My Father Goes to Court

Carlos Bulosan

This story was narrated by a four-year-old kid whose family lived in a small town in Luzon. His father’s farm was destroyed by
a flood. That was the reason why they preferred to live in a new place. They had a rich man neighbor, and the rich man’s children
rarely went outside. Their house was tall, and their family could watch the farmer’s kids play outside their house. The rich man’s
servants were always cooking delicious food like fried chicken, ham, and bacon. The farmer’s family would always take a whiff of the
heavenly essence of the rich man’s foods.

The narrator’s family always bonds outside in the sun and bathes in the river. They always had a good time and had a
contagious laugh, and some people joined their bonding, while the rich man only watched them. As days passed, the rich man’s family
had a problem. The children became thin, the wife had a cough like the rich man. There was an opposite effect in the narrator’s family,
they became bright and healthy. Their sickness was not in the food, because their servants were always cooking something delicious to
eat. After that, their house was always closed, but the aroma of the food was still drifted by the wind.

One morning, a policeman knocked on the door of the narrator’s house. The rich man had a complaint against them because
they were accused of stealing the spirit or essence of their food.

When the trial came, the narrator’s family came first. After a few minutes, the rich man’s family came with a lawyer, their
body was so thin, and they looked sick. The narrator’s father didn’t have a lawyer, he fought on his own. The trial starts, and the
lawyer questions the narrator’s father. In the first question, the father didn’t agree that they stole the spirit of the wealth and the food.

The father agreed with the second question, where he stated that their family hung out outside the rich man’s house and
inhaled the food. He also agreed that when the rich man’s family became sick, their family became strong and healthy.

The rich man’s children went in shyly. They were really thin and looked sick. When it was time for the rich man, the narrator’s
father was the one who questioned him. The rich man agreed that while their family was having fun, the rich man’s family became
worse and sad, and they also stole the spirit of their wealth. He also agreed that the farmer’s family stole the spirit of their food by
hanging it outside their windows while their servants cooked the food. The narrator’s father committed to pay the rich man, he took
the straw hat and collected some centavo and silver coins around the courtroom. When the father was ready, he went to the rich man
and shook the hat in front of the rich man. He asked the man if he heard the spirit of money, and the rich man agreed. In that case,
the father told the man that he had already paid. After that, the case was dismissed.

The judge told the narrator’s father the story of how his uncle died because of laughing. The judge likes to hear the narrator's
family laughing. The kid’s sisters started to laugh, and all of the people in the courtroom laughed and the judge’s laugh was the
loudest of all.

My Father Goes to Court

Carlos Bulosan

This story was narrated by a four-year-old kid whose family lived in a small town in Luzon. His father’s farm was destroyed by
a flood. That was the reason why they preferred to live in a new place. They had a rich man neighbor, and the rich man’s children
rarely went outside. Their house was tall, and their family could watch the farmer’s kids play outside their house. The rich man’s
servants were always cooking delicious food like fried chicken, ham, and bacon. The farmer’s family would always take a whiff of the
heavenly essence of the rich man’s foods.

The narrator’s family always bonds outside in the sun and bathes in the river. They always had a good time and had a
contagious laugh, and some people joined their bonding, while the rich man only watched them. As days passed, the rich man’s family
had a problem. The children became thin, the wife had a cough like the rich man. There was an opposite effect in the narrator’s family,
they became bright and healthy. Their sickness was not in the food, because their servants were always cooking something delicious to
eat. After that, their house was always closed, but the aroma of the food was still drifted by the wind.

One morning, a policeman knocked on the door of the narrator’s house. The rich man had a complaint against them because
they were accused of stealing the spirit or essence of their food.

When the trial came, the narrator’s family came first. After a few minutes, the rich man’s family came with a lawyer, their
body was so thin, and they looked sick. The narrator’s father didn’t have a lawyer, he fought on his own. The trial starts, and the
lawyer questions the narrator’s father. In the first question, the father didn’t agree that they stole the spirit of the wealth and the food.

The father agreed with the second question, where he stated that their family hung out outside the rich man’s house and
inhaled the food. He also agreed that when the rich man’s family became sick, their family became strong and healthy.

The rich man’s children went in shyly. They were really thin and looked sick. When it was time for the rich man, the narrator’s
father was the one who questioned him. The rich man agreed that while their family was having fun, the rich man’s family became
worse and sad, and they also stole the spirit of their wealth. He also agreed that the farmer’s family stole the spirit of their food by
hanging it outside their windows while their servants cooked the food. The narrator’s father committed to pay the rich man, he took
the straw hat and collected some centavo and silver coins around the courtroom. When the father was ready, he went to the rich man
and shook the hat in front of the rich man. He asked the man if he heard the spirit of money, and the rich man agreed. In that case,
the father told the man that he had already paid. After that, the case was dismissed.

The judge told the narrator’s father the story of how his uncle died because of laughing. The judge likes to hear the narrator's
family laughing. The kid’s sisters started to laugh, and all of the people in the courtroom laughed and the judge’s laugh was the
loudest of all.