She Didn't Dance - Conclusion

By: Roy dela Cruz

(You may want to read Part 1 & 2)

Whew! I was glad that was over. Next would be the talent portion. But my baby was number twenty-eight. Would she be able to hold and wait for her turn? Meanwhile, friends and relatives had arrived to support Angel. Everyone - wanting to hold her, hug her, kiss her, or play with her while it was not yet her turn.

Angel (older now) in one of her "model" poses -10 yrs.old

As we watched the proceedings of the program, other children performed without any problem.
I had hoped the same would be true with my baby. It was almost nine o’clock and candidate number twenty or twenty-one was performing on the stage. My wife asked me to talk to Angel; she wanted to go home.

Not again! I didn’t know what happened, but Angel was cranky. Maybe her aunties and cousins unwittingly pressured her young mind by telling her to do well. Or maybe she just got impatient and didn’t want to dance. I took her backstage and tried to talk to her.

Number twenty-five was on the stage. I asked her to do it just once and promised her that I would never allow her mommy to put her in a contest like that again.

The Author and Angel -May 2008


It was harder to talk to her this time, but through patience and daddy’s charms, I was able to convince her. Candidate number twenty-seven was almost finished.

I kissed and hugged my baby for the last time. As they called her name.

I handed her to the usherette and tried to rush to the front to take her picture. I had only taken a few steps when I heard the ushers and usherettes calling me.

When I looked back, Angel was crying! What now?! I rushed to Angel’s side trying to talk to her. She was still crying.

In the meantime, the emcee kept on calling Angel’s name, I was asking for two minutes.

Then, out of nowhere, the daycare teacher came urging Angel to dance on the stage.

Angel in grade school (11 yrs.old)

Imagine that! My baby was crying and all this teacher could think of was the talent portion!
Then came Angel’s aunties and cousins, all convincing her to perform her talent.

I was literally pushed-out of the picture. My baby was crowded! My baby was mobbed! And she was crying! The talent portion was called off. My baby never got to perform her number.

Then there was an intermission. The gown portion followed.


I was able to convince my baby to wear her gown, which she personally picked, and continue with the contest. She was on the stage together with the other twenty-seven young ladies.

Waving and smiling to the audience, although there were still traces of tears in her eyes.

We knew she won’t get anything for all her efforts, but we still want her to finish the contest. The finalists were chosen, special awards were given, until all the winners were announced.

For all those proceedings, I wasn’t really concern; I just wanted it to be over with.

Finally, it was all over. It was time for us to get our baby back and go home.

Angel, Christmas 2004

On the way home, everybody in our group was quiet.

Well, not really quiet, but they were not as enthusiastic as they were three or four hours earlier.

Each one trying not to talk about the contest and the talent portion.

I was carrying my baby, she was happy and smiling. We were kissing and hugging each other along the way.

She didn’t win, but in my heart she’ll always be my little princess. One thing we learned on that day is that, my baby’s charms, talents and wit, was only ours to behold.

My baby didn’t dance. She didn’t have to. She’s my Angel, and I love her very much.

Wordy Wednesday, A Meme From Eric of Ruminations of a Small Town Mountain Boy

I picked up this Meme from Eric of "Ruminations of a Small Town Mountain Boy" and "Chihuatude".

Eric is a great, generous and dynamic blogger who have introduced new concepts into the world of blogging. Read his posts: Monday's Writers of the Web, to understand what I mean. It's only him who has this series of visiting blogs and writing about them in his blog, every Monday.

This Meme that Eric has created is good for writers because you can learn new words and enjoy the challenge of putting it into use. It also allows you to interact with other writers in the blogging world.

The idea is to pick a word from Eric's list, and leave a comment informing the author of the word. The author then must use the word in the commenter's blog. The comment using the word should be related to the most recent post of the blog. (Did I get it right, Eric?)

Just like Eric, I won't pass this on. Anyone who wants to be tagged is welcome.

Just copy the Meme and rules on your own site and leave a comment on this post so I can come and visit you with the challenge of commenting on your latest post- using the word you've selected.

I decided to use Eric's choices as I find them good words and saves me from searching for new words.

Happy blogging !

Words of the day.

1. chichi

\SHEE-shee\, adjective:
Affectedly trendy.

2. enervate

\EN-ur-vayt\, transitive verb:
1. To deprive of vigor, force, or strength; to render feeble; to weaken.
2. To reduce the moral or mental vigor of.

3. provenance

\PROV-uh-nuhn(t)s\, noun:
Origin; source.

4. exalt

\ig-ZOLT\, verb:
1. To praise, glorify, or honor.
2. To heighten or intensify.
3. To raise in rank, character, or status; as, "exalted the humble shoemaker to the rank of King's adviser."

5. tittle-tattle

\TIT-uhl TAT-uhl\, noun:
1. Idle, trifling talk; empty prattle.
2. An idle, trifling talker; a gossip.

6. vexillology

\vek-sil-AHL-uh-jee\, noun:
The study of flags.

7. asperity

\as-PAIR-uh-tee\, noun:
1. Roughness of surface; unevenness.
2. Roughness or harshness of sound; a quality that grates upon the ear.
3. Roughness of manner; severity; harshness.

LET'S SUPPORT A NEW BLOGGER

Conchita- a mother from Miranda, Venezuela - has started to blog. For someone who has English as her second language, she writes very well. Her blog "Small Shrine" has only 3-4 interesting posts but I know this blogger will succeed eventually.

Here is what she has to say for herself:

Start of excerpt:

" Mother and self-taught graphic designer. This my first attempt at blogging and in English which is not my mother tongue. I apologize for any mistakes that may slip. "

In the center of the castle of Brahman, our own body, there is a small shrine in the form of a lotus flower and within can be found a small space. We should find who dwells there and we should want to know him. And if anyone asks, “Who is he who lives in a small shrine in the form of a lotus flower in the center of the castle of Brahman?” We can answer: “The little space within the heart is as great as this universe. The heavens and the earth are there; the sun, the moon, the stars; fire and lightening and winds… For the whole universe is in Him and He dwells within our hearts.” ~ Chandogya Upanishad 8 : 1

End of excerpt.

So guys, let's support a fellow blogger and visit her blog to show her the world is still a better place to live in.

Hooray for you Conchita and welcome to the blogging world!

BOOK 2 - CHAPTER 14: UMMA AYAM SINSANA (WHERE ARE YOU NOW?)

Dusk was approaching and the evening lights were starting to appear like distant stars being uncovered slowly by hovering clouds. There was a slight drizzle - enough to dampen Benny's clothes.

He was wearing a light blue polo shirt and a tie which complemented well with his dark blue slacks. He was on his way to the University. He had thought, it wasn't going to rain so he did not bother to bring additional clothing.

The bright lights at the Professional School - which was the tallest building on that side of the street - came on.

On the right side of the imposing building, there was a sprinkling of various establishments- the Jollibee fast Food, the Glaxo Internet Cafe, the DJ drugstore and a series of small eateries where most students whiled their time away.

On the left side was the spacious parking lot for the University's diverse clientele.
Benny had enrolled in an evening class in Law School because he worked as a paralegal "gofer" during the day.

The money the native folks had contributed had been deposited at the Land Bank and Benny refused to touch a single centavo.

It was not his ego which came into play in this one, it was his sense of responsibility; he wanted that the hard earned money of the old folk would be able to earn them interest.

To return the money would be considered a slap to the faces of the elders. He knew the old folks were happy to know that they took active part in his education, and they did.

Their concern was heart warming that it had fed the burning desire in his heart to pursue his studies. He had to make it on his own finances or he could never claim he had succeeded. Julia stayed mum on the topic after she realized nothing could persuade him to use the money.

Benny momentarily paused in his tracks as he remembered Julia- Ah- Julia! His adorable wife was still able to arouse him so intensely. With a one year old child, he had thought the passion would fade. On the contrary, they were more ardent in making love now more than ever: exploring new erotic zones and experimenting on unique wonderful ways of expressing their ardent love for each other.

Andre was one of the most wonderful things that happened to their lives - The boy displayed initiative and courage even at his very young age. Once he toppled precariously because he was trying to pick a cat out of a bicycle's path.

Julia almost fainted when he saw the wheels of the bicycle almost on top of her son's face. The person had stopped in time to save both boy and cat. He was a precocious, adventurous tot that surprised even him and Julia.

Benny smiled inwardly as he remembered how Andre had inherited his looks but had Julia's round, dark brown eyes. He always looked forward to spending time with the two most precious persons in his life.

The evening shadows played on the contours of his face. He had noticeable lines now on his forehead and on the corners of his eyes. His wavy hair had grown longer and had curved inwardly towards his face. The fierce intensity in his eyes had now the knowing look of someone who had seen more than the ordinary at his age and time. His muscular and lean physique had not changed a bit in spite of the lessened physical activity- he no longer walked very long distances- but he jogs every morning before reporting to work.

Enrolling in the Juris Doctor Program had not been easy as there were several prerequisites he still had to finish, and finished he did. Now he had finally made it! It was the third day of classes and Benny found it to be taxing but challenging nevertheless.

Photo by misocrazy
Research assignments were given everyday and he did not have ample time to do extensive research. He found Introduction to Law relatively easy with their happy-go-lucky Professor, Atty. Miranda.

In Criminal Law 1; however, they had an extremely strict disciplinarian - Atty. Lagum as their professor. He treated them like undergraduate students. Benny knew, Atty Lagum wanted to intimidate them, for what reason - he still could not fathom.

And Criminal Law 1 was his first subject that evening. The first assignment was on Evidence Gathering.

There was a string of questions to answer : "Who are the primary persons involved in the crime?" " What were their specific roles in the crime?" " Why did they act the way they did? etc, etc, " It seems like he was in a psychology class and not in a law course.

But the professor insisted that as future lawyers, they had to be familiar with the machinations of the complex human mind.

(TO BE CONTINUED)
HOME

The Anglican Affirmation of Androgynous Authority

By: DURANO LAWAYAN

Beneath the cassock of religious conservatism, the Church of England's ruling General Synod has demonstrated the successful attempts of its more progressive members by voting conclusively to consecrate women as Bishops.
The affirmation of this major reform agenda establishes the androgynous authority of the Anglican Church over its members and parishioners.

The vote also rejected a counter proposal by conservative members to create male "Super-Bishops" for members against the reform, for reasons that it will develop a two-tiered episcopacy and render the women Bishops second class clergy that would institutionalize divisions.

The long drawn out debate on the controversial measure was settled at the Lambeth Conference last July 8th, in an emotion packed assembly that exposed the cracks within the denomination.

The Lambeth Conference ( Lambeth, home of the Archbishop of Canterbury where the conference used to be held), a gathering of about 800 members from around the world is essential in helping to unify the largest protestant church grouping in the world.

It is the only meeting of all Archbishops and Bishops globally called every 10 years, presided by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams.

During the voting on women Bishops, 1,300 clergy have threatened to bolt the Anglican Church and join the Roman Catholics, in what is seen as a fight between traditionalists and modernizers. But their distinctive positions have been blurred by the arguments favoring their own interests.
The General Synod

The Vatican has also expressed its reaction to the vote and warned that it could undermine talks of Unification.

The Church of England has approved the ordination of women priests since 1994 amid protests from the traditionalists, who at the time also voiced their intent to bolt the church. But the threat did not materialize.

The current vote and the recurring threat could also be empty and meant to foster their preference for the continuation of male domination. There are currently 2,000 women priests in the Anglican Church, but their desire to serve God has come at a steep price.

A survey of 6 dioceses have found that several hundred women priests have endured bullying and harassment by clergy.

It also uncovered evidence of women priests being physically injured in disputes with male colleagues, and in a small number of cases, sexually assaulted.

Women priests continue to struggle with their calling and a majority have found acceptance.

The question is: will the Church of England tolerate blatant discrimination?

The vote is a first step in the right direction, but the consecration of a woman Bishop may not be fulfilled until 2015. Until that time, a lot can transpire.

It is outrageously illogical to disqualify women from becoming Bishops after they have been ordained as priests, and have earned all the requirements to be so consecrated.



As it stands, 14 of the 38 Anglican Churches have already made the decision favoring women Bishops; but traditionalists insist there is no biblical precedent for women bishops since Christ's apostles were all male.

They also believe it is wrong for women to have authority over men in a religious capacity. This argument puts Jesus in a bad light as a chauvinist and definitely diminishes his status as a Divine Being.



It would be inconceivable for Jesus in all his Divinity to endanger the women at a time when the culture, mores, values and attitudes were largely different from today.
Women Priests
He would not risk them being harmed senselessly. The Bible cannot be invoked for chauvinism nor discrimination as it would destroy the very concept of God, justice, equality, and respect for all humanity.

When the phrase "Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men" is expressed, does it exclude women? Is it only hell on earth for them? Were they only made to suffer?

The Vatican response is even more pathetic. It merely reinforces the assertion of its objection to Catholic Women priests, much less the consecration of Catholic Women Bishops.

If it had no opposition to the ordination of women priests in the Anglican Church, why should it now lament the vote on women Bishops for the Church of England?

Is this not fostering an injustice?

Are they exerting their influence to perpetrate male domination of all clergy?

Was the Catholic Church pushing for the revocation of the ordination of women priests in the Anglican Church as a condition for unification?


Dr. Rowan Williams – Archbishop of Canterbury

There is a need to further strengthen this enacted reform as it remains fragile until a woman Bishop actually emerges.

Opposition may continue in more subtle forms to thwart or delay the consecration of the first woman Bishop.

The traditionalists have lost this battle and are constrained to accept the results. Or, they may split from the Church and form their own denomination.

When that happens, it wouldn't be far fetched for the confused members to disregard their faith altogether.

The exasperation could make religion obsolete.

John Lennon would be vindicated.

Haarrrwwwwwk...Twoooooooph...Ting!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

It is with distinct pleasure and pride that I present our Guest Blogger for today - DURANO LAWAYAN of THE SPITTING VESSEL .

He is a prolific writer who can discuss any topic with flair that only a veteran could dish out.
He was previously a management consultant, but is now into a more nobler profession based on what I can discern from his posts.

According to him and I quote:
"There are many things we have been made to accept, drummed into our brains since we were kids; that these were true, unchangeable, and permanent. Well nothing is permanent and anything can be changed. What was true before may be uncovered today for the phoniness that it was and is. I keep a questioning attitude and a persistent orientation, balanced by a positive outlook. I love to laugh and enjoy life, and hope the pain brought about by what is wrong in this world is somehow diluted by this merriment. "

- Unquote

Some compelling and thought evoking articles he had written are: Freedom From Fantasy A Generation in Gathering Gloom. Visit his site and read more of his superb articles.
Thank you Durano for exerting effort to send your article as promised, even if you're right now at the ends of the earth where communication is almost impossible.
I appreciate it a lot. Mabuhay ka kabayan! ( All the best!)

CHAPTER 13 - UMMA AYAM SINSANA (WHERE ARE YOU NOW?)

Photo by tinali778

You may want to read CHAPTER 12, first.

As the night progressed, Benny was increasingly growing anxious. "You've got to get some sleep," Julia reminded him.

But he could not!

He got up every hour to scout the

camp's perimeter and talk to the men on guard.

He stood vigil with them in what seemed to be the longest night of his life.

In between this, he sat in the dark thinking of appropriate countermeasures that he could implement.

He had to act swiftly or everything would be lost forever.

He was endangering the lives of the people in his unit by staying longer in the camp.

The longer they stayed there, the more likelihood that they would be ordered "terminated" by their own rebel organization.

Surrender was not taken well by the higher-ups and Benny had now realized fully, that the real agenda of the top leaders were totally different from his own.

They wanted absolute and total control of the country. The military aid from foreign countries had started trickling in as evidenced by the new ammunitions arriving from foreign shores and this did not bode well with Benny.

Importing more guns and war ammunition denoted that the leaders had no plans of ending the "war".

He wanted it to end. He wanted to believe that "his" government was sincere in its peace offering . He would rather be under a struggling government run by his own people than a prosperous one run by foreigners. All he wanted was justice for the poor and peace and quiet for his countrymen.

They have to leave camp as soon as possible! Tomorrow it was imperative that he establish anew the lines of communication between him and the General.

He was startled when a shadow detached itself from the darkness. It was Julia.

" Let's get some sleep," she had one loving hand in his.

Her touch never failed to excite him. Just her mere presence added so much felecity and vibrancy to his life. That night; however, he did not want her to see how worried he was, that was why he made an excuse of doing the rounds.

" Yes, let's get some sleep. I have completed the rounds now," he said, and warmly draped an arm around her shoulders.

They slept in each other's arms dreaming of the peaceful, happy world their unborn child would soon have.

****
General Aman knew the danger that Benny was exposed to, so he camped not far from them and scouted the area for unusual activities.

For sure - that night - the media would be reporting the failed attempt of Ka Benny to surrender. He was now a marked man in the rebel organization.

The following day, General Aman was informed through the radio that there was a group of bandits who owned up the responsibility of disrupting the earlier attempt of Ka Benny's surrender.

Although, it was more practical to communicate directly with Ka Benny, General Aman still sought the assistance of Fr. Belucci. He knew Benny trusted the priest absolutely.

The undercover, personal emissary of Fr. Belucci scurried from Talococ to Benny's camp at least several times that day before a final arrangement was made.

The second surrender date was finally set the following morning.

There were no stones left unturned to ensure that the second attempt would proceed without snags.

There was a scouting party who double checked the area every hour and a soldier was stationed every 50 yards from each other to make sure that there were no third parties within the vicinity.

At exactly 9:47, both groups finally converged.

Once more Benny and General Aman started to walk to the center of the clearing. Everyone stood tensely and waited as the two men proceeded to meet. Cameras were whirling and there was a live feed on TV while the reporter made a commentary.

Ka Anton did not leave the responsibility to the army alone for making sure there were no instruders.

He and a small group of rebels were not watching the historical surrender; they were too busy scanning the nearby thick foliage for any sign of intruders.

There were none because outside the perimeter of the two groups, there was still another group of soldiers patrolling the area.

When General Aman and Kumander Benny finally shook hands, a loud cheer erupted from both camps.

"Kumander , welcome back," General Aman was sincere in his solicitations.

"Thanks, general," the handshake was warm and reassuring and Benny knew he could trust General Aman.

They spoke briefly but these were powerful sentences that marked a momentous event in the hearts of both rebels and soldiers.

Julia's cheeks were wet and she kept blinking the trickle of warm rivulets from her eyes.

It's just the forest wind, she thought and she walked on. She was a few steps away from Benny. Ka Dan was assigned to personally escort her.

Benny introduced her to the General when she came abreast them. It was evident the general liked Julia.

General Aman personally escorted them to the army camp and had never left their side until he was certain they were safe and sound.

It was a big , glorious victory for the government and they made sure this good news was aired in all Primtime TV programs and in the Late News. In the morning the event was in print in all newspapers around the country.

"Kumander Benny Surrenders! screamed all headlines in various native tongues.

After several days, when the government stayed true to their word, several small rebel units, followed suit after Benny's surrender.

Except for the one-week debriefing of Benny's unit in the army camp - they were set free afterwards, and were even given suitable livelihood projects to start their life anew.

The whole village of Taloctoc, was happy to have their most outstanding son back to their fold.

The families of the ex-rebels were the happiest of all, they held a celebration in honor of those who were finally in their midst.

Benny's parents cried with joy when they finally embraced their son and daughter in law. Julia's mother was a dotting grandmother soon-to-be, as she never left Julia's side.

The festivity was like Benny and Julia's nuptials all over again, except that this time, both army and former rebels stood shoulder to shoulder as comrades.

Even the circle of lookout guards outside the barrio's perimeter was composed of both uniformed and plain-clothed men.

There was tight security because they were still wary of any possible retaliation from the NPA's higher echelon of leaders.

The first thing Benny did as a freeman was to visit Fr. Belucci.

Ka Anton, now simply called Anton never left his side.

There were three army men assigned momentarily as bodyguards to ensure Benny's safety, but Anton was the best friend Benny never had in school.

Fr. Belucci had aged a lot the last time he had seen him. But he still had the same spunk and gay spirit that he so admired in him. Benny hugged the priest and he was speechless from emotion. Fr. Belucci had been a father, a confidante, a friend, a teacher and everything Benny could ask for. He remembered when he was still a young boy and how the priest had painstakingly taught him the moral values that a good person should possess.

" Back to school for you, Benny," Fr. Belucci's voice quivered when he finally spoke.

"I've got a family now to feed, Father" Benny gently reminded the good priest.

" I'll take care of that. You can pay me up to the last centavo after you have graduated and have landed a decent job."

"But...." Benny started to protest.

The priest lay a gnarled hand on Benny's arm, "This is what your people want. Each has already contributed a share. They know you have the needed qualifications to pursue a higher degree. I would have gladly shouldered all your expenses but they insisted and wanted to be part of your education. Don't let them down."

(TO BE CONTINUED)
HOME

CHAPTER 12 - UMMA AYAM SINSANA (WHERE ARE YOU NOW?)

You may want to read CHAPTER 11 first.

The mountains stood like mute witnesses to the drama that was about to unfold on its once pristine grounds. The mephitic stench of bloodbath that had occurred recurrently was now a necessity that they endure- a purge that has to happen to purify their mundane existence.

The three groups - Kumander Benny's , General Aman's and Ka Lito's- were slowly converging at the designated place.

Ka Lito's band of scalawags however, was a few yards ahead of the two and was intercepting both groups.

When they were more than a hundred yards away from General Aman's army, Benny ordered a full stop.

The two leaders unarmed themselves and began to walk towards the center of the clearing, as their men watched anxiously; even the forest stood still in eerie silence.

Suddenly, a shot rang piercingly through the thin air . Then another... and then another. ..

Ka Anton, saw Kumander Benny go down in a heap on the first volley of gunfire. "It's a trap. It's a trap. Take cover!" he shouted and fired aimlessly into the company of soldiers.

He was about to crawl towards Benny, when he saw him waving his hand shouting, "Retreat, retreat." Benny knew they were no match for the army's mighty artillery.

by soldiersmediacenter

There was bedlam! The media covering the event were busy clicking their cameras unmindful of the danger of being wounded in the crossfire.

General Aman was shouting too
"Cease fire, cease fire!" His face was a mask of anger and anxiety.

A few staccato bullets were fired by the retreating NPA rebels but they were gone within minutes.

There were no casualties on the government side.

"Who fired those first shots ?" General Aman demanded indignantly.

"We didn't, " Captain Abasolo replied. "We had assumed , it was them."

" You mean, they would shoot at their own Kumander? " the General asked the question incredulously.

"We were shot at too, General. " Lt. Carreon interjected. "Won't we be going after them? It would be easy to follow them as their leader is wounded."

" We are not savages, Lt. Carreon. I gave my word to Kumander Benny that I'll personally make sure they'll be safe and sound, and now he is wounded. Listen up," General Aman was yelling. "No one is to fire another bullet from here onwards."

He looked at his men soberly and added in a low, powerful voice , " I want you to remember this, a war can be won, not only in the battlefield - it can also be won peacefully."

"General Aman is right," Captain Abasolo seconded, " We have a bad reputation as an army of ruthless and heartless men. It's time we start proving to them that there are still good men in the military."

*********

Ka Lito and his men were watching General Aman's army from a distance.

"How come they didn't pursue them?" Ka Lito was frustrated and furious. "They should pursue them and pulverize their camp."

"Let me shoot that imbecile general," Ka Dencio was fuming too. He was an envious man, who thrived on intrigues and conflicts. He was immensely enjoying plotting the downfall of Benny - someone he considered a "lucky" bastard.

"Don't " Ka Lito restrained Ka Dencio's hand. " We're no match for them, and they'll come to know, we are the culprits. Let's go, we have succeeded in our goal."

"What goal Ka Lito?" the voice rang loud and clear . They all turned to face Ka Anton. " I'm thankful now I was not able to teach you very well in marksmanship," Ka Anton added.

Ka Lito tried to reach for his gun, "I wouldn't dare, " Ka Anton gave a quick flick of his fingers. Twelve men materialized from the thick foliage. "Disarm them." he commanded.

Ka Lito's group submitted without protest. Ka Lito grumbled and scowled but that was all he was able to do.

Ka Anton gave one last glance at General Aman's retreating army, before he trudged behind the prisoners.

They came upon Benny being treated by Julia. Luckily , the bullet had just grazed his right arm. A second scar that would be a perfect match for the already existing old one.

How much wound can a man take? Ka Anton wanted to ask Benny but he said instead, "The soldiers aren't pursuing us, Kumander" he assured Benny, " but I found these traitors ."

"You call me a traitor, hmmp... look who's talking..." Ka Lito was bursting with so much enmity.

"You're the ones betraying the ideals of our organization by surrendering. I was aiming at your heart but you're one lucky devil." he pointed an accusing finger at Benny.

Benny said nothing but looked straight into him, " They were the ones who fired the first shots..." he was nodding comprehendingly.

Ka Lito blinked and guiltily looked the other way.

"Let me do the honor of shooting this filthy scumbag," Ka Anton raised his gun.

"No, " Benny said calmly. " They should be brought to General Aman and be held liable for the trouble they had caused."

(TO BE CONTINUED)
HOME

CHAPTER 11 - UMMA AYAM SINSANA (WHERE ARE YOU NOW?)

You may want to read CHAPTER 10 first.

"Anyone who does not want to surrender, may leave now," Benny said as he scanned the unsmiling and anxious faces around him.

" Those who have decided to come with me, I assure you that I'll do whatever that needs to be done to ensure your safety. We can't stay here in the mountains forever. I know how you would want to go home to your families too."

There was a general murmur of agreement. Not all had their families with them, especially those with very young children. The clean mountain air and natural environment would be an ideal place for growing children, but the constant movement of the rebel troops would be too much for them to handle.

" We don't trust anyone but you Kumander. So if you say it would be fine, then we'll be coming with you." Ka Anton, Benny's most trusted aide, expressed the sentiments of those who were present.

And so the group of more than a hundred men commenced their arduous trek downhill. General Aman was to meet them halfway.

Benny thought about the NPA's higher echelon of officers. What would be the reaction of the Supreme Kumander? As of that moment, it had been kept a secret but it wouldn't be long before they would come to know about it and there would be hell to pay. He shook his head to banish the morbid misgivings.

Benny was more concerned about Julia, his unborn child, and the lives and future of the men under his command. He felt he was personally responsible for each of them.

The agreement of Benny's surrender to General Aman was made through Fr. Belucci and selected emissaries from Taloctoc.

Fr. Belucci personally requested for General Aman as he trusted him. He had known the man since he was a lanky kid in high school. Just like Benny, Henry Aman was honest, trustworthy and responsible.

The plan was that Benny and his unit would be escorted by General Aman's army from the point of convergence to the military camp, where the rebels were to surrender their arms.

Benny requested that the local media be present to record the proceedings. He did not fancy hugging the limelight, but he knew that any vital, government player who may plan to sabotage the event would think twice, because of the presence of the media. Most traditional policitians were meticulous about their public image and they took great pains in maintaining their impeccable self esteem.

The media were allowed- now and then - to broadcast events which the government considered newsworthy. The surrender of Kumander Benny - one of the most respected and revered rebel leader - would be an astounding success for the government and would be a tremendous blow to the insurgency movement in the country.

Of course, inevitable questions would soon arise as to why Benny was surrendering when he was supposedly incarcerated already by the military.

Strategists in the government knew that the whole story of Benny's escape would have to be revealed eventually, but only after his surrender.

That way the government still had the "victory".

by soldiersmediacenter

******

A few miles away from Benny's camp, Ka Lito with 5 other men were changing into army clothes.

"A job well done, Ka Dencio," Ka Lito was smiling as he donned the pilfered military uniform.

"Look how this perfectly fits me," and he guffawed with laughter. "I'm now a Major in the Army."

"Major, Captain Cerrudo, reporting for duty, sir." the smallest man said.

"You look like a chipmunk," Ka Lito roared with laughter , and the other five followed suit.

"Let's get back to business, " Ka Lito assumed his serious air of arrogance.

"Are you sure of the route they'll be taking?" he asked Ka Dencio.

"Yes, I got it from a reliable source, from the mouth of babes, comes forth the truth... " Ka Dencio's source was a naive, barrio kid whom he had sweet talked. Ka Dencio was an intelligent, misguided man who rejoiced in the misfortunes of other people. He had never met Kummander Benny up close, but he despised the popularity of the young man. Probabaly because, he should have been also a respected Kummander if he hadn't been too self-absorbed with his own ulterior motives.

"We'll have to ambush them before they reach Mangga, that way, they'll think they have been betrayed by the army."

Then they danced around in circles and stomped their feet with glee for their wicked machinations .

"I would like to see the expression on Benny's smug face, after this. Remember, we must be swift. We will just create the smoke, then leave them fighting off the fire."

*****

General Aman was giving instructions to his staff.

"Captain Abasolo, be in charge of the lead group, Lt. Carreon - the rear . At no time at all will you be using your guns. No one is to fire his gun until I personally order it. Is that clear?"

" Sir, yes sir," the men chorused.

The two media personnel were assigned three escorts and were instructed to stay behind the lead soldiers.

And so they began their silent march into the deep, unwelcoming forest.

(TO BE CONTINUED)
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