SURVIVAL Pt.2

My first semester was going smoothly. I was slowly catching up with my classes with the help of my new-found friends and sympathetic professors.  But the feeling of uneasiness grew day by day as I anxiously awaited the approval of my student loan.  The lady at the Department of Education and Culture office said it would take at least three months for my application to get approved.  July….August…..September….1975– these were the longest months of my life. I checked my mailbox everyday.  I needed my provisions ASAP.  But while waiting, I learned some valuable lessons about life:

I had to MAKE DO of what I had;

I had to be CONTENT with the very little there was;

I had to be FRUGAL and THRIFTY;

I had to be CREATIVE and RESOURCEFUL;

I had to PRACTICE these virtues in order to SURVIVE!

But above all, I had to be POSITIVE and OPTIMISTIC, lest despair and discouragement brought by material want would overcome me, imperil my morale, and lead me to give up the fight.

At night when I settled down, I would think of my desperate state only to end up pitying myself for wanting and not having.  I worried to the core. And I experienced deep sorrow.

Many a tear had fallen from my eyes.

Many a questions have I asked.

My spirit groaned, lamented and sighed and begged.

I worried, I became paranoid;

I envied others, even resented them;

For THEY HAVE and I DON’T!

Then a gentle nudge from the Spirit restored my waning faith.

I felt like Jesus was directly talking to me when I read Matthew 6:25-33:

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why worry about clothes?  See how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field which is here today tomorrow is thrown to the fire, will He not much more clothe you?  O you of little faith. So do not worry saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” For the pagans run after all these things and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

And so, I acknowledged my guilt of not trusting enough–the sin of worrying.  I also asked forgiveness for allowing the spirit of envy and resentment to cross my mind.  I learned how to FORSAKE WORRY.  I learned how to LIVE BY FAITH, and to HOLD ON to the belief that:

My God will supply all my needs.

According to His riches in glory,

He will give His angels charge over me

Jehovah Jireh cares for me!

I decided not to go home some weekends because schoolwork was piling up on me, but there was serious repercussion in doing so:  I began to run low on food supply and starve.

I was constantly on a survival mode, and my dire circumstances pushed me to indeed become creative and resourceful in my struggle to survive.

My zoology class gave me an idea on how to put food on the table.  Our laboratory teacher required the class to bring frog specimens for dissecting.  I had a plan:  I will catch frogs and sell them to my classmates.  Then I will have money to buy rice and maybe some fish and some meat.  And I will catch more— for food!  Frog is a Filipino delicacy.  The white meat of this amphibian tastes just like chicken–even better. Take it from the Parisians; their fine-dining restaurants rave about their frog leg delicacy on their menu.

Bagong Sikat where I lived was a farming community.  There were rice paddi
es all around and an irrigation canal running across the sitio. And where there is water, there are fish and frogs!  I spent my vacant hours catching frogs–and I always had a good catch. I made some cash peddling frog specimens to my zoology classmates. And as a result, I had food on my table. I cooked frog in many ways–tinola (stew), fried, grilled, adobo, sinigang. When I saw the neighbor’s papaya tree teeming with fruits, I asked if could have some.  “O sige amang mamitas ka lang hanggang gusto mo.”  (O yes, young man, just pick as many as you want.) Tinola is best when there’s green papaya in it. Yummmmy!

One day while walking to the site where I caught frogs, I noticed an abundance of different edible plants by the way side.  There were saluyot, kulitis (wild spinach) and kangkong (water cress). Various species of mushrooms were also abound, but I had to be careful to know which ones were edible or toxic or I could die of mushroom poisoning!  Now my food source had expanded.  I had frogs for my protein, and a variety of wild greens provided me much needed vitamins.

My situation reminded me of how God sustained the Israelites while they were in the wilderness.  God sent manna everyday–the source of their carbohydrates, and quails which were their source of protein.  God indeed is Jehovah Jireh.. the great Provider!

Curious about what was on the other side–south of CLSU campus–I decided one day to explore the area around the old rice mill.  There was an irrigation canal running across the area. The canal  was equipped with a dam in order to control the water flow, creating  a man-made waterfall. I noticed there was a pocket between the waterfall and the vertical wall of the concrete structure. Shedding off my school clothes except for my shorts, I swam into the cold irrigation water to venture behind the waterfall.  I immediately noticed some shiny moving creatures clinging on the surface of the wall.  I carefully investigated, and to my amazement and great surprise, they were shrimp feeding on algae!  The entire wall was filled with shrimp! A school of shrimp!  I made sure I did not disturb them or they would all swim back into the water, making them difficult to catch.  The plastic bags I always kept in my pocket came in handy for holding the freshly caught wild shrimp.

I carefully scraped the tiny shrimp from the wall catching them in my plastic bag. They were jumping like crazy, making a squabbling, whizzing sound in the bag.  I could only catch so many, as their instinct was to dive back into the water once disturbed.  What a treasure of food I discovered that day!!!

I prepared some “jumping salad” when I came home.  I shared some to my host Kuya Boy who ate them while drinking his San Miguel Beer.  “Masarap ito a
h!  ‘San ‘to galing?”  (This is good! Where did it come from?)  I softly mumbled an answer which he did not hear.  And it’s good he did not ask again.   Should I reveal my discovery? I debated with myself. Since then, the waterfall became one of my frequented places to visit….alone. I decided not to tell my discovery to anyone. I didn’t want the public to flock to CLSU’s property.  Knowing about the shrimp colony might potentially create disturbance.

My creativity and resourcefulness kept flowing after the waterfall discovery. One night when I came home late from the library, I noticed the street lamps just outside my boarding house teeming with moths (gamu-gamo) or winged termites–the edible kind.  These bugs come out only during the rainy season. They are attracted to the light, which was why they were swarming the street lamps. As we did when I was a little boy, I took a large basin, half-filled it with water and placed it underneath the street lamp. The reflection of light on the water fools the moths into the basin and once they land in the water, their wings get wet and heavy and they are trapped!  I waited excitedly while the basin quickly filled with the edible bugs.  However, my excitement created some noise which, awakening Kuya Boy. He came out of the house inquiring.  “O ano ba ang ginagawa mo diyan sa labas?   Gabing -gabi na”. (What are you doing there outside?  It’s too late in the night.) “Nanghuhuli po ako ng gamu-gamo, tingnan ninyo po ang dami,” I replied.  (I’m catching moths, look there’s so many.) My excitement fully awoke him. Soon enough, Kuya Boy rushed to get another basin and joined me.

We filled two basins with the winged termites and proceeded to the kitchen to cook some. These bugs are best prepared by stir frying them in a pan. The dish is already cooked when the wings turn crispy and separate from the bug’s body.  A gentle fanning or blowing will separate the meat from the wings and a sprinkle of salt completes the cooking. Voila. Another protein-rich item was added to my expanding unique menu.

Kuya Boy and I sat together around the table and started eating my delicacy.  “Ang bango ah. Masarap pangpulutan yan.”  (It smells good.  That would go well with a bottle of San Miguel beer.)

While seated and eating, Kuya Boy started a conversation.  “O Gil kumusta naman ang pag-aaral mo?” (Gil, how are  you doing with your studies?), he inquired. “Mabuti po Kuya Boy, nakakahabol naman.” (It’s good Kuya Boy, I am able to catch up) I replied.  “Sabihin mo lang sa akin kung ano ang maitutulong ko.  Huwag kang mahihiya.”  (Just let me know what I can do to help. Don’t be bashful.) He continued,  “Napapansin ko hindi ka na yata umuuwi sa Cabanatuan.”   (I’m noticing that you’re not  going home anymore to Cabanatuan.) He paused and waited for an answer while reaching into his pocket.  But I did not say anything.   “O heto,  para sa pamasahe mo pauwing Cabanatuan.  Marami akong kinita kahapon.   May bumili ng malaking lona.” (Here, take this and use it for your bus fare to visit your folks in Cabanatuan.   I made a big profit yesterday when someone bought a big tarp), he said as he handed me a crispy fifty peso bill!

“Ay naku, huwag na po Kuya Boy, nakakahiya naman. Malaki na po ang naitulong ninyo sa akin.” (Oh no Kuya Boy, I am now very ashamed, you have helped me a lot already), I explained as I began handing the crisp bill back to him. Taking the bill and placing it back on the table, Kuya Boy said, “Sige na kunin mo na, huwag ka nang mahiya.”  (Come on, just take it and don’t be ashamed.) He then got up from his chair to proceed upstairs to their bedroom. Before heading up the stairs, Kuya Boy quickly mentioned, “Siya nga pala, merong ulam na itinira ang Ate Nene mo para sa yo, para huwag ka nang magluto bukas”. “By the way your Ate Nene saved some food for you for tomorrow so you don’t have to cook.” 

I was dumbfounded with what just happened.  I looked at the crisp fifty peso bill he left on the table. I got up to check the cupboard where Kuya Boy said his wife Ate Nene had saved food for me. There, I found a bowl of pork adobo with big chunks of meat!  My bowl of fried winged termite tasted very good, but the pork adobo was terrific! My eyes swelled with tears again. These people cared and they felt I needed help. And for me, their help was not just material. They aided my spirit and emotion. What an encouragement I received from these good-hearted people whom I barely knew!

I thanked the Lord for Kuya Boy and Ate Nene when I went to bed that night, and I thanked God for the very special way He was sustaining me.

Kuya Boy had a buy-and-sell business, I gathered.  He traveled to Angeles City  and Dau Pampanga by the Clark Air Base to buy PX goods (imported goods) to re-sell them. Once, he gave me a small bottle of imported cologne and he jokingly said to me, “O para sa yo yan , gamitin mo para mabango ka naman pag natabi ka sa mga dalaga.”  (Here’s one for you. Use it so that you will smell good when you’re with girls.) Kuya Boy’s bread and butter was selling tarps.  He bought small pieces of the special tarp material and glued them together to make a big one.  It smelled of rugby in the house whenever he was working on a project.  Farmers in the area bought the tarps from him and they used these tarps to dry their rice produce.

I never told them about my financial situation, but by then they might have noticed. Sister Nene would see me come home from school with all sorts of non-traditional food items, instead of the ones that could be purchased from the store. I saw her warm smile and wondering eyes whenever I unloaded and cleaned my food gatherings.  But she never asked. This family had become my family away from home.  They were very sensitive to my needs and they acted with sympathy. They supported and cared for me. What a blessing!

Little Baguio which is located on the east side of CLSU was one of my favorite sites on the sprawling campus. The quaint park was mostly unoccupied during school days, which made it an ideal place for meditation and quiet time. One day I went there not just to pray but also to practice my oratorical piece for my speech class.  Under the small thatch-roofed gazebo on the pond’s island, I practiced my memorized speech aloud with much gusto, with only the chirping birds on the trees, the colorful koi fish swimming, and some beautiful blossoming lotus flowers floating in the still waters of the pond as my captive audience.

When I was done practicing and getting readyto head home, I noticed some kangkong (water cress) by the side of the pond, I pulled some stems toward me to gather talbos (young shoots) for my salad that day.  But I had an unexpected pleasant surprise! Clinging on to the stems and roots of the kangkong were kuhol (snails)–th
e kind that we gather for food.  “Another discovery!” I exclaimed. I went home with a bag full of the delicious snails and couldn’t wait to cook them in coconut milk (ginataang kuhol) just like what my mother usually prepared.

Frogs, moths, wild shrimp, snails, wild plants, and wild mushrooms became my staple food. I had been provided for….abundantly…. and I dared NOT complain!  My Father in heaven had been feeding me well !  And I was very grateful!

God’s given me so much, He’s more than enough

Supplies all my needs from His storehouse of love

He’s brought me this far, but I must confess

The best is in store, I am so blessed!  (Matthew Bowder)

Indeed, the best is in store!.Stay tuned for more stories of blessings from above!

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