The Prized Creature, Part 2

Fiction by | November 25, 2012

And so it was that one day, as the sun began to set in the west, the prized creature watched as the fox headed for its hole with the vixen, the stallion galloped away with the mare, the ram trudged in his trenches with the ewe, and the goose swam off with the gander. But it was alone. And it lifted its hands to the sky, gazing at the expanse imploringly, as though its silent pleas would rise with the wind towards the place of its Maker’s celestial dwelling.

The Essences observed.

“Might it be lonely?”

“Was it enough for Us to make but one of it?”

“The Created Order had provided for two of each kind that they may replenish their own for generations to come.”

“It seems We had overlooked something.”

“The Created Order is incomplete.”

“Then We must craft another of its kind.”

“A fitting companion.”

“A creature so like in likeness, but of finer form.”

“To help in the oversight.”

“To be a partner.”

“A flesh of its flesh.”

“A bone of its bone.”

Continue reading The Prized Creature, Part 2

The Prized Creature, Part 1

Fiction by | November 18, 2012

Paradise Lost, by Gustave Doré
Eons ago, long before remembered time, a great civil war was waged in the celestial realm. Two factions of celestial hosts clashed in a cataclysmic conflict that shook the cosmos. One faction, led by the usurper attempted to snatch the celestial throne and take dominion over the universe. The other stood in defense of it. While the usurping horde numbered only a third of the entire celestial host, the defenders numbered twice as many. Thus, by sheer number and might, the defenders prevailed.

Because of his impudence, the usurper thenceforth took on the title of Adversary, and for their rebellion, leader and horde were banished to a far flung sector of the universe, trillions of worlds away to await their final destiny. The banishment was irrevocable and the Adversary sought to find for them in the meanwhile, suitable habitations. Thus he declared, “Inhabit therefore any realm that you fancy. There are billions scattered all over the cosmos. Go, and spread your ilk to where you best desire. But remember, keep in touch with your brethren – the better for them to know what mischief lies afoot elsewhere in the universe!”

Continue reading The Prized Creature, Part 1

Lag-Ok's Papayas

Fiction by | December 25, 2011

Once there was a man named Lag-ok who owned a beautiful orchard. He had all kinds of fruit trees. There were mangoes, bananas, durian, rambutan, lanzones and others. But his favorite of all was papaya.

Lag-ok loved his orchard very much that he built a tall bamboo fence around it. That way, no one could take any of the ripe fruits from his trees. He wanted all of them for himself. He would sell the big ones in the market and get plenty of money. He would keep the medium ones for eating, and the small ones, he would allow to rot away on the ground to serve as fertilizer. He shared with no one and he gave nothing away.

Continue reading Lag-Ok's Papayas

Edi and the Riddle of the Lady

Fiction by | February 13, 2011

Adapted from Greek Mythology. Illustrations by Juan Carlos Tejada and Kevin Hiram Tejada+

When Edi reached the city’s gate
all was quiet and sedate.
So Edi called with his voice out loud
“HEY MONSTER, WHEREVER YOU ARE, COME OUT!”

Suddenly there was loud flapping of wings
And a large, dark shadow loomed over him.

The winged creature was large and furry
With the body of lion
And the head of a lady.

Continue reading Edi and the Riddle of the Lady

They're All Over!

Nonfiction by | March 14, 2010

When I was a child growing up on Mt. Apo Street, there was a dark, turbaned man in brightly-colored trubenized togs, who came to call on our neighborhood every now and then. He peddled all sorts of goods, from woven mats to Matadujong – a strong-smelling eau de cologne.

At first, I thought he was a Muslim, but my mother corrected the misnomer. “He is an Indian. The man spoke a curious blend of Filipino and English with a funny accent. I always wondered why he wore long sleeves. Later, I learned that he wore on his arms all the wristwatches he was selling.

Continue reading They're All Over!

Confessions of a 58-year-old Trekkie

Nonfiction by | May 31, 2009

Space – the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before.

These words invaded my awareness more than forty years ago when the first edition of Star Trek came out on television. As a precocious teenager, I became instantly tantalized by the Gene Roddenberry creation, a penchant shared by my sister Thelma. At least once a week, we had a rendezvous at around 7:00 PM with the crew of the Enterprise in our 10-inch black-and-white TV set. As far as I remember, we never missed an episode, and should a storm occur at that moment with a blackout, we cursed the heavens for causing us to miss our date with Star Trek-TOS (The Original Series)!

The sci-fi series became a bonding link between my sister and I. There were other sci-fis that came out on TV later (Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon) but our interest was never drawn to them as much as with Star Trek. From the moment we met James Tiberius Kirk and the pointy-eared Vulcan Spock, we knew we were bitten by a bug from which we never recovered.

Continue reading Confessions of a 58-year-old Trekkie

Scenes of my Childhood

Nonfiction by | August 5, 2007

How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood
When fond recollections present them to view…..

Our family moved from Bacolod to Davao in 1956. We lived along Claveria Street just two blocks away from the United Church of Christ at the corner of Bonifacio and Legaspi. Father chose for us to attend this church, not only for its doctrinal similarity to his Presbyterian persuasion, but also for its proximity. Thus did our family become a permanent fixture in the UCCP for the past fifty years.

My childhood memories are permeated with scenes from UCCP. The old wooden Social Hall that once housed the first kindergarten school in Davao City, was also the scene of my sister’s wedding reception, along with many other church related social activities. We had Bible Studies, youth fellowship, prayer, council meetings and parties in that wide-windowed hall just a peeping distance away from the Parsonage.

Continue reading Scenes of my Childhood