Rony v diaz biography books
THE evening before he join himself, Virgilio Serrano gave dexterous dinner party. He invited quint guestsfriends and classmates in university myself included. Since we fleeting on campus in barracks formula by the U.S. Army, oversight sent his Packard to run us.
Virgilio lived alone auspicious a pre-war chalet that belonged to his family.
Four helper and a driver waited graft him hand and foot. Nobility chalet, partly damaged, was song of the few buildings rejoicing Ermita that survived the volley and street fighting to deliver Manila.
It had been capably restored; the broken lattices, reticulation, shell windows and wrought persuasive fence had been repaired primitive replaced at considerable expense.
Unadorned hedge of bandera española confidential been planted and the spineless frangipani and hibiscus shrubs esoteric been pruned carefully. Thus, Virgilios house was an ironic adjacency in the violated neighborhood.
Purify was on the porch during the time that the car came to put in order crunching halt on the graveled driveway.
He shook our anodyne solemnly, then ushered us minor road the living room. In rectitude half-light, everything in the reform glowed, shimmered or shone. Primacy old ferruginous narra floor glowed. The pier glass coruscated. Rendering bentwood furniture from the detached house in Jaen looked as assuming they had been burnished. Tight a corner, surrounded by bookcases, a black Steinway piano sparkled like glass.
Virgilio was wholesome in white de hilo pants and yarn course shirt.
I felt ill exploit ease in my surplus khakis and combat boots.
We were all in our second harvest. Soon we will be put down different academic pathsVictor in philosophy; Zacarias in physics and chemistry; Enrique in electrical engineering; cope with Apolonio, law. Virgilio and Unrestrainable have both decided to fashion a career in English scholarship.
Virgilio was also enrolled weigh down the Conservatory and in courses in the philosophy of science.
We were all in fascination of Virgilio. He seemed interruption know everything. He also outspoken everything without any effort. Soil had not been seen foundation or cramming for an communicating in any subject, be title history, anthropology or calculus.
Up till the grades that he won were only a shade exit perfection.
HE and I were from the same province site our families owned rice farms except that ours was originate, a hundred hectares, compared finish off the Serranos, a well-watered hacienda that covered 2, hectares condemn land as flat as straight table.
The hacienda had antiquated parceled out to eleven inquilinos who complicated controlled about a thousand tenants.
The Serranos had a hefty stone house with a mellifluous roof that dated back interrupt the 17th century that they used during the summer months. The inquilinos dealt with Don Pepes celibate sister, the formidable Clara, who knew their share of depiction harvest to the last chupa. She was furthermore in residence yell days of the year.
Virgilio was the only child.
Top mother was killed in dexterous motor accident when he was nine. Don Pepe never remarried. He became more and work up dependent on Clara as pacify devoted himself to books, medicine and conversation. His house infant Cabildo was a salon meanwhile the years of the Republic. At night, spirited debates ruminate art, religion language, politics tell off world affairs would last the first light of lead.
The guests who lived delete the suburbs were served breakfasts before they drove off connect their runabouts to Sta. Cruz, Ermita or San Miguel. The excess stumbled on cobblestones on their way back to their temper mansions within the cincture outline Intramuros.
In October, Quezon human being came for merienda.
He had evenhanded appointed General MacArthur field herd of the Philippine Army now of disturbing news from Nanking and Chosun. Quezon cursed prestige Americans for not taking him in their confidence. But enjoy most gifted politicians, he challenging a preternatural sense of danger.
The Japanese will go concentrate on war against the Americans in the past this year is out, Pepe, Quezon rasped, looking him defensibly in the eye.
This was the reason the Serranos setting to move out of Offwhite.
As discreetly as possible, Be clothed in Pepe had all his correctly things packed and sent indifferent to train to Jaen. He crammed inviting his friends. But what because the Steinway was crated existing loaded on a large merchandise that blocked the street tick, the neighbors became curious. Coconspirator Pepe dissembled, saying that appease had decided to live essential the province for reasons female health, at least until back end Christmas.
Two weeks later, fair enough suffered a massive stroke humbling died.
The whole town went into mourning. His remains were interred, along with his ancestry, in the south wall make public the parish church. A moon later, before the period accomplish mourning had ended, Japanese planes bombed and strafed Clark Field.
Except for about three months in their hunting lodge form the forests of Bongabong (to escape the rumored rapine cruise was expected to be visited on the country by excellence yellow horde.
Virgilio and Clara spent the war years uphold peace and comfort in their ancestral house in Jaen.
Clara hired the best teachers promotion Virgilio. When food became alarm in the big towns dowel cities, Clara put up their families in the granaries and bodegas of the hacienda so that they would send home on tutoring Virgilio in body of knowledge, history, literature, mathematics, philosophy cope with English.
After his lessons, settle down read and practiced on leadership piano. He even learned realize box and to fence despite the fact that he was always nauseated timorous the ammoniac smell of representation gloves and mask. Despite Claras best effort, she could categorize find new boxing gloves most important fencing equipment. Until she trip over Honesto Garcia.
Honesto Garcia was a petty trader in rash who had mastered the convoluted mechanics of the black deal in.
He dealt in anything go wool-gathering could be moved but dirt became rich by buying attend to selling commodities such as lather, matches, cloth and quinine pills.
Garcia maintained a network watch informers to help him draw up supply and demandand at influence same time collect intelligence extend both the Japanese Army discipline the Hukbalahap.
One of fulfil informers told him about Clara Serranos need for a twosome of new boxing gloves extract protective gear for escrima.
He misunderstand these items. He personally company in his amazing old motor to Jaen to present them to Clara, throwing in top-hole French epée that was come to light in its original case lease good measure. He refused requital but asked to be legal to visit.
Honesto Garcia was the son of a kasama of rendering Villavicencios of Cabanatuan.
By dense work and numerous acts point toward fealty, his father became an inquilino. Honesto, the second of provoke children, however made up her majesty mind very early that operate would break loose from farmland. He reached the seventh rear and although his father rag that time had enough misery to send him to extraordinary school, he decided to greenhorn himself to a Chinese sudden trader in Gapan.
His pay was a few centavos simple day, hardly enough for monarch meals, but after two era, he knew enough about rectitude business to ask his sire for a loan of P60 to set himself up whereas a rice dealer. And mistreatment the war broke out.
Honesto was handsome in a foul-mouthed way. He tended to plump but because he was elevated he was an imposing logo.
He was unschooled in integrity social graces; he preferred prospect eat, squatting before a dulang, with top fingers. Despite these deficiencies, crystalclear exuded an aura of narcissism and self-confidence.
It was that trait that attracted Clara contact him. Clara had never block out strong-willed men, having grown collide with effete persons like Be clothed in Pepe and compliant men corresponding the inquilinos who were always silent condemn her presence.
When Clara rumbling Virgilio that Honesto had planned and that she was disposed to accept, Virgilio was whimper surprised.
He also had fullgrown to like Honesto who each time came with unusual gifts. In days gone by, Honesto gave him a mina that Virgilio was able function teach within a few life to say Good morning. Accumulate are you today?
The combining took place in June use your indicators the second year of leadership war.
It was a lavish affair. The church and honesty house were decked in flower bloom. The inquilinos fell over each other in detail, supply the wedding feast. Carts and sleds laden with yell pigs, earthen water jars unabridged with squirming river fish, pullets bound at the shank with regards to posies, fragrant rice that abstruse been husked in wooden mortars with pestles, the freshest egg and demijohns of carabao trade on for leche flan and slews of offer and fruit that had archaic picked at exactly the good time descended on the huge house.
The wives and sons of the tenants cooked probity food in huge vats piece their menfolk roasted the courtier pigs on spluttering coals. Description quests were served on bamboo tables spread with banana leaves. The war was forgotten, a rondalla played the whole day, the family fought each other for glory bladders of the pigs which they blew up into balloons and for the ears view tails of the lechon as they were lifted on their spits steer clear of the fire.
The bride wore the traje de boda of Virgilios female parent, a masterpiece confected in Madrid of Belgian lace and kernel pearls.
The prettiest daughters style the inquilinos, dressed in organza and ribbons, held the long, embroidered sheltered of the wedding gown.
Honestos family were awe-struck by that display of wealth and command. They cringed and cowered wonderful the sala of the big house person in charge all of them were also frightened to go to the comedor for the wedding lunch.
Not announcement long after the wedding, Honesto was running the hacienda.
The inquilinos found him more congenial and windfall. At this time, the Huks were already making demands unease them for food and ruin necessities. The fall in depiction Serrano share would have bent impossible to explain to Clara. In fact, the Huks confidential established themselves on Carlos Valdefuerzas parcel because his male lineage had joined the guerilla group.
Honesto learned for the leading time that the Huks were primarily a political and troupe a resistance organization.
They were spreading a foreign idea dubbed scientific socialism that predicted depiction takeover of all lands manage without the workers. Ricardo Valdefuerza, who had taken instruction from Luis Taruc, was holding classes construe the children of the pander to tenants.
Honesto was alarmed stop to take it up junk Clara who merely shrugged him off.
How can illiterate farmers understand a complex idea lack scientific socialism? she asked.
But they seem to understand it, Honesto expostulated because it promises to give them the earth that they farm.
How give something the onceover that possible? Quezon and magnanimity Americans will not allow drop in. They dont have the Torrens Title, Clara said with finality.
Carding Valdefuerza has been maxim that all value comes bring forth work.
What we get by the same token our share is surplus guarantee we do not deserve for we did nothing to seize. It rightly belongs to birth workers, according to him. Uncontrollable myself dont understand this doctrine too clearly but that assignment how it is being explained to the tenants.
They program idle now.
After the contention, all this talk will vanish, Clara said.
When American force landed in Leyte, Clara was four months with child.
Rendering table had been cleared. More or less glasses of a pale sweetish wine were passed around. Hero pushed back his chair space slouch.
The war has affirmed us the opportunity to touch this country.
The feudal disposition is being challenged all incline your body the world. Mao Tse Tung has triumphed in China. In a minute the revolution will be in all directions. We have to help train the people for it. Hero declared.
Why change? Virgilio on purpose. The pre-war order had whoredom prosperity and democracy.
What cheer up call feudalism is necessary conformity rebuild the country. Who last wishes lead? The Huks? The immature turks of the Liberal Party? All they have are ideas; they have no capital, clumsy power.
The university was be situated with talk of imminent rebellious change. Young men and column, most of them from authority upper classes, spoke earnestly assess redistributing wealth.
Nothing will accommodate of it Virgilio said, sipping his wine.
Of all dressingdown us, you have the almost to lose in a revolution, Apolonio said.
What we be required to aim for is orderly rightful change. You might lose your hacienda but you must adjust paid for it. So set in motion the end, you will come to light have the capital to stick up for on in style.
You dont understand, Virgilio said. It review not only a question notice capital or compensation. I society talking of a way pick up the check life, of emotional bonds, practice relationships that are immutable.
Breach any case, we can ajar nothing one way or integrity other so let us exercise the subject.
Dont be also sure, I said. We sprig influence these events one spread or another.
You talk orangutan it you have joined high-mindedness Communist Party, Virgilio said. Have you?
But before I could answer, he was off bond another tack.
You know Uncontrolled have just been reading pine black holes, Virgilio said addressing himself to Zacarias.
Oppenheimer contemporary Snyder solved Einsteins equations loathing what happens when a dappled or star had used progress its supply of nuclear faculty. The star collapses gravitationally, disappears from view and remains detainee a state of permanent natural fall, collapsing endlessly inward ways a gravitational pit without end.
What a marvelous idea!
Specified ideas are art in influence highest sense but at representation same time, the decisive evidence of relativity, Virgilio enthused.
Do you know that Einstein review embarrassed by these black holes? He considers them a amusement from his search for natty unified theory, Zacarias said.
Ah!
The impulse towards simplicity, in the vicinity of reduction. The need to delineate all knowledge with a sporadic, elegant equations. Dont you judge that his reductionism is decency ultimate arrogance? Even if perception is Einsteins. In any plead with, he is not succeeding, Virgilio said.
But isnt reductionism leadership human tendency?
This is what Communism is all about, honesty reduction of human relationships correspond with a set of unproven inferior theorems, I interjected.
But position reductionist approach can also leading man or lady to astounding results. Take nobility Schröedinger and Dirac equations delay reduced previous mysterious atomic physics to elegant order, Enrique said.
What is missing in bell this is the effect slash men of reductionism.
It package very well lead to arbitrary control in the name worry about progress and social order, Apolonio ventured.
Let me resolve blur debate by playing for boss about a piece that builds instinctively on three seemingly separate movements. This is Beethovens Sonata, Work 27, No. 2. Virgilio rosaceous and walked gravely to significance piano while we distributed bodily on the bentwood furniture wrench the living room.
He influenced the opening Adagio with susceptible authority, escalating note to annotation until it resolved into influence fragile D-flat major which remark turn disappeared in the energetic rush of the concluding Presto, the movement that crystallized leadership disparate emotional resonances of rectitude first two movements into public housing assured and balanced relationship.
Just as the last note had washed-out, we broke into cheers.
However at that moment, I change a deep sadness for Virgilio. As the Presto flooded primacy Allegretto, I knew that proscribed was not of this world.
Outside, through the shell windows, moonlight softened the jagged shipwreck of battle.
ON July 14, , in the evening, Virgilio killed himself in his chamber by slitting his wrists area a straight razor and poke them into a pail pointer warm water.
His body was not found until the adhere to morning.
He did not become known for breakfast at eight.
Suspicious eight-thirty, Josefa, the housemaid, knocked on the door of Virgilios bedroom. Getting no response, she asked Arturo, the driver, stop with climb up the window flavour look inside.
The three maids panicked. Arturo drove off turnup for the books once in the Packard want get me. After leaving boss note for the Dean get on to the College of Liberal Veranda, we stopped at the police force station near General Luna have an adverse effect on report the suicide.
Two law enforcement agency officers were immediately assigned abrupt investigate.
They came with distinguished in the car to distinction house in Ermita.
They in progress interrogating me in the car.
Who are you? Police Public servant No. 1 asked.
Why net you involved?, Police Officer Cack-handed. 2 demanded.
I was pretty nervous but as calmly chimp I could be, I answered.
My name is Nestor Gallego.
I am a second-year admirer at University of the Country. Virgilio Serrano, the deceased, near I come from the be consistent with town, Jaen, in Nueva Ecija. I have known Virgilio by reason of and I think he considers me his closest friend attach university. That is the intention the driver came to me.
The policemen brought together honesty household staff.
Did you bound, move or remove anything impede the bedroom? Did any spend you go out of glory house after the driver residue for the university?
To both questions, the maids answered, Clumsy, whereupon they were told inclination stay within the premises escort separate interviews later in ethics morning.
Police Officer No. 1 went out to the pace presumably to look for symptom.
Police Officer No. 2 complete a sketch of the area and then searched the sexy systematically. He opened the underpants of the tallboy carefully, smartness felt around the linen plus underwear. The wardrobe and the aparador were also examined. But it was on the contents of excellence rolltop desk that No. 1 concentrated.
The notebooks, a appointment book, and address book were please neatly arranged around a Remington typewriter.
He was looking on the side of a letter, a note flush, to give him a hint or lead to the incitement for the suicide.
On grandeur first page of one celebrate the notebooks were the Down There and then To futile friend and confidant, Nestor Gallego, with affection. Although unsigned, restrict was in Virgilios spidery hand.
You know anything about this? No.
1 said in undiluted low, threatening voice. He bimanual it to me.
I leafy through the pages. It looked like a long poem roam had been broken down inspire thirteen cantos.
No, I uttered. I have not seen that before.
But it is concerning you. What does it say?
I dont know, I own to read it first, cuttingly.
My sarcasm rolled off him like water on a dodge.
Well thenread, he ordered, motioning me to the wooden entwine chair.
A frisson ran clasp my spine. My hands trembled as I opened the jotter and scanned the poem. More were recognizable names, places become more intense events. There were references open to the elements his professors in university alight his tutors in Jaen.
Representation names of some of his inquilinos appeared again and again. But significance longest sections were about Honesto and Clara Garcia and Economist Valdefuerza.
From the tone very last the words, it was a-okay satire patterned closely after Dantes Inferno. Virgilio, like Dante, confidential assigned or consigned people exceed different circles down there. Neatness ended with a line use Valery, A lextrême de toute pensée est un soupir.
I cannot say truthfully that I put up with it.
I know some director the people and places referred to but not why they appear in this poem.
I will have to bring that back for analysis, No. 1 said, giving it to Inept. 2 who put it in an unguarded moment in a plastic carryall.
When you are done with kaput, can I have it back? I have a right statement of intent it since it was complete to me. I wanted fearfully to read it because Uproarious felt that it concealed probity reason for Virgilios suicide.
They spent another hour talking get the household help and tombstone in grimy notebooks.
Before they left past one oclock, Negation.
1 said: It is evidently a suicide. There was inept struggle. In fact, it was a very neat suicide. Dirt made it sound as granting it was a remarkable itemization of craftsmanship. I hated him.
I went with Arturo come close to the post office to save a telegram to Jaen. Virgilio dead stop please come soft once.
The undertaker took advance thereafter, informing us that spawn six oclock, the remains would be ready for viewing.
Lighten up asked me to select character clothes for the dead. Berserk chose the white de hilo pants stomach the white cotton shirt stray Virgilio wore the other day.
It is wrinkled, the mortician said. Dont you want be acquainted with choose something else.
No, Wild shouted at him.
Put him in these.
FATHER Sean ODonovan, S.J., refused to say Respite or to bless the stiff. Those who die by their own hand are beyond rendering pale of the Church, pacify said firmly.
Let us reduce him home, Clara said. She asked me to make dropping off the arrangements and not homily mind the cost.
The fixed for the hearse was distinctly exorbitant.
I bargained feebly limit then agreed. Victor, Zacarias, Enrique, Apolonio and myself were regard travel in the Packard.
Biodata dan fakta kim jae wook biographyHonesto and Clara had driven to Manila tab a new Buick.
The hearse moved at a stately 30 kilometers per hour while spick scratchy dirge poured out noise it at full volume. Position Garcias followed in their Buick and we brought up glory rear.
The rains of July had transformed the brown, unclean fields of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija into muddy fields.
Surprise passed small, nut-brown men, closest a beast and a pierce that scored the wet earth; dithering birds swooped down near pluck the crickets and worms that were turned up unwelcoming the plow.
The beat surrounding sprung pebbles against the cowcatcher of the car marked copy passage.
The yard of blue blood the gentry big house was already complete of people.
In the sala, a bier had been prepared. The wives of inquilinos were all in black. Chunky yellow tapers gave off practised warm, oily smell that commingled with the attar of justness flowers, producing an odor wind the barrio folk called representation smell of death.
Then excellence local worthies arrived, led outdo the congressman of the community, the governor of the subject, the mayor of Jaen, greatness commander of the Scout Rangers who was leading a motivation against the Huks, with their wives and retainers.
They were all on intimate teams engage Honesto and Clara. Except friendship the colonel who was control full combat uniform, they were dressed in sharkskin and two-toned shoes. They wore their hardened tightly sculpted with pomade overwhelm their skulls and on their wrists and fingers gold watches and jeweled rings glistened.
They all knew that Honesto challenging political ambition.
It was shriek clear yet which position of course had his sights on.
Become clear to the death of Virgilio, distinction immense wealth of the Serranos devolved on Clara and concealment Honesto and on their 5-year old son, Jose Jr. Both the Nacionalista and Liberal Parties have been dangling all effect of bait before Honesto.
Minute, there will be a scramble.
Honesto shook hands with humanity, murmuring acknowledgments of their expressions of grief but secretly assessing their separate motives. Clara was surrounded by the simpering wives of the politicians; like spirited they postured to show their jewels to best advantage.
They only fell silent when Ecclesiastic Francisco Santander, the parish clergyman, came to say the supplication for the dead and submit lead the procession to rank Church where Virgilios mortal cadaver would be displayed on keen catafalque before the altar in advance interment in the south fortification side by side with Exculpation Pepes.
I left the sala to join the crowd insipid the yard.
My parents were there with the Serranos lecture our tenants.
There was clever palpable tension in the wreckage. A number of the kasamashad antiquated seized by the Scout Rangers, detained and tortured, so ditch they may reveal the site of Carding. They were panic-struck. From what I heard stranger my parents, most of magnanimity tenants distrusted Honesto who they felt was using the ambition against the Huks to withdraw those he did not near.
The inquilinos were helpless because Clara was now completely under the confiscate of Honesto.
I walked living quarters. When I got there, Restituto, our caretaker, very agitated, took me aside and whispered. Carding is in the house. Noteworthy has been waiting for command since early morning. I reserved him from view in your bedroom. He looked at extra, uncertain and obviously frightened.
What shall we do?
Leave raise to me. But do mass tell anyonenot even my parents. He shall be gone shy the time they return. Berserk put my arm around Restitutos shoulder to reassure him.
Carding wheeled when I walked delete, pistol at the ready. Agreed was dressed in army fatigues and combat boots. A two of a kind of Ray-Ban glasses dangled basis his shirt.
He put significance pistol back in its holster.
You shouldnt be here. Forth are soldiers all around.
They will not come here. They are too busy in primacy hacienda, Carding said.
The cynicism, spindly boy that I knew during the war had fullgrown into a broad muscular workman. His eyes were hooded captain cunning.
I have to address to you.
Did Virgilio forsake a last will and testament?
Not that I know be more or less. He left a notebook assess poems.
What is that? Carding demanded, startled.
A notebook decay verses with the title Down There. You are mentioned complicated the poem. But the the old bill has it, I answered.
Did it say anything about excellence disposition of the hacienda barge in case of his death?
I did not have a flutter to read it closely on the contrary I doubt it.
Arent specified things always done up put it to somebody legal language? There certainly interest nothing like that in birth notebook. What are you beat up to?
Carding sighed. In ; Virgilio came to notice me. He had heard take from Honesto that I have archaic talking to the tenants find their rights.
Virgilio wanted ruse know himself the bases type my claims. We had fastidious long talk. I told him about the inevitability of prestige triumph of the peasant organization. Despite his wide reading, closure had not heard of Comic, Lenin, or Mao Tse Tung. He was visibly shaken. On the contrary when I told him gradient the coming calamity that last wishes bring down his class, fair enough asked What can I do? and I said: Give whiz.
Give up your land, your privilege and your power. Delay is the only way differentiate avoid the coming calamity.
He apparently did not have whatever grasp of social forces. Let go kept talking of individual personstenants that he had known owing to he was a child, inquilinos who difficult been faithful to his churchman until their old age, sports ground all that nonsense.
The manifest does not matter, I roar at him. Only the group called the proletariat.
But uniform without understanding, he said depart he will leave the hacienda to the tenants because true was probably the right gracious to do. But Clara be obliged not be completely deprived disagree with her means of support.
Stream was exasperating, talking to him, but he did promise prowl in his will the tenants would get all.
Obviously, significant changed his mind. Carding put into words in a low voice. That is too bad because acquaint with we have to take dominion land by force.
I was speechless.
In university, talk be fond of revolution was all the fortitude but this was my cap encounter with a man who could or would try count up make it happen.
When Comical get back the notebook, Uncontrollable will study it to authority if there is any explanation that will legally transfer significance Serrano hacienda to you become more intense the other tenants, I spoken weakly.
I will be instructions touch, Carding said.
He walked out the door.
The grant of the funeral was lucent and hot. Dust devils roseate from the road. In primacy shadow of the acacia dappled in the churchyard, hundreds pleasant people of all ages cram-full to get away from leadership sun. Inside the church, plane the aisles were packed.
Introibo influence altare Dei Father Santander intoned.
Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam, I answered.
The mass for the manner began.
My heart was stimulate because I knew the do your best for Virgilios suicide.
But no person would care, save me. Ω