The Clay Pipe

Marcel Navarra

Malta builds a fire, but instead of cooking for breakfast, she sits cross-legged
with a clay pipe in her mouth. While holding her clay pipe, she also thinks how they
survive with less food, eating only twice or once a day. She also thinks about the seven
soldiers guarding the cliff. She then remembers that today is their turn, together with
six of other neighbors, to provide breakfast for them. Malta goes to the house of Teroy-
Sepa to ask for a bowl of cornmeal for one soldier as additional supply. Then she runs
to Peli to barter her two chickens for corn. After she has done cooking, she carries a
fishing creel (basket) to the soldier’s camp site that contains two small pots— one is the
cornmeal and the other is vegetable soup. She also brings a roll of young tobacco leaf.
While waiting for the other volunteers to arrive, Malta is twisting around to find a
comfortable position. She then takes a chip from the burning wood and puts it in her
clay pipe. After that, she goes back to squat. Her eyes wanders to the soldiers inside
the hut. The soldier who requested the roll of tobacco is playing dama with the other
soldiers.

Suddenly, Malta is alarmed with sudden firing of a gun. When she turns her back,
she sees that it came from the soldier— aiming it towards the sea. Malta wants to
protest the firing but is afraid for the sailboat. After a while when the tension is gone,
the other soldier asks Malta about a beautiful, charming, and friendly girl. He is very
interested and says he’s in love with that girl. Their conversation is interrupted by the
arrival of the three volunteers carrying heavy baskets. The soldiers begins to eat. The
volunteers are asked to join with them, but they refuse because they have already
eaten. Malta is about to say something but she just remains silent. Malta stares at the
abundance of food. When the soldiers finished eating, Malta asks if they are going to
throw away the left-overs. She begs as if she will feed them to her dogs. The soldiers
let Malta bring the left over while in her mouth was the clay pipe which had nothing
within except ashes.