CONSERVATION (1931) ELING FROWNED, displeased with the sulky attitude of her mother toward her cousin. She said feebly, for she had been ill for a week already: “Open the window yourself, Anton, if my mother wont.” Baket Ciriaca made a spiteful attempt to prevent him, but An- tonio opened the window in spite of her. The nipa walls cracked, and then the light filtering through the acacia leaves lighted the sick room. When she saw the pigeons sitting in graceful rows along the slender, bare branches of the acacia tree east of the house, her eyes flickered with momentary joy. Her emaciated face flashed a faint, welcoming smile at her cousin, who regarded her solemnly as he stood beside her. Behind him Baker Ciriaca planted herself, ready to contradict whatever he said. He pressed the back of his hand against Meling’s neck. “You have a very high fever, Manang,” he said. “That is why I closed that window—to make her sweat,” put in Baket Ciriaca. “You did not seem very successful, Nana.” “Because people intrude like...like....” “Mother! That is not the way to speak,” said Meling. She strained. herself to rise, but her cousin gently pressed her head back on her pillow. “Be calm, Manang, or you'll get worse. You are so sick even now.” He turned to his aunt. “A sponge bath, Nana, would do more for her than...sweating.” “Eh?” the old woman was outraged. If there was anything she detested most, it was to be given advice by the young. “You your-Juan Canneros Lava E ave died years ago had we not caused y selfyou would have died years ag, elaine when you had high fever “Mother!” “He suggested bathing you, Meling, bathing you, sick as are. Di you will die if you are bathed.” you rhe old woman had been desperately worried lately by thes mnultaneous illness of both her daughters, Meling and Aming “the laccer was at the time convalescing in a neighbor’ house. Nighes «1 sleepless watching and unremitting worry had at length torn her nerves to tatters. Besides, Anton’s mother was then not on y friendly terms with Meling’s. Baket Ciriaca now began to sob. Years of unkind treatment bya husband who considered her more a child than a wife, had dec. oped in her that irritating habit of resorting to passionate outbursts at the slightest provocation. “Please, Nana, don't sob thus—here!” Antonio got annoyed the display of unreasonable passion, and fearing the effect on his cousin, he took the old woman by the hand and led her out of the sickroom. “Don’t hold me!” she all but shrieked. “Don’t avenge yourself on me!” “Iam doing nothing of the sort, Nana,” humbly, “As a matter of fact, I came here to see if I could be of help.” “We don’t need...” “Not so loud, Nana!” cried the young man desperately. “If you must know, she is suffering from typhoid fever. She must not be unduly excited.” She looked at her nephew contemptuously from head to foot and from foot to head; then she wrinkled her nose as though to collect her energies for a mighty retort, but the call of Meling from inside the room stopped her. She ran into the sickroom, crying so- licitously, “What do you need, child? What do you wish to eat?” After much hesitation Antonio reentered the room, too. Baket Ciriaca was kneeling beside her daughter in the most loving and protective postures as she asked if she wanted milk or canned beef. ‘The window, which Antonio had opened, was already closed. : Baket Ciriaca collected her skirt of homespun, knotted her hair, and took the basin of water in which was inamersed the can of con- ery, Conservation ants, When she h YOu won't come Fa] had sone, Meling hete any more gensed milk to keep itaway from aid, “OF course, Ading Anton, afeer that scene.” “why not, Manang? That j ee he ne V understand how she ness of disposition. Your sister is not conmah ee lose hin know, [undeeseand,” nvalescing. And you “Are you not angry with her?” “N—no, although I'd m I've come here to ee He mae Bees Beer h Her lips became firm all of a stilesni as —unless Mother is away. I am ashamed ward you. “But | don't mind it much.” “You have always been a sensitive boy. You were hurt. | know.” He did not reply. . “Don't come here again, Antonio.” “| will—if you need—if you send for me.” The heavy descent of feet could be heard crossing the creaking bangsal that connected the house and the kitchen. He hastily in- serted his fingers into his watch pocket and placed a thin roll of bank notes in her hand. “Jp isn't much, Manang, but that’s all I have saved clerking and studying at the same time.” When she made a motion to refuse, he entreated her to accept it. “I thought maybe that with it you can secure the services of a physician or manage to be sent to the hos- pital in Dagupan.” Baket Ciriaca now stood at the doorway, but Antonio had not heard her approach, so he continued, “Tt is abominable, the way you are nursed here. And it is dangerous not only to you but to all of you. Your mother, Manang, does not hw ws He stopped, for he noticed Meling's mother. He rose. Baket Ciriaca walked past him, her chin in the ait. / . “T beg leave 7 go home now, Nana,” said Antonio. Baket Ciriaca continued stirring the cup of milk. . “Mother, Antonio is speaking to you. “Adios, a” —without warmth. Antonio stooped and passed ou vaweer well, andling since Don't come here again at the way she acted to- tof the low doorway.14 JUAN Caprnnos LAya . : cling?” the mother aske “Do you need to stand, Meling?” the mother asked whey the It Was. had tasted the milk co ascertain how s “Lean drink directly from the cuy Her mother supported her by the back of her neck. She took evo mouthfuls and then, making a wry face, waved the cup away, “Iwo more, Meling. Come, come, one more, even one only,” When Baket C ad insisted enough and had satisfied herself that Meling would not yield to her gentle ingis. tence, she went to the neighbor's house where Aming was conva- lescing and gave her the cup of milk to drink. As soon she had re- turned, Meling, who had been anxiously awaiting her return, said, “I want the window opened, Mother.” “Open that window, Mother, please.” “You are still feverish.” “Please!” “Open it? Don't be silly, child—tike that cousin of yours.” “He isn't silly.” “Think, he actually wanted to open that window!” “That's what they do in the hospital. Iam burning. Please bathe me, mother.” “Hush, child. Go to sleep.” “T want that window opened, You are suffocating me in the dark room.” “That cousin of yours put all those silly notions in your head, Bathing—why, that’s dangerous. You don't wish to die, do you, child?” Meling opened her clenched fist and showed her mother the roll of notes. “Na, papel de banco!” “These are his savings for a whole year.” “He gave them to you?” “To help me get well, not to kill me.” “So! Why didn’t you tell me? And now, of course, you'll get well, Meling. I have been hoping that maybe we can have enough money to buy medicine and Pay an herbolario, but we are poor. But now you'll get well. Of course, of course, Oh, the good boy! And to think—to think, child, that I actually talked to him that way!”In no time she had again worked pocgn rtation vondemnation, Worked herself ing Fifty—fifty pesos!” she said, ¢] hands, then straightening out the uns the money in her two monseracion of Feeling, she snatched her bya poe er Much de- imvpout her head, and then headed for mye pankerchiel, wo se rjed beck for Aming. t: Awananis store ng On the way home Baket Simin saw — can. The globules of fat glinted in the ee the already opened hers coiled in wet intricate folds within the ee ayes det Simin saw. ¢ can. All these Baket “Ciriaca,” she called, “it’s all ve | ° Ty well afford such delicacies. You have the mien for Yor ca now . ; Ise. cant afford anything except camote leaves and salted pie “Di an si te : sey 7 ne insinuate things, Baket Simin,” was the belligerent “You are very fortunate because you can now afford such—” Tf you are trying to tell me that I must pay my debt—” ‘am saying, Ciriaca, that it is very fortunate that you can now afford—” Baket Ciriaca lost her temper. She laid down her burden on a big boulder by the roadside, dug her hands into the fold of her skirt, and said, “I am paying my debt now, Baket Simin. Here, you, come and get it!” She laid the peso bill on a stone, laid another one on it to keep it from being blown away by the wind, and then with all the dignity she could muster, went on. By the time she reached home she began to regret having gone to buy the can of corned beef and paraded it along the street where many of her creditors lived. She had defied all of them, had defied all of them with the roll within the fold of her skirt. Anyway, debts area burden and a nuisance. Creditors pester debtors to death. Bet- ter get rid of them at once and feel free at last. What a reliefl / Lakay Leon was doubled up 01 the bench by the a eemail 2 a i 1s DO dow, his arms wrapped like a band around his knees, i ion 7 was racked with spasmodic coughing. He hatin heen * iCKS 2 the bright scarlet blood he had spa around which chi timid and half-frightened yet fascinated. 75 5 - tears of regret and sel and buyJuAN CABREROS AN ption,” he muttered under ‘is Teath, « aca . Money 'S is hag «Pay “TI is consum| eae unable to send home even only the lipe is I had borrowed for his transportation, "Ty what at every year: And Meling is sick and are oidine sould see her father at the window, $} Pr er mother came is muttered words. Presently her mother came Aming oo ety Ne Could he dp on my ofh ive al 'n from the ki eu and, after stealing an apprehensive glance at the Curtained dy len oe. r or the sickroom, approached her husband. 0 “She insists, their father,” she said. “Insists?” irritably. “These children are obstinate.” “Her heart is set on having a doctor to see her, their father” “A common herbolario will do.” “That’s what I’ve always been telling her, but she doesn’t listen to me, She even insists on my opening that window.” Her Voice lowered into an ominous whisper, “She is extremely weak, their father. She has not eaten for two days. Nothing at all for two days, And her voice—God! Leon, it is not normal!” Lakay Leon maintained a peevish silence. His wife laid her hand on his shoulder. “The only carabao must go. I can’t stand her insistence when she can hardly speak to insist, She believes I still have all the fifty pesos. Hardly ten pesos remain. The carabao must be sold, 2, Leon?” “Planting season is only a month ahead.” “Yes, but your daughter....Such a strong child, very much big- ger than I, and such a good washer, strong, diligent! It will be the death of me doing all the work. The carabao must go.” What's the use of getting a doctor when you are almost sure she will me ill never recover? Doctor, doctor. Better get an herbolario. She Y Bet well yet at little expense.” 7 sett believe in herbolarios.” 7 ead, spe i : ° ie pont everything now and starve later! child, Leon their father. Ng, too,” er eyes saw ¢] “cha big, stro; and she’s BP0d-lookin” C Wiped i ae . with the ail of her skirt as she went into the , Yen < a ‘ org Tessed ag thou had Gone to sleep. Meling’s lips; sh Het headac Probably,” Such a good washer,bon Conservat oo bed, Meling watched the SFr erb doctor from 1a0am [red drawers jar of rice WaS ful of rice am with @ {weak on the bamb srocecding y. Benito. the bh ; eeeat unbleached muslin ane 1 lasses. A steaming } N-scooped up a spoon ffieved it to Mclings mouth. Lying Har ane was mix- place’ ous x apathetically dressed in ast sng ehings in boules fw table, Benito of Lato: hy his breath o! pushed it away from he ¢ mother, who was rac tells you nnd a who, leer cooling tt wit Jook of repugnance, Some, child, cake it” urged he your brother from Lao seated near to do. You the bed. “Do whatever 0 : care will surely get well now, child, now that your brother is raking of you. ; cry; as only a pam- child in the neighboring house began © red child with tobust lungs can. Ie indulgent “ those siting on the floor, immediately began to stir uneasily. , That’ my Kilin, Manang Citiaca,” she said desperately. “Shell die of crying if—” “Jsla, no one can leave the house now,” “But she'll die—” “All right, you may go,” said Benito of Laoac, “but don’t return again. It’s bad enough to allow anyone to leave the house.” The slow, elaborate, and mysterious rite commenced with the drinking of a glass of wine by the herb doctor. A chick— so-called olikba, for all its bones were black—was placed in a jar covered with banana leaves and then sent to be boiled alive in the kitchen. Then the image of San Roque, hitherto standing on the low table, was pricked all over with needles and thorns of the kalu- may and later bathed with wine mixed with vinegar and salt. “All that we do to the image,” announced Benito, “will be borne by we malignant witch who is causing our sister's suffering.” one - aie image " the middle of the house and instructed : armer boys to whip it with a black, branchin corral said to have a potent effect against witchcraft 7 : Noten called the patient in a whisper. : thing, child” Wi aed an tothe es eee surprising agilicy, the mother went over heat hee se to the patient’s mouth, the better to “Sell the carabao, Mother.” mother, one among, said Baket Ciriaca.Conservation _ hed the seri- from Laoac was miX- placed ing watel doctor d drawers, 1 of rice was poonful of rice who, wich @ ¢ bamboo bed, Meli Benito, the herb iescof unbleached muslin and re bottles and glasses. A steaming JA scooped up as red it to Meling, her mouth. and weak on th ving, flat tyne iceeding, apathetically. cous procee dressed in asl ing r eand table, Benito of Laoae scé ther cooling it with his breath offer Took of repugnance, pushed it away from aa aad sCome, child, take it,” urged her mother, who do. You cDo whavever your brother from Laoac tells your © vow child, now that your brother is taking © ing dh onthe low ear the bed. will surely gee well “ as only a pam- you.” . ‘A child in the neighboring house began to crys one among, pered child with robust lungs can. Its indulgent mother, one those sitting on the floor, immediately began to stir uneasily. , “That's my Kilin, Manang Ciriaca,” she said desperately. She'll die of crying if—” “Isla, no one can leave che house now,” said Baket Ciriaca. “But she'll die—” “All right, you may go,” said Benito of Laoac, “but don’t return again, [es bad enough to allow anyone to leave the house.” ‘The slow, elaborate, and mysterious rite commenced with the drinking of a glass of wine by the herb doctor. A chick— so-called olikba, for all its bones were black—was placed in a jar covered with banana leaves and then sent to be boiled alive in the kitchen. Then the image of San Roque, hitherto standing on the low table, was pricked all over with needles and thorns of the kalu- may and later bathed with wine mixed with vinegar and salt. “All chat we do to the image,” announced Benito, “will be borne by the malignant witch who is causing our sister’s suffering,” He placed the image in the middle of the house and instructed one of the husky farmer boys to whip it with a black, branching corral said to have a potent effect against witchcraft. . Mother,” called the patient in a whisper, “Anything, child?” With surprising agility, the mother went over to the sickbed and b ent close to the patient’ stead € patients mouth, the better to “Sell the carabao, Mother,”7 JUAN CaBREROS Lava sell what, Meling?” - | the carabao, Mother.” Sell? For a doctor, maybe?” “No,” was the answer, “I don't need a doctor—now,” “Of course not. What for? You have here a famous hetbolar What more do you need, child? He is from Laoac.” . Sell our carabao tomorrow.” “Then we shall have no work animal during the planting. season.” “And return the fifty pesos given by my cousin.” “What are you talking about, child? He gave that to help you.” “Not to pay our debts and a man like—this.” “Don’t say that, Meling.” “Tomorrow, Mother.” “Where are we going to get the money if your father won't al- low me to sell the carabao?” “Sell my clothes, I don’t need them anymore.” “Meling!” Baket Ciriaca suddenly shrieked with grief and the old women near the sickbed rushed in a body to Meling. “Calm yourselves. She is not dead. She is not going to die!” said Benito, who had a hard time pushing them back to their seats. During the excitement, Meling, though wide-eyed, never paid any attention. Throughout the rest of the evening she did not open her eyes. When everybody had gone, including Benito, she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. All day the next day she said nothing. She either closed her eyes as though in sleep or else made no attempt to speak when her eyes were open. On the third day, early in the morning, she murmured, “T want to eat, Mother.” “Mayyang, Mayyang,” Baket Ciriaca said to her sister who was at the time cooking breakfast. “She will live! Just now she said she wants to eat.” She removed the pot from the stove and placed an- other containing water. “That rice you took away from the stove will never get thor- oughly cooked now,” replied Mayyang sullenly. “It was just begin- ning to boil.”Conservation 79 am why worry about that rice, OF her own free will she desires “Aw, I phe effect of that cure was a little slow in coming, Why, sat! @ a cat her fever is actually gone! 0 Mayyang You have spoiled a whole potful of rice. You know how Si- 4 " i ; 5 » haces uncooked rice. He scolds like the diablo,” Mayyang | ong grumbled. : a © Baket Ciriaca returned to where Meling lay and kept stirring ne cup of warm milk, The sooner to cool it she poured it from cl : ) p on cup to another, blowing at the white stream as it poured out. ne " on Meling motioned her mother to approach. Her mother went near her. “Mother,” she said, “I want to see the box containing the doc- uments of our land and carabao,” “All of them?” “Yes.” Her mother left her and returned a few minutes later with the box. “Now, child, this milk has cooled. You can sip it through this straw.” The mother was both gratified and astonished because Meling looked as if she really relished the nourishment. “You are rapidly recovering, child,” She unpacked the box and showed the documents to her daugh- ter one by one. “That's the biggest of all che papers. These blue papers are the receipts. I can't read, but I know it. That treasurer's clerk even tried to cheat me once. That was when you took your vacation in Vigan two years ago. He has been discharged since then. These—these are your birthday certificates—all of you. That is yours. I know it by the three-legged letter at the beginning of the name. These are the documents of our work animals. Here still is the document of the cow that gor sick last year. The meat of it was sold ata disgust- ingly lower price. Why do you want to see the papers, child?” Meling did not answer, She seemed asleep. | When her mother went out for a while, a cat jumped from the ceiling to the table and from there to the top of the trunk, where *egan to lap up the cup of milk. Star Ment of Melin, Papers on it, tled by an unexpected move- § the cat jumped to the table and so scattered the many of them falling to the floor.30 Juan Capreros Lava Baket Ciriaca, entering the house after a hard ang ne gaining with a passing peddler, shrieked at Kuallong, Maina, po boy, whom she discovered surrounded with the scattered fami papers. She rushed ac the boy and pulled him by the ears vnc iz blubbered. “Why, the brat almost tore the Torrena title to Pieces,” she said as she looked fiercely at the cowering little boy. “And there—ight- ning!—why did you come here ar all, you? ‘Why, you actually tore the document of the carabao to pieces! I'I—I’ll—” . She was unable to find all the pieces that formed the complet document. The pieces she could find composed merely about three- fourths of the original document. She was about to give vent to her irritation by punishing Kuallong severely, but was deterred from doing so by the timely appearance of his mother. Baket Citisc, grumbled when Mayyang, told of the mishap, tried to assume and prove the innocence of het son. “What does a boy know about precious papers? Of course, if he sees them scattered about as if useless, it is not to his fault if he plays wich them. I wish he had torn them!” Baket Ciriaca looked very much smaller than she really was, with all her heavy hood of black and her dragging mantle, when she wiped her feet on the doormat of Attorney Alfre’s house. The lawyer was typing in his room, but he rose eagerly to meet the old woman. Such ignorant old women, though having only petty troubles, were nevertheless profitable clients. “Good morning, Apo Abogado.” “Good morning. If I can be of any help—” “This document, Apo, it got torn to small pieces.....Yes, docu- ment for our only carabao. I came to ask you if maybe it will still be valid if the pieces can be assembled together into a recognizable document.” “Ammmmm. A. serious matter, Nana,” said the lawyer with great concern. “Torn document. Hmmmm. Are you sure all the pieces are in the envelope?” “T pieced them together before putting them in it....Of course, you will come to the funeral of my daughter, Apo Abogado?”81 Conservation ~~ ew hy, certainly.” wfiyo bands will come 0 play, Apo: O' will be stops in every crossing: ‘Also picture- Wr ecuraighcening che limbs of my daughcer jus wipe would look well in the picture, Apo—3n found the rest of the document clute ‘0 find it! He! he! he! Apo, we are selling, but we can’t do that now because the ot valid. But now that you ne from Asingan. There taking. You see, We after she expired— d it was then and there that I hed in her hand. Ofall the places t our cara- bao to pay all che expenses, buyer thinks the torn document is—is n say itis valid —” It is valid. Pll come to the funeral, Apo Baket.” Baket Ciriaca was relieved. “Thank you, thank you,” she said. “And I thought it was hopeless!”