15. The Akar Boys - following one after the other, each sound preceding the dreadful zigzag of lightning: it could be said that God was writing His name in fire, and that the eternal vaults of heaven were trembling in fear. The rain poured in torrents and, whipped by the winds, which hissed mournfully, crazily changed direction every so often. The bells tolled a sound full of terror and mournful pleading and in the brief silence following the robust roar of the unchained elements, they sadly groaned their plaint. : The two boys we saw talking with the philosopher were in the second section of the tower. The younger On who had big black eyes and a timid appearance was trying to press his body to that of his brother, who had the same features as his, except that the look in the latter’s eyes had more depth, and his features were more defined. Both boys were poorly clad in clothes filled with darning and T | The peals of thunder reverberated at short intervals,The Akar Boys 109 patches. They sat on a piece of wood. Each one had a cord in his hand, the end of which was lost in the third storey "up among the shadows. The rain pushed by the Bid reached up to them and tried to blow outa melting candle which burned on a big rock which they used on Good _ Friday to imitate the sound of thunder, making it roll over _ the sounds of the choir. : _ “Pull on your cord, Crispin,” said the older boy to his brother. ; The latter pulled, hanging on the cord. A weak lament was heard above, which instantly drowned in a clap of thunder multiplied by a thousand echoes. _ “Ah! if we were only at home with Mother,” sighed the younger, looking at his brother, “there we would not be afraid.” __ The elder did not answer; he was looking at the melting candle and seemed worried. “There no one will say that I steal,” continued Crispin. “Mother would not allow it. If she found out that they beat me...” : __ The elder turned his gaze away from the flame, raised his head, biting forcefully on the thick cord, which he "pulled violently, causing a loud resonant vibration. _ “Are we always going to live like this, brother?” Crispin continued. “I wish I would get sick at home tomorrow; I want to have a long illness so that Mother ‘can take care of me and will not allow me to return to the convent. Thus, they will not call me a thief, nor will they beat me. And you too, brother, you should get sick Withme.” — “No!” answered the older one..“We will all die— Mother from sorrow, and we from hunger.” 4 __ Crispin did not reply. “How much are you earning110 Noli Me Tay, ian this month?” he asked his brother after a moment’s Pause, , “Two pesos. I have been fined three times.” “Pay what they say I have stolen, so they won’t cay us thieves; pay it, brother.” : “Are you mad, Crispin? Mother will have nothing tg | ; eat. The sacristan mayor says you have stolen two onzas, | and two onzas make thirty-two pesos.” i The young one counted with his fingers until he teached thirty-two. “Six hands and two fingers, and each _ finger a peso,” he murmured thoughtfully, “and each peso _ how many cuartos?” “One hundred sixty.” ; “One hundred sixty cuartos; one hundred sixty times a cuarto? Mother! And how much is one hundred sixty?” “Thirty-two hands,” answered the elder. Crispin paused for a moment, looking at his small hands. , ee “Thirty-two hands!” he repeated, “six hands and two ‘fingers, and each finger thirty-two hands...and each finger * acuarto.,. Mother! so many cuartos. One wouldn’t be able to count them in three days...and one could buy slippers for the feet, and a hat for the head when the sun is hot; and a big umbrella when it rains; and food, and clothing for you and Mother, and...” Crispin grew pensive. “Now Lam sorry I did not steal!” “Crispin!” his brother scolded him. “Do not be angry! The priest said he would beat me to death if I cannot produce the money; if I had stolen it] could make it appear...and if I die, at least you.and Mother would have clothes! I should have stolen it!” The elder remained silent, and pulled at his cord: Then he answered, sighing, “What I fear is that Mothet will scold you when she learns about this.”The Altar Boys 111 “Do you think so?” asked the little one, surprised. “You will tell her that they have already beaten me up é Jot. I will show her my bruises, and my torn pocket. I do not have more than a cuarto, which they Save me at Christmas; the priest took it away yesterday. I have never ~seen such a beautiful coin! Mother will never believe it, she wouldn’t!” Z “But if the priest says so...” Crispin started to cry, murmuring between sobs, _ “Then you go home alone; I don’t want to go home. Tell _ Mother Lam sick. I don’t want to go home!” “Don’t cry, Crispin,” said the elder, “Mother will not believe it. Don’t cry. The old man Tasio said a good supper awaits us...” Crispin raised his head and looked at his brother. E “A good supper! I have not yet eaten; they won't give _ Mme anything to eat until the two onzas appear... But what _ if Mother should believe it? You tell her that the sacristan __ Mayor? lies; also the priest who believes him, that all of _ them lie; that they say we are thieves because our father is a man of vices who...” B A head appeared, emerging at the top of the ladder _ leading to the main part of the church. This head, like _ Medusa’s, froze the words on the lips of the child. It was an elongated head, lean, with long black hair, a pair of - blue glasses hiding one blind eye. It was the sacristan mayor, _ Who was wont to appear without a sound, without notice. ; The two brothers froze. “You, Basilio, impose on you a fine of two reales for _ Not tolling the bell in unison,” he said with a cavernous Voice as if he had no vocal chords. “And you, Crispin, will _ Stay tonight until what you have stolen appears.” Crispin looked at his brother as if imploring for help.5 Nol Me Langory “We already have ce SALA 7 i, red Basilio : f = a Seeing at 8 o'clock either; not until ten,” “But Sefior, nine o'clock would be too late to walk me is very far away. a eae ae ae answered the man in an irritated voice. And getting hold of Crispin’s arm he tried to drag him away. 3 ‘ “Sir, it has been a week since we have seen our mother!” pleaded Basilio, holding on to his little brother as if to protect him. : _ The sacristan mayor slapped him, separated the boys and pulled Crispin away. The latter started to cry, and: prostrated himself on the floor while begging his brother: s “Don’t leave me; they will kill me!” But the sacristan mayor, not minding him, dragged Crispin down the ladder, until they disappeared into the shadows. Basilio was left speechless; he could not utter a single word. He heard the sound of blows on his brother's body against the ladder steps, the scream, the slaps. Then . the heart-rending sounds gradually diminished in the darkness, s The boy was not breathing: he was listening, standing on his feet, eyes wide with fear, fists clenched. “When will I be able to plow a field?” he muttered between his teeth, and went down in haste. Upon reaching the choir loft he listened with attention; his little brother's soft voice sounded farther away, and his cries “Mother! Brother! “were completely extinguished by a door closing: Trembling, sweating, he paused for a moment. He bit his wrist to Suppress a cry which rose from his heart, and allowed his gaze to wander in the semi-darkness of the__ palustrade, The Akar Boys 113 church. The oil lamp burned faintly; the catafalque was in the center; all doors were shut; the windows had grilles. Suddenly he climbed the ladder, passed the second level where the candle was still burning and climbed to the third. He untied the cords which held the clappers of the bells, and came down again, pale, his eyes glistening, _ but not from tears. E The rain was stopping, and the skies were gradually _ clearing. Basilio knotted the strings together, tied one end toa and without remembering to put out the candle, glided along into the darkness. Some minutes later, voices and two shots were heard - from one of the streets, but nobody was alarmed, and _ everything again settled down into silence.