THE STORY OF FIVE MONTHS - A PERSPECTIVE AFTER 31 YEARS (9)

Chapter 9

I Embraced the Clouds

Kalinga in the olden times is known for its head-hunting history. Balbalan is even a term which means to wash the blood away. According to the narratives, when Balbalan was Christianized, it had shed its warrior and fierce nature to a people of loving ways, God-fearing and almost coy to an extent. They are greatly hospitable, always reaching out to give help and truly honest. One time, I was asked to judge in a declamation contest, it happened that my wallet went missing. I didn’t know that I’ve lost it but one young lady ran after me as I was on my way to Gawaan to give me my wallet. Had I lost my wallet in the city, I would have probably said goodbye to it. I thanked her profusely and went on my way home. As I walked through the way, I looked up and saw the orange trees with many fruits. I was excited. I hope in due time, they ripen and we will be able to taste the much talked upon Kalinga oranges. 

In Balbalan, Kalinga, they would most likely return your wallet almost always.

There was so much debate about these oranges. That the Kalinga orange is not an orange but “dalandan”. They call it “dalandan” because it is green outside but orange inside.  Another term is kahel. You might even hear the words naranja or naranjita (Clementine). When you translate these terms, they end up with the translation as orange. When it is orange or yellowish orange inside, it is an orange fruit from the Citrus family. Therefore, the Kalinga orange is an orange. 

The Kalinga orange more commonly known as gayunan

Our work continued and the training of the health workers was coming to an end. Rocco after a month of absence came back. We were in a quandary if Rizel will go home but she stayed with us until we almost finished the program. By now, the community has been accustomed with us. Our mornings are not complete without the coffee blend of Nanang and the pandesal by Rizel.

The clouds are amidst us

On one beautiful morning we woke up with a thick fog around us. We walked towards the outside the house and looked up to where Salegseg was located. The clouds were hovering Salegseg. It was the same type of clouds communing with us. We were in the midst of the clouds and I gave the clouds a tight embrace. I jumped with too much joy. I placed myself on the big rock that served as the gateway to our village. I stretched my hands as if to engulf the beauty that surrounded me. Gawaan is our new Sagada. I ran towards the area of the rice terraces and like the scene where Nora Aunor shouted the words "Banaue" where the terraces are, I shouted Gawaan to the top of my voice. The kids who ran after me were bewildered and amused and started to giggle.

Ga......wa....an.....

As clouds cleared up, flocks of birds flew in front of me. White egrets beautifully glided. They were followed by the colorful birds. The other group looked like ducks flying towards the forest. It is becoming colder in the Western hemisphere and the migratory birds have come back to the much warmer environment. What place is the best to visit but Balbalan where people truly commune with nature?

Migratory birds as against the sunrise.
Photo from pixabay.com

Rocco’s return ushered more invitations to us. We get invitations even at peace pact gatherings. When the supposed peace pact between the CPLA, NPA and the government represented by the governor and the military commander was held in Pantikian, we were invited to witness how peace pacts in the Cordillera were done. Added to this, this was on a grander scale because it was not just peace pacts among warring tribes but a supposed peace pact among warring ideologies. In Pantikian, we met the governor and some who were supposed to be on the NPA side. The group of Father Balweg we were told was in another house. I was thinking, why did we go in the place? What if there was a misunderstanding among these armed men of different ideologies? In an instance the place will be erased from the map of Balbalan. With this in mind, Lucy, the NGO counterpart of our program, asked me if I can accompany her to see a sick patient. I asked why only me and not with the others. She just nodded her head and I was forced to follow her. All of a sudden, a tall, handsome, late 20s man, with a hat that covered his face came near me, placed his arms on my shoulders and he said, “Walk. Act naturally as if nothing was happening.” I don’t know if I trembled but for sure I wasn’t afraid. I did not have a colic reflex and micturition  reflex.  I was just scared out of my wits. The things I fear were happening. I felt I had reached my end of the rainbow.  I was lead into a vehicle. There were no words uttered. I followed upon what my reflexes ordered me to do. I went inside the vehicle. There were only 4 of us in the vehicle. The vehicle moved towards the west. I was expecting that they are going to blindfold me. But probably sensing that I don’t know the terrain, they did not do it. As we traveled to what I called eternity, I can see the beautiful scenery of the other parts of Balbalan. Then the road forked towards the north, following a lonely road and as if to tell me where I was, I heard the man said Talalang. The three men went down from the vehicle and I followed suit. The tall, handsome late 20s man placed his arms on my shoulder and he told me to walk with my head down. We walked as if through time and when he told me to raise my head; I saw a low rise thatched house. I looked around. It is as if the area is for jungle training. I was told to enter the house. There was a man lying down in a bed, apparently just came from a hospital since there was an intravenous line connected to him. There was a lady inside; I surmised she’s an Amazon with the way she dressed. She had a white band across her arm with a big red cross. I concluded she was in the medical team of the revolutionaries. They told me, the person has just had his appendectomy and the wound area has fluids that were seeping to the gauze. I asked the lady if they have dressing or minor set. She gladly brought them out. I asked for a pair of gloves. I suspected that a surgical site infection happened. I was hoping that it was not a complete wound dehiscence. I removed the gauze. True enough pus was oozing. I asked for betadine and cleaned the site. I removed the sutures. It was a subcutaneous abscess. I could still see some sutures used in the subcutaneous layer. I drained the abscess. I asked for saline solution and mixed it with the saline. As I was doing the procedure, I was instructing, the paramedic. I packed the wound with gauze with betadine solution. I prescribed medications and I asked what were being given to the patient. 

Infected appendectomy incision
Photo taken from https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8ZMex4arfyk/maxresdefault.jpg

When everything was done, I looked at the man when all of a sudden, a whirring sound was heard. All of them except the patient started scampering. Then the man came back for me. He pulled me into what seemed like a hole in ground. We were huddled down there. He acted as if nothing was happening.  He smiled at me. He placed his arms again on my shoulder. He pulled me towards him as if to embrace me. He was if was trying to comfort and console me. My heart was pounding very hard. Fear engulfed me. Then I heard a whirring sound again, distinct from the first whirring sound. He removed his arms around me. He looked at me in the eyes. He smiled and told me, “let’s go!” He stood up slowly and he went out of the hole first, then he extended his arms to assist me. I could only say a very faint thank you. He just smiled and gave me a wink. He knew that I was scared to death.

A lonely road to a village

On our way out, we did the same process but I know we were not passing through the same route. After a walk of perceived eternity, I saw a waiting vehicle different from what we have used. They took me back to Lucy’s house. My other companions were in the other house exchanging pleasantries with the governor. I am so weakened by what had happened. I secretly told them that it is about time we went home. The governor was so accommodating that he sent some military man to protect us in our trip to Salegseg then to Gawaan. 

Another lonely road 

With the incident in mind, my initial reaction was fear. But being confronted with a patient that needed help, it was automatic for me to see, help and treat the patient. I was not yet sworn in as a physician but what was on my mind was the passage from the Hippocratic Oath that said; “Whenever I go into a house I will go to help and treat the sick and never with the intention of doing harm or injury.” Furthermore, regardless of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, political orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status, disability unrelated to job requirements, genetic information, military service, or other protected status, I am bound to use my power to help the sick and the dying to the best of my ability and judgment. 

A few days after, I was called to visit a sick person in Obel Village. Obel is a village on top of a hill just above the Gawaan valley. The inclination of the pathway was so steep and you would ask a lingering question, why do Kalinga tribes develop their villages in places like this? We have to understand that they used to be warring tribes. If they are attacked by enemies, they can see the movements of the attackers from above. Truly two men were watching me from afar. I had difficulty in the ascent but at this point in time, I never complained. I have learned the value of walking. Then I looked at the other side of the mountain. I saw the cross. It  looked like it was glimmering from afar. I told myself, soon, I will reach you. Deep in to my thoughts, I was surprised I was with other company. I recognized Ka Batiti, a distant relative. I have heard about him that he joined the revolutionary forces and had been in Kalinga ever-since. I had this lingering feeling that I was going meet him. A volunteer trainee named Sanja from Obel kept on talking and asking about him. I did not realize that Ka Batiti was courting Sanja. We exchanged pleasantries and thoughts about our work and what they are doing in the hinterlands. On the other hand, the handsome revolutionary who took me to Talalang introduced himself to me as Ka Niogan. I knew that these names are basically nome de guerre and not their real names. I have no intention to delve into his real life, although bits and pieces of their lives were told to us by the people. 

NPA Cadres

Ka Niogan thanked me for what I have done. The patient’s fever disappeared. The wound’s infection was now controlled and was granulating pretty well. He praised me for my skills and he jokingly told me, he would have held me hostage in Talalang since they need me to attend to their sick comrades. I retorted back, “Have I not become your hostage when you took me to that place against my will?” He amusingly responded, “Against your will? You came with us even without words!” I started to respond with high emotions, “What do you expect me to do? Respond like the way you see in the movies? The situation called for it. I still have a life.” Ka Niogan’s response to me unnerved me further. And he said, “Come live that life with me and soon you will share the success of the revolution with me!” 

 I gave a tart smile. I am not naive and I know what the man was talking about. We discussed a lot of things, and I now realized Ka Niogan is a very learned man. Eventually, with the talk, I was able to learn that I was talking to the Master tactician and master propagandist of the NPA in the Cordillera. I have come to a realization that the war is real and not just a fantasy story written in newspaper articles or a romanticized film. I began to fear. My Gawaan is caught in a hotbed of cataclysmic upheaval. Upon reaching my home base in Gawaan, I was in a daze. I was perplexed. I shed tears for my ignorance. I wanted to quit the program right away. 

The next day was November 1. We decided to go on a pilgrimage to the cross on the mountain. The climb was steep. The goal was to reach the cross. And after an extremely tiring and demanding climb, we reached the top. We offered candles and flowers at the base of the cross as we prayed remembering the souls of the departed. Then the clouds hovered over the mountain. I stretched out my arms once again as if I was fully-receiving them. I looked down to the valley where Gawaan was, the clouds were floating by. I was amidst the clouds once more. 

Amidst the clouds in Balbalan, Kalinga

Note:
Those who own the pictures I have used and does not want to appear in this blog, please e-mail me at rqmallari60@gmail.com and I would be more than willing to remove them. Thank you.