ruar ti pader ti Roma. Sakbayna data binirbiruk dagiti soldado isuna. Ngen nakalisi ngamin ta nagsalawasaw - saanna kano nga am-amo ni Kristo nga amona. Sakbay nga sumina ti sipnget, nakasabat ti maysa a lalaki nga nangdamag kenkuana, ‘Quo vadis? (Sadino kadi ti papanam?)’ Apagkanito nagpukaw ti lalaki. Nalasin ni Pedro – isu ni Kristo! Nagsubli isuna ket nagbalin nga martir ti Kristianismo."
Naladaw ti panggaldaw. Bassiten ti agdengdengged. Nakatugawdan diay panganan nga agur-uray. Imnmado ti timmulong diay kusina. Kasta met dagiti agidasdasar. Saan nga makauray dagiti ub-ubbing, ket agsubli-sublida diay panganan. Naipusing dagiti makilkilimos. Adda met bagida. Agriringgor dagiti aso. Si-iiggem ti baut ken pagbugaw ti ngilaw da Nana Sion.
Linukatan ni tatang ti iduldulinna a basi. Intakona ti ungot diay burnay. Pinaramanannak a immuna. Kaiimasan met la ngatan. Baba-akan. Nabayad nga saanak a nakaraman ti basi. Ubingak pay idi nasursurok ken ni tatang ti panagaramid ti basi.
“In-yur-urayko kenka.” Matmatmatannak nga nangraman. Intumbak iti ugot, ket kayatko pay koma.
Malagipko ti kabsatko tapno paramanak met.
“Adda pay la isuna diay taltallon,” kuna manen ni tatang.
Binalonak ni Manong Tonio diay taltalon. Kaduana dagiti katalonan. Tallo a natatayag ken nababaked nga mandala ti mangipakita ti kanasayaat ti apit dayta a tawen. Saannak nabigbig daras. Naginnarakop kami. Nagsubli daras ti lagip di kaubinganmi. Kasla idi kalman laeng.
Nabayag ti panagin-innangawmi. Nagsadag kami ti mandala a nakasango ti bumabbaba nga unit.
“Nagbassit aya ti libong, Inting.”
Awan nangegna kaniak. Intuloyna.
“Malagip mo pay ni Mrs Villamor?’ Nalaing daydi dios-alluadna a maestrami ti literature ti high school
“Malagip mo ti inpamemoriana a berso ni William Blake?”
“Uh….saanko nga malagip, manong.” Nariknak bassit ti mabain, ta apay koma nga malipatak, ket isuna saan?
“Auguries of Innocence, saan kadi?”
Malagipkon. Nalaing a mannurat ni Blake, narigat laeng nga anagen ti pilosopiana maipuon ti panagbiag. Fundamentalist a makuna ni Blake.
Ni-recite ni manong iti maysa nga naadaw nga berso. Kasla umininom a kunada, nalawag ken naur-nos.
“Sarming ti lubong ket maysa a bag-giing laeng,Ti langit agparang diay ruot nga agsabsabong;Lawa’t tangatan, ta dakulapmo umanayen,Ti maysa nga oras patinggana’t agnanayon.”
Insaruno na.
“Sinno ti makaimatang ti lubong, wenno langit babaen dagiti babassit a bambanag a pakakitaan, wenno dagiti simbolo ti panagbiag? Aglalo no kaub-bingan, kabanbannuagan? Anianto ngatan nga maawatam ti patingga ti lubong, ti panagnanayon ti biag?”
Kasla umis-isem daydi diostialluadna a Mrs. Villamor ti abaymi. Nakababan ni Apo Init. Nalabbaga it annaraar na. Nakaawiden dagiti kannaway. Nagaponen dagiti manok diay kakaikaiwan.
Awan iti maibangak. Mariknak ti bain apay a naglibassak idi. Pinanawak da tatang ken ti katsatko. Linuktak ti bentana saak bimmaba ti maysa a parbangon, innem a pulo a tawenen ti naglabas.
Tinipedko ti luak. Nagpangressak tapno mabang-arannak. Mailemmengko ti riknak.
Saanen nga intuloy ni manong. Nakadlaw.
Ket intuloyko nga anagen. Nauneg daytoy a kapanunotan.
Narigat awaten ti biag. Isu nga awan ti sardeng ti panagadal. Bag-giing, bato agbalin nga bantay? Ti kabusbusor a ruot, apay a nakapinpintas ti sabongna? No saan nga ukraden ti dakulap kasano ti itutulong? Makigayyem? Makikappia? Apagkanito kadi ti biag tapno ammo tayo ti agraem, ken agpakumbaba? Pumanaw ti biag tapno ituloy dagiti sumarsaruno? Inggana’t kaano?
Kasla mabasbasa ni manong ti pampanunotek.
Kunana. “Maysa a libro ti biag, Inting. Ngen saan a inkapilitan nga napuskol daytoy nga libro. Adda iti pateg ken kinabukel na.”
Itan malagipko ti kuna daidi Santo Papa, John Paul II.
Kunana:
“Daytoy nga lubong nga kadadakelan nga pagadalan tapno mapunuantayo ti kinasarib, ditoy nga maimatangan ti progreso ti sibilisasion, manipud iti kinabaro ti sistema ti panagiwarnak, iggana’t sistema ti wayawaya nga awan tungpalna – daytoy a lubong, uray kaanunto, saanna nga maited ti kapupudnuan a ragsak ti tao.”
Immay ti panagtutudo. Simmaruno ti kalgao. Tinawen a kasta.
Inggana’t immay ti nadagsen ken nangisit nga ulep. Sapasap ti inulesanna. Ulimek ti nagturay. Nabayag nga naawan ni Apo Init.
Napintas unay nga dengdenggen ti kantakanta nga aggapu’t kuro! Dua kami ni Manong Tonio nga abibiolin idi no dumanon ti Misa Aginaldo. Paspasurutanmi dagiti babbaro ken babbalasang nga agkankanta. Ket daydi Maestro Selmo ti mangiturturong kaniami.
Diay altar maiang-agin ti abbongna nga naburdaan, Ur-urayenka Anakko. Agpaypayapay.
Lukatanyon dagiti bentana tapno sumbrek ti nalamiis nga agin nga aggapu’t daya. Ket bay-an dagiti kandela nga maiddep a saggaisa.
Simbrek ti nalamiis a pul-oy ti panagbannaoag. Dua a medalla ti agbitbitin, agkilkilap, agtintinnupa a kasla kampanilla. Adda iar-arisaasda.
No ti mumalem ket ngumisit ken lumabbaga ti Laud, ken bumabbaba ti ulep a sabaten ti sipnget, istoria-en dagiti lalakay ken babbaket nga makita iti aninag ti dua a tao nga agin-innarakup diay puon ti dudu-ugan a kamantiris diay turod. Adda met aninag ti tattao diay kataltalonan. Dua a nakasadag ti mandala. Mangged pay kano ti katkatawada. xxx
Buya diay ngato ti poblacion San Vicente. Makita ti daan a simbaan.Part 2 - English Translation
"Ur-urayenka Anakko." (I am waiting for you, my child.)
“This world, which appears to be a great workshop in which knowledge is developed by man – which appears as progress and civilization, as a modern system of communication, as a structure of democratic freedom without any limitations – this world is not capable of making man happy."
- Pope John Paul II, On the Threshold of Hope
The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt van Rijk
I am a modern day Prodigal Son. I spent sixty long years searching and searching for a place I may call my own in the whole wide world. Yes, sixty long years of my youth and in old age – thrice longer the fiction character Rip van Winkle did sleep – and now I am back to the portals of my hometown, to the waiting arms of my father.
The proverbial Lamp I still hold flickers, but it is but a beacon in embers now, for it had spent its luminance in the darkness of human weakness and failures, it beamed across the ocean of ignorance and lost hope, it trailed the path of many adventures and discoveries, and it kept vigil in the night while I slept.
And what would my father say? He meets me, embraces me, and calls everyone. “Kill the fattest calf! Let us rejoice.”
San Vicente is my home. It is the bastion of my hopes and ideals. At the far end on entering the old church is written on the altar, faded by the elements of time and pleading hands of devotees, Ur-urayenka Anakko – I am waiting for you my child.
When the world is being ripped by conflicts or pampered with material progress, when mankind shudders at the splitting of the atom or the breaking of the code of life, when the future is viewed with high rise edifices or clouded by greenhouse gases – my town becomes more than ever relevant to the cause for which it has stood through the centuries - the sanctuary of idealism in a troubled world, home of hundreds of professionals in many fields of human endeavor.
“Kill the fattest calf,” I hear my father shout with joy. It is celebration. It is a symbol of achievement more than I deserve. But my feelings is that I am standing on behalf of my colleagues for I am but an emissary. Out there in peace and trials, in villages and metropolises, in all endeavors and walks of life, many “Vincentians” made their marks, either recognized on the stage or remembered on stone on which their names are carved. I must say, it is an honor and privilege that I am here in humility to represent them that I may convey their unending faith and trust to our beloved hometown.
The world has changed tremendously, vastly, since I passed under the town arch to meet the world some fifty years ago. I have met wise men who asked the famous question “Quo vadis?” -where are you going? I can only give a glimpse from the eye of a teacher, far for the probing mind of Alvin Toffler in Future Shock, or those of Naisbitt and Aburdane, renowned modern prophets. Teachers as I know, and having been trained as one, see the world as it is lived; they make careful inferences, and take a bird’s eye view cautiously. They are conveyors of knowledge, and even with modern teaching tools and communication technology, cannot even qualify as chroniclers, nay less of forecasters. I have always strived to master the art of foretelling the future, but frankly I can only see it from atop a misty mountain. How I wish too, that I can fully witness the fruits of the seed of knowledge a teacher has sown in the mind of the young.
Limited my experience may be, allow me to speak my mind about progress and developments in the fifty years I was away from home, but on the other side of midnight, so to speak.
1. The monster that Frankenstein made lurks in nuclear stockpiles, chides with scientists tinkering with life, begging to give him a name and a home.
2. Our blue planet has an ugly shade of murk and crimson – fire consuming the forests, erosion eating out the land, polar ice shrinking, rising sea flooding the shorelines, and gas emission boring a hole in its jacket.
3. One race one nation equals globalization. How we have taken over evolution in our hands. We are playing God, is Paradise Lost Part 2 in the offing?
4. The world is wired, it travels fast on two feet – communication and transportation. The world has shrunk into a village. Homogenization is the death sentence amid a bed of roses for mankind.
5. Man-induced phenomena are too difficult to separate from those of nature. We take the latter as an excuse of our follies, a rationalization that runs counter to be rational. Only the human species has both the capability to build or destroy – and yet we love to destroy what we build.
6. The dangerous game of numbers is a favorite game, and our spaceship is getting overloaded. Man’s needs, more so man’s want, become burgeoning load of Mother Earth, now sick and aging. Will Pied Piper ever come back and take our beloved young ones away from us, as it did in Hamlyn many years ago?7. Conscience, conscience, where is spirituality that nourishes it. Where have all the religious teachings gone? Governance – where is the family, the home? Peace and order – Ukraine, Syria, Taiwan, Iraq, Afghanistan – another Korea, another Vietnam, only in another place, in another time. And now social unrest is sweeping over Asia, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
8. Janus is progress, and progress is Janus. It is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It is The Prince and the Pauper. Capitalism has happy and sad faces – the latter painted in pain and sadness on millions all over the world. It is inequity that makes the world poor; we have more than enough food, clothing, shelter, and energy for everybody. What ideology can save the world other than capitalism?
As I grew older I did not only learn to adjust with the realities of life as I encountered it but to grasp its meaning from the points of view of famous philosophers and writers. I studied it with the famous lines from William Blake’s famous poem, Auguries of Innocence. To wit.“To see the world in a grain of sand;And a Heaven a wild flower;Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,And eternity in an hour.”
- William Blake, Auguries of Innocence
If ever I have ventured into becoming a redeemer of sort, armed with a pen in hand, I too, have learned from Blake’s verse of the way man should view the world in all its magnanimity yet in simplicity. If ever I have set foot to reach the corners of the Earth, and failed, I am consoled by the humble representation of “a grain of sand” that speaks of universal truth and values.
While the world goes around and around . . .
The world like in Aristotle’s time continue to struggle with the preservation of values; the species will continue to evolve as postulated by Darwin; culture will express itself more fully since the first painting of early man dwelling in the caves of Lascaux in France.
Trade and commerce will continue to progress, reaches a plateau and declines - a normal curve that goes with the rise and fall of civilizations. Yet leaders do not see it that way. Not even the Utopia of conquerors like Alexander the Great whose global economic vision two thousand five hundred years ago is basically the concept as that of the great powers of today - United States, European Union, ASEAN - envision.
The great religions will continue to bring man to his knees and look into heavens amidst knowledge revolution and growing complexity of living, Man’s infinitesimal mind continues to probe the universe. Never has man been so busy, so bothered, so confused, yet so determined than ever before, trying to fill up God’s Seventh Day.
As I go on reflecting I came across the book of Pope John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, 1994. He warns us succinctly.
“This world, which appears to be a great workshop in which knowledge is developed by man – which appears as progress and civilization, as a modern system of communication, as a structure of democratic freedom without any limitations – this world is not capable of making man happy."
- Pope John Paul II, On the Threshold of Hope
Now I am home, my father, in my hometown. I do not wish for comfort. I just want to thank you for you have taught me and instilled in me the spirit of virtue and fortitude. Thank you for making me a Vincentian.
Let me sleep now in your arms. ~
17th Century San Vicente Ferrer Parish Church
San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
__________________________--
In 1367 he entered the Dominican order at Valencia, where he became professor of theology. In 1394 the antipope Benedict XIII made him his confessor and theologian to his court at Avignon, but five years later Vincent resigned to undertake missions. Travelling through Burgundy, southern France, Switzerland, northern Italy, and Spain, he attracted crowds everywhere and had notable success in winning Jewish converts. He was known for his religious poverty and austerity, including perpetual fasting, and was believed to have the gift of miracles.
In an effort to end the schism, he had tried twice to persuade Benedict to relinquish his papal claim. In 1412 he was one of nine judges who elected Ferdinand I king of Aragon, and he persuaded Ferdinand to cease supporting Benedict, thus helping to end the schism. He lived to see the election of Pope Martin V in November 1417, whereby the Great Western Schism was officially ended. The last two years of his life were devoted to preaching in northern France. (Internet)
