ANG LIBING NA NAIPUNDAR NI JETRO R SOLER

BAKIT DI MAN LAMANG NGA BA UMULAN?/
O NI UMAMBON MAN LANG AT NANG MASABI NATIN SA'TING MGA SARILING NAGTATANONG/
NA OO AT MAY LUHANG PUMATAK BUKOD SA MGA LUHANG NANGGALING SA MGA MATA NITONG INULILA./
SA MGA MATA NITONG NAGLULUKSA SA PAGPANAW NITONG KAAWA-AWANG MATANDA./
NA OO AT NAKIKIRAMAY ANG LANGIT KASAMA NG ANIM NA ITONG PINILING DUMALO./
NG ANIM NA EMPLEYADO NG ESTABLISYAMENTONG LABINTATLONG TAON NIYANG PINAGSILBIHAN./

LABINTATLONG TAON NG PAG-IIS-IS NG NANLILIMAHID AT NAMAMANGHING PALIKURAN./
NG PAGLALAMPASO AT PAGWAWALIS NA SIYANG MAGTATAWID SA ARAW- ARAW./
LABINTATLONG TAONG GINUGOL,INUBOS, SINUNOG SA PAGTITIIS, NAMUHAY NANG WALANG BUHAY./

AT BAKIT HINDI MAN LAMANG NGA BA UMULAN? SA HALIP/ AY/
NAKAKABALISANG INIT NG TIRIK NA ARAW, ABALA AT WALANG PAKIALAM./
TANGING INGAY, WALANG PUNEBRE, WALANG MUSIKA NG PAGLULUKSA./
WALA TAYONG MAGAGAWA./
ITO LANG ANG PAALAM NA KINAYA NG KANYANG PINUNDAR./

PAANO NA SI MAGDA?/
NGAYONG WALA NA ANG TAONG KUMUPKOP SA ULILANG HINDI PINANINDIGAN./
NG KANYANG TUNAY NA AMA AT INA./
WALA TAYONG MAGAGAWA./
ANG HALAGA NG GAMOT AT PAGKABUHAY NITONG MATANDA'Y HIGIT PA SA KANYANG NAPUNDAR./

TEKA../
HINDI KAYA../
AKO'Y NAKATINGIN../
SA AKING.../
SARILING.../
LIBING!?!/

LIMAMPU,TATLUMPU, O ILANGPUNG TAON MAKALIPAS./
MAMAMATAY RIN BA AKONG HIKAHOS AT WALA?/
NG ABO SA ABO'T ALABOK SA ALABOK AT WALA NANG IBA./
AT HANGGANG SA HULI'Y NASA IBABA NG INYONG MGA MATA./
KATULAD BA NIYA'Y UUBO RIN AKO NG DUGO?/
LALAYUAN AT PANDIDIRIHAN HANGGANG SA PAGKAMATAY./
AT HANGGANG SA HULI'Y DI MAN LANG BINISITA/
NG KANYANG MAG-INANG NAWALA NA PARANG BULA./
NG PAGTAKAS SA BUHAY PROBINSYA'T ASAWANG PALAMUNIN./
SA ASAWANG NILAMON NG BISYO AT KATAMARAN./
AKO ANG SIYANG LUMIKHA NG AKING IKAPIPIGHATI./
AKO ANG SIYANG MAY-AKDA NG AKING SARILING LIBING./

THE EARNT FUNERAL OF JETRO R SOLER

WHY HAVE IT NOT RAINED ATLEAST?/
WE COULD HAVE TOLD OURSELVES THAT TEARS POURED DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS ASIDE FROM THOSE COMING FROM THE EYES OF THE BEREAVED./
FROM HER EYES MOURNING FOR THE PASSING OF THIS POOR OLD MAN./
WE COULD HAVE TOLD OURSELVES THAT THE HEAVENS OFFERED CONDOLENCES TOGETHER WITH THOSE SIX PEOPLE WHO CHOSE TO BE HERE./
THOSE SIX PEOPLE WORKING FOR THE SAME ESTABLISHMENT HE HAD SERVED FOR 13 YEARS/

13 YEARS OF SCRUBBING THAT FILTHY AND PUNGENT TOILET./
OF SWEEPING AND MOPPING UP THE FLOOR THAT WILL HELP GET THROUGH EACH DAY./
13 YEARS SPENT, WASTED, BURNT ON PATIENTLY LIVING A LIFELESS LIFE./

OH WHY HAVE IT NOT RAINED ATLEAST?/
INSTEAD, THIS SCORCHING HEAT OF DAY./
IT'S BUSY AND IT DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN./
ONLY NOISES, NO FUNERAL MARCH, NO MUSIC FOR THE WEEPING HEARTS./
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT./
IT'S THE ONLY FAREWELL HE HAS MANAGED TO EARN./

HOW WOULD IT BE NOW FOR MAGDA?/
NOW, THAT THE MAN WHO TOOK CARE OF THIS ORPHAN HAS NOW PASSED AWAY./
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT./
THE PRICE OF THE MEDICINES AND THE LIFE OF THIS OLD MAN IS WAY MORE THAN WHAT HE HAS MANAGED TO EARN./

WAIT,/
AM I NOT.../
LOOKING AT../
MY.../
OWN.../
FUNERAL!?!/

FIFTY, THIRTY OR FOR HOW MANY YEARS HEREAFTER./
WILL I ALSO DIE EMPTY?/
ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST, AND NOTHING ELSE MORE./
AND UNTIL THE END, I'M LOOKED DOWN BELOW./
LIKE HIM, WILL I ALSO COUGH BLOOD?/
SHUNNED AWAY AND LOATHED UNTIL DEATH./
AND UNTIL THE END, WAS NOT ABLE TO BE SEEN AGAIN BY HIS WIFE AND SON WHO HAD LEFT HIM LONG TIME AGO./
TO ESCAPE THE LIFE IN THE PROVINCE AND HER BURDENSOME HUSBAND./
THIS HUSBAND WHO HAS BEEN EATEN AWAY BY HIS VICES AND INDOLENCE./
I AM THE ONE WHO HAD CREATED MY OWN MISERY./
I AM THE AUTHOR OF MY OWN FUNERAL./