“Call?” I stuttered, splashing and hurrying to catch up with him. He glided forward effortlessly. Feeling the need to speak, lest I lose myself to shaking, I looked sideways at him. “Are you as they say?”
“And what do they say?” His voice had the texture of the liquid mercury we had studied in chemistry class. It was elusive yet stationary, hovering just over my head, but I could not grasp it.
“Are you truly the Jonah in the Bible, who was caught inside the whale? The man God sent to preach to the city of Nineveh?”
He jerked his body sideways and looked at me then, an expression of great horror on his face. The fishes in the water grew thick in number and swam violently. Mang Minno shouted a laugh like a rushing waterfall. “No, I am not Jonah. But I know of him. I am not allowed to walk his waters.”
The bitterness of his voice touched me like the fingers of the dead. I shivered. He took me through the waters to a part of the forest I had not known existed. I lost my footing, and for a moment I was submerged. I opened my mouth at the sight. All around were big fishes, giant even to a boy my size. Fishes the size of the caribous, the large water buffalos that pulled Father’s carts in the fields. Small fishes as small as the little bothersome lice I detested. I gulped the water, clenching my eyes shut, expecting the flavor of mud and seaweed. But it tasted sweet, like the rice wine Father favored.
We walked up a steep rock that emerged from the water to a jagged point. I marveled at how quickly my clothes dried from the absence of wind. We stood at the precipice of the cliff, and Mang Minno slowly placed his hand on a thin rope tied around his neck, which he pulled up from beneath his shirt. I strained and pretended to look forward, but all the while my eyes were glued to the corners, watching his every move. Finally a bulk appeared at the neck of his shirt. I braced myself, waiting for the blazing amulet that it was rumored he carried. You cannot imagine my face. I blinked several times to clear my vision when I finally saw what it was he had tied to the end of that necklace.
It was a fishbone, as big as my hand. It was caked in dirt and something resembling phlegm. The bone itself was thick and smooth, the texture of ivory. The backbone had six pieces radiating from the center, three on each side. The end of it appeared to have been broken off from a longer piece. He took the bone and placed it whole into his mouth. I shuddered at the sight. He pressed his lips together and puffed his cheeks out, in much the same way a person whistles. A deep haunting sound with no bottom came forth. It pierced my ears and shattered the air into movement. Immediately great gusts of wind began to blow. His eyes moved from side to side, though he looked straight ahead. He took a breath and blew one more time. This time the sound reminded me of a trumpet. He pointed out to the ocean. “There, look, Roman.”
In the water were thousands of ink shadows taking form beneath the surface. I blinked and they became fishes. There were the great lapulapo fish, the orange-and-white dalagang bukid, the ghost white sapsáp, and thousands of tiny silver-and-gold dilis, to name just a few. My legs wobbled at the absurdity of it all. I was scared. I hadn’t felt fear until that moment, for it was then I realized he had in his possession a great power.
The fish had voices. They sang and called out in a million different tunes. They faced us, rows of them, listening, waiting for his instructions. The tribunal hovered around Mang Minno like guardians, their purple fins glinting in the sun.
Mang Minno laughed at me. “Well, what are you standing there for? Do you expect them to jump into your basket? They will, you know, if I tell them to.”
I had forgotten the basket I carried in my hand. Our cook, Octavia, had given it to me that morning. I opened the basket and looked inside stupidly. Mang Minno shook his head and pointed a leathered finger downward.
“Open the basket, and throw it into the water.”
I did as he told me to; my hands were shaking terribly. The basket sank into the clear water, and to my excitement and horror, the fishes moved into the bag, forming a polite line as if getting onto a bus. Mang Minno laughed at my expression of shock. He clapped my back and I nearly fell forward into the ocean of fish.
“Go home, Roman. Go home and tell your family they will soon be rich.”
I was not sure if I even bade him good night. By the time I thought of it, I was walking in the sunlight with two bags full of undulating fish.
OCTAVIA GREETED ME at the door, her apron smeared purple from preparing the salty bagoóng spread and chopped tomatoes. My brother, Roger, loved to heap the mixture over his rice. Octavia’s face registered shock. She looked at me, then down to my basket, then back at my face. No one in our household had ever seen me lift a finger in work. It was not necessary. Father would grow angry if he saw my brother or me even attempting to help a servant. “That is not what we pay them for; we have other servants to do that,” he would say.
That was why when Octavia beheld my clothes reeking of fish, and my hair plastered against my face with sweat, she almost screamed.
“Who has told you to do this?” She looked around at the empty room accusingly. “Your father will have our heads. We will be out on the streets come evening. Who has allowed this? Oh, my goodness. I have five children to feed.” She wrung her hands, her voice rising shrilly.
“No one told me to do anything,” I barked at her hysterics. Then, more gently, I said, “Give these to Rolando and Ariel to bring to our store.” They were our houseboys and did a number of odd chores. They were also my age. My father detested the idea of my socializing with them, so I did, at every opportunity. She shouted for the two of them, and within seconds you could hear the muffled padding of bare feet on our hardwood floors. My mother did not allow them to wear shoes inside our house. She was afraid they would scar the floors.
Rolando appeared first and grinned from the hallway. He nodded at me and I grinned back. Next came loud thumping sounds that would have made my mother faint if she had witnessed their origin. Ariel stomped into the kitchen, each foot tied to half a coconut shell, so that he was at least five inches taller. He had them strapped on in much the same way one walks on circus stilts or the American roller skates. The hollow half of each shell faced the ground. The fibers were perfect for glossing the hardwood floors. Rolando and I burst into laughter at the sight of Ariel. This was not an uncommon way to wax the boards, yet you had to know Ariel to appreciate the sight. He was the biggest clown and always in trouble within our household.
“Hoy”—Ariel nodded—“maraming isdâ. Ang galíng mo namán.” Hey, look at all that fish. You’re good. He smiled appreciatively. His two front teeth were missing from our rock-climbing incident several weeks back, giving his words a lisping quality.
“The two of you, stop standing there and take these to the market,” Octavia said with a frown, but I could tell she was hard-pressed not to laugh at Ariel’s outlandish appearance.
“Okay, okay.” Ariel wiped his hands and dropped to untie his coconuts. He looked up at me and nodded once with a jerk of his head. “Sama ka?” he asked. Come along? Only two words, but they promised a great deal of mischief and wrong routes before we got to the market.
“Okay,” I answered, but just at that moment the front door opened and we could hear my parents enter the house along with my brother. Ariel and Rolando did not even stop to look at me, they walked straight out the back door to wait for Octavia to split the fish into four baskets.
My parents walked into the kitchen, and Octavia brandished the fish in her hand to distract them from my appearance. I watched their expressions. My mother was surprised. “Such healthy specimens. Where did you find these? It is as if someone has hand-fed them every day. Look at how their scales shine.” She held up a squirming blue fish with bright gold stripes. “We shall bring some to Aling Lumina’s party tonight.” My mother laughed.
My father was so impressed. “Was this the fishing hole you spoke of? This catch is exceptional. You must show me where you caught these.” He was so thrilled, he stopped my brother as he walked
by. “Look, Roger, talo ka palá ni Roman. Tingnán mo ang na huli niya’.” Your brother bested you. Look at what he has caught.
My brother looked at the fish my father held up.
“Tay, you will get my clothes for Aling Lumina’s dirty,” Roger said, scowling in disgust. He made a big circle around my father and hurried down the hall to his room.
My father handed Octavia the rest of the fish. “Oo ngâ anó,” he exclaimed. Oh, yes. “Get dressed for Aling Lumina’s party, Roman,” he ordered as he rushed off to get ready.
In the hallway, I saw my grandfather. He stood at the doorway of his room as I passed. I did not look at him. I felt his eyes on me, stronger than the day before. I could feel his disapproval lashing me with every step I took. I chose not to meet his gaze. I gloried instead in the memory of my father’s short compliments. I had brought home a prize catch. I felt like a man. I shoved my chest forward as I walked by. I must have been a real sight, my chest like a small twig, thrust forward against the wind that was my grandfather’s eyes.
ALING LUMINA’S PARTY was in full swing when we arrived. My brother’s friends were milling about the front of the house. They were talking to a group of young girls, and Roger went straight to them, like an arrow shot out of our car.
“Behave yourself tonight, Roman, ha?” my father warned. “Not like the last time.” He and my mother disappeared in embraces and loud greetings.
“I will,” I answered, but they were too far away to hear. I walked up the stairs slowly, with my hands in my pocket.
“Hi, Roman. Hello, Roman,” the girls from my brother’s group called out to me.
I inclined my head. They giggled, and I saw my brother put away his comb.
I went inside and found my friend Eduardo Rosales near the punch bowl. He was nearly as tall as me, but narrow in the shoulders, long in the arms, and short waisted. I looked around the room. It was filled with teens. Everyone was huddled in their safe little circles. I felt a mad urge to take this girl and that boy from their safe circles and mix them up. The same way I wished to throw my American football against my mother’s imported china plates during dinner.
The sky when I looked out the window, past the swaying leaves of yellow acacia and palm trees, was a watered-down blue. As if the oil had separated from the color in the bottle and all the ink had spilled out. Clouds drifted eastward, tinted coral by the fading sun. The others eyed me suspiciously, the older boys trying to look tough yet having to look up past my shoulders. They were wearing dress shirts and ties, or the traditional barong tagalogs made of fine pineapple thread. I came with a shirt but no tie, and Father had berated me the entire way. I held my jacket tucked under my arm.
“Another boring night,” I said to Eduardo. I was about to walk out of the room when I saw Aurora Martinez, Mang Minno’s youngest daughter, walk in. My brother and his friends jostled one another, sneaking glances her way. They looked like a bunch of fools talking in poses they had obviously practiced at home.
Eduardo grinned stupidly. “You will never guess what I just heard.”
He waited for me to ask what it was. I gave him a look.
“I overheard Aurora Martinez wants you to ask her to dance.”
I scowled. “She never even looks my way.” I chanced a glance in her direction.
“Well, you know what they say: When someone likes you, they avoid you even more.”
“She must be in love with me, then,” I said wryly. “Anyways, where did you hear this?” I tried to hide the hope in my voice.
“Her friends Theresa and Felicita.”
I looked at Eduardo, encouraged, “Yes?”
“Yes.” He shrugged. “She said she thought you were dangerous.”
“Dangerous, and she likes that?”
“Remember that time you ran off to visit those caves in Cavite without telling your mother?”
“And all the police were searching for my kidnapper?”
“And the time you dove off the top of that waterfall and split the back of your head like a broken water trough?”
I looked over at Aurora, standing near the punch table surrounded by her friends. She didn’t seem particularly interested in what they were saying. I looked back at Eduardo. He shrugged again, but this time with a grin.
“Okay,” I said.
“You’re going to ask her to dance?” Eduardo grabbed my elbow.
I pulled his fingers off me. “I’m just going over to see what’s going on.”
As I approached the table, Aurora’s friends began sneaking glances at me, and to my surprise they scattered and left Aurora standing alone. She turned immediately and picked up a plate. I excused myself and did the same.
“Hello, Aurora,” I said, studying the food.
“Hi, Roman.” She spooned some rice onto her plate.
We stood surveying the rest of the table. Finally she spoke again. “Did you just get here?”
“Yes, but I am probably going to leave soon. I was thinking of borrowing Aling Lumina’s boat.” I don’t know how I even thought of that, except that perhaps I was trying my best to seem wild. I wasn’t even sure if Aling Lumina had a boat.
“Don’t you like the music?” she asked, looking down at her shoes.
“Would you like some lechón?” I asked, impaling a crispy piece of roasted pig.
“Yes, please.” She lifted her plate, and I placed several pieces onto the blue-and-yellow china.
I reached for her wrist as she pulled her plate away. “Here, let me put some sarsa on it,” I offered, ladling the thick spicy sauce over the pork.
We became nervous from the contact. We studied the table again. I saw that one of the large fish I had caught had already been grilled and sliced open. It was presented on an oblong plate with red sauce and onions, garnished with green and red bell peppers. I took my fork and reached for a piece. I dropped the fork. The eye had moved.
“What was that?” Aurora asked, picking up my fork from the table. It still had a piece of fish attached to it.
I looked at her. “Did you see it, too?”
“See what? I meant, why did you drop the fork?” She placed the silver delicately on my plate and speared a piece of fish for herself.
I winced and took a step back, waiting.
“Would you like some sauce, Roman?”
I couldn’t speak. I shook my head. She frowned, smiling unsurely She closed her eyes. “Mmm, taste the fish, Roman. It is wonderful. Did you truly catch this yourself?”
I raised the fork to my mouth, all the while expecting the white meat to move. It did not, and I decided I must have been imagining it. I put the morsel in my mouth; the taste was fresh, the sweetness took your breath away. I swallowed. “This is good,” I said to her. Then, suddenly, my mouth began to burn, worse than the time I had eaten an entire bag of chili peppers. My eyes watered, and I looked around in a panic, then grabbed the large spoon in the punch bowl and drank from it.
Aurora laughed. “What are you doing?”
I couldn’t answer her. Suddenly her image blurred and I could see water all around me. I shook my head. Aurora appeared before me, concern on her face.
“Roman?”
“It is nothing,” I began, but another image blocked hers out, this time stronger. I saw the sky the same color as the ocean. There was no horizon to separate the two. It was dusk, and the water was silver blue. I heard laughter, a man’s laughter. I saw a man running in terror toward the water, away from someone, from me. I shook my head.
“Roman, are you all right?” Aurora put a hand to my shoulder.
The image disappeared at her touch. I took an unsteady breath. My whole body was shaking. “Do you want to dance?” I blurted.
“Yes,” she said.
I took her hand and walked out onto the dance floor. My brother and his friends stopped talking the minute we walked past. I couldn’t help but smile, but I was still shaken.
I placed my hand stiffly on her waist and almost jumped at the
softness of it.
“Roman, you’re shaking,” she said.
“You smell like flowers,” I told her.
“Thank you. You smell like …” She paused. “Fish.”
I looked at her in surprise and we both started laughing. I could feel Roger glaring at me from the sidelines.
“Did you want to borrow Aling Lumina’s boat to go fishing tonight?” she asked excitedly. “I think that would be great fun. Would you take me?”
“Of course,” I answered before I could stop the words from swimming out of my mouth.
“When, when shall we go?”
“After the next dance? I need time to look for the boat.”
“Fine, let me just gather my things.” She rushed off as soon as the song ended. Her girlfriends were waiting, and they surrounded her like a harem, laughing and chattering away.
I walked past my brother, who called out to me. I went straight to Eduardo. He was stupid with excitement.
“Oh, my God, you really did it, Roman. You are king of the mountains. You are the head carabao.”
“Something’s wrong. I ate the fish and I heard laughter.”
“What?” Eduardo asked.
“Mang Minno, I heard his voice. He was laughing.”
“The old fisherman? But how do you know what he sounds like?” Eduardo was staring at me.
“She wants to go for a boat ride. She thinks I want to go fishing in the dark.”
Eduardo looked at me as if I were crazy. Our parents would have convulsions if we left the party. It was just not done. “What do you mean? Why would she think that?”
“Because I told her. Does Aling Lumina have a boat?” I asked, hoping she did not.
“Let us go and see.” Eduardo wrinkled his brow in agitation. I blinked at him. That was one of the things about Eduardo. He never questioned the stupidity of my requests, just helped me to achieve them.
“All right.” I shoved my hands in my pockets and followed him out. I glanced back at the table of food, but the fish sat properly on its plate.
THE NIGHT WAS hot, with the scent of jasmine. The orange moon sat low above the ocean, a ball of fire smoldering against the black. The water lapped softly against the dock. Behind us, the gay lanterns of the house flickered, music played, and laughter filtered out to us.
When the Elephants Dance Page 12