Do not Blame God, nor the Bats

There was a man who was interviewed by Inday Badiday. He was a draftee in the army who was assigned in Mindanao. He contracted a disease called elephantiasis. He was  confined in a charity ward of a hospital in Manila. His wife deserted him, leaving their six-month old baby under his care. With no one to take care of them, he just made his baby lie beside him on the hospital bed. Only the concerned watchers of  the other patients in the room helped him. While crying bitterly, he related to Inday Badiday .that one time, someone told him, "Kung ako sa katayuan mo, magpakamatay na lang ako ". He told Inday Badiday, "Bakit ako magpakamatay, ay bigay ng Dios ang buhay ko". He never questioned God in spite of his misery . 

At another time, I happened to watch the interview of Darius Razon on TV. He was in anguish. He lost in the election, his wife left him, his two children were killed one after the other and his house was reduced to ashes during a conflagration that occurred in their place. He never blamed God for his ill-starred life. Tearfully, he only uttered, "Pinapasa-Dios ko na lamang ang lahat".

Mr. Locsin, I do not know your God. To blame your God, that is your personal choice. I respect it; but do not mislead other people's concept of God  by inciting them to blame Him for the occurrence of the man-made pandemic disease. For evil to come from God, that is absolutely absurd because God is all good. God is perfect. An imperfection caused by God is an impossibility. The entire creation  is intertwined , that is why we become victims of any disorder in the law of nature brought about by man's folly, blunder or evil scheme. This is simple logic. You need not be  a philosopher to be able to discern this. Unless, your brain weighs less than one kilogram. So, do not blame God, nor the bats.

Coming to bats, they are useful creatures. They eat fruits and spread the seeds that grow into wild plants which replenish the earth. Their dung called guano is a costless, rich organic fertilizer. They do not scatter their dung anywhere. They pile them in their dwelling place. Bats do not bother people because they live away from them. They bathe their body with their urine, because this is their defense  mechanism so other animals will not come near and harm them. They do not bite or attack other animals or the people. Instead, people hunt, eat, or experiment and study them in laboratories. 

Take note, Mr. Locsin, Jesus Christ, {Do you know Him?} walked the earth, healing people. He never made people sick. He brought back to life his friend  Lazaro, and a Jewish leader's daughter, and healed the pagan  (Canaanite) woman's possessed by the devil child  and a centurion's servant. He never took anyone's life. On the other hand, circa  395-400 A.D.,the bubonic plague that perished thousands of Roman soldiers and eventually led to the downfall of the Roman empire, was caused by rats from China that reached Italy by boat. Furthermore, the SARS,  FMD, ASF, COVID,AIDS , mad cow disease, and the bird flu are among our many devastating imports from China. They are not God-given. 

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I Was Once a Queen

 The orchestra played the royal march. I stepped down the throne. With my consort holding my hand, we marched around the hall. The onlookers lined beside our lane. They were all smiling at me. I demurely smiled back. I heard voices amid the crowd, calling my name. I gazed at their faces winked at them. Some people touched my gown. Still others tried to hold my hand  I gently waved at them a little. The march went on with my slow, regal steps  till we were at the center of the ballroom. Then, the waltz music played and we started the royal dance. I tiptoed and swayed in languid grace, with the hem of my flimsy gown of pink, embroidered  chiffon lace, being blown by the wind as we waltzed around the dance floor. I was .like a happy butterfly fleeting in the breeze. With the nimble feet of my consort, I felt so light as a floating cloud in his arms. We danced all night. We danced till the cock crowed, and my hair wet  with dew. The music stopped, the lights went out. Lady moon had quietly stalked away . What remained were the thousand distant stars in the sky, blinking at us .

Though nothing could bring back the splendor of that night, yet the thrill of the moment was forever dearly kept in my heart. I could never forget that once in my life, I was a queen. Yes, I was once, a queen; a one-night queen .

Note: This composition  (a narration of a first hand experience as a high school Queen Of Hearts / Miss Valentine 1960) was written in 1960 as Test IV { Essay writing) in English during the National Achievement Test for the fourth year high school students. Sweet high school memories. So nostalgic..

Dear Whoever You Are,

I read your English translation of my Ilongo post, "What's in a Name?". I rolled on the floor, laughing. I couldn't stop laughing, until I was in tears and my stomach ached. My daughter pleaded to me to discontinue reading because she was afraid that I might run short of breath and die of too much laughing.The translation was very funny, ridiculous, awkward, terrible and stupid. I could not imagine it. Why in the hell was the cross overcooked? Anyway, I was entertained. Thank you for making me forget even just for a while my tensions, stress, boredom, and depression brought about the havoc that plague our country, resulting to our miserable situation, caused by demons on the loose in our rotting government. By the way, next time if you want my work to be translated into English, please, for heaven's sake just advise me and I will gladly do it , in a most literary and romantic way. I publish my work in Ilongo  not because I do not know English, but because I just want my Ilongo friends to enjoy reading it. I know ,just like me, they also miss our mother tongue, which I do not want to be buried in oblivion.