fiction by VDC
A CHILD OF THE SUN RETURNS
Valerio Costales felt like dancing on the streets when he learned from a newly arrived neighbour that his wife Marrieta and his son Cris are already aboard a steamer on their way to Manila from Zamboanga.
For he has just spent a very lonely Christmas. His family was left in his parents house in Zamboanga in . But he had to leave because his furlough was about to end and he did not want to lose his job in Manila.
His parents owned a wide hacienda surrounding an enormous house managed by several servants. He knew that they were in good hands. But sleeping alone in their small rented house in Plaza Santa Cruz could be a nightmare. He would wake up every half hour after dreaming of his son Cris playing in that clearing beside his parents’ plantation of Durian trees. The Costales family in Zamboanga was known by many merchants because of the variety of fruits which were harvested all year round.
Valerio or Val grew up in this affluent household, never doing any kind of manual work. Aside from the workers who worked in the plantation, there were so many servants who would cook, do the laundry scrub the house clean and during the hot, humid months, they would make you feel cool with some huge fans while the family are having lunch .
But inspite of such comfort in his surroundings, He decided to leave someday for Manila. And that day came when he turned 21.
. He wanted adventure, a job with which he can earn his own money. Plus he want to see the sights which we can never see in Zamboanga. Unwillingly, his father give him his blessings and a few days after, he already found himself in Manila after several days aboard a small steamer.
AH MANILA!..He was not dissapointed. It has the glitz and excitement of a cosmopolitan community. There were many foreigners and there were tall buildings which sold all kinds of goodies.
He went to an address given to him by his father. He was a close family friend. With a few connections, Val found a job in the local police force, because keeping peace and order is always an issue in Manila, or in any other big city in the world. His robust physique ( he grew up doing swimming, hunting and other kinds of sports in Zamboanga ) got him a job 2 days after his arrival. He learned within a week hand to hand combat as well as the use of small and big firearms.
After getting his first pay, he looked for his own dwelling place somewhere in Plaza Santa Cruz which is close to his station in Intramuros. Everyday he is assigned to specific duty together with another officer. His take home pay was always supplemented by money from his parents who were just too happy to help him out. He promised them that someday, he would be returning to Zamboanga to take care of the family business.
After two weeks, he met a beautiful girl from Pangasinan. She was well mannered, of the right age and they seem to be good for each other. She has also a steady job as a cashier in a restaurant which catered to the rich folks in Manila.
They dated for a while and then they decided to live together in order to save on the rental money. She moved in to his pad in Plaza Sta. Cruz. They did not care whether they were together without marriage. They were in Manila, where many couples are living together well, without the benefit of marriage.
Both of them were in the right age and they love each other.
He told his parents about his decision and informed them too that someday, they will visit them ( with their children if they will be blessed with any ) and they might have the proper marriage ceremony there in Zamboanga.---#
( to be continued )
A CHILD OF THE SUN RETURNS
Valerio Costales felt like dancing on the streets when he learned from a newly arrived neighbour that his wife Marrieta and his son Cris are already aboard a steamer on their way to Manila from Zamboanga.
For he has just spent a very lonely Christmas. His family was left in his parents house in Zamboanga in . But he had to leave because his furlough was about to end and he did not want to lose his job in Manila.
His parents owned a wide hacienda surrounding an enormous house managed by several servants. He knew that they were in good hands. But sleeping alone in their small rented house in Plaza Santa Cruz could be a nightmare. He would wake up every half hour after dreaming of his son Cris playing in that clearing beside his parents’ plantation of Durian trees. The Costales family in Zamboanga was known by many merchants because of the variety of fruits which were harvested all year round.
Valerio or Val grew up in this affluent household, never doing any kind of manual work. Aside from the workers who worked in the plantation, there were so many servants who would cook, do the laundry scrub the house clean and during the hot, humid months, they would make you feel cool with some huge fans while the family are having lunch .
But inspite of such comfort in his surroundings, He decided to leave someday for Manila. And that day came when he turned 21.
. He wanted adventure, a job with which he can earn his own money. Plus he want to see the sights which we can never see in Zamboanga. Unwillingly, his father give him his blessings and a few days after, he already found himself in Manila after several days aboard a small steamer.
AH MANILA!..He was not dissapointed. It has the glitz and excitement of a cosmopolitan community. There were many foreigners and there were tall buildings which sold all kinds of goodies.
He went to an address given to him by his father. He was a close family friend. With a few connections, Val found a job in the local police force, because keeping peace and order is always an issue in Manila, or in any other big city in the world. His robust physique ( he grew up doing swimming, hunting and other kinds of sports in Zamboanga ) got him a job 2 days after his arrival. He learned within a week hand to hand combat as well as the use of small and big firearms.
After getting his first pay, he looked for his own dwelling place somewhere in Plaza Santa Cruz which is close to his station in Intramuros. Everyday he is assigned to specific duty together with another officer. His take home pay was always supplemented by money from his parents who were just too happy to help him out. He promised them that someday, he would be returning to Zamboanga to take care of the family business.
After two weeks, he met a beautiful girl from Pangasinan. She was well mannered, of the right age and they seem to be good for each other. She has also a steady job as a cashier in a restaurant which catered to the rich folks in Manila.
They dated for a while and then they decided to live together in order to save on the rental money. She moved in to his pad in Plaza Sta. Cruz. They did not care whether they were together without marriage. They were in Manila, where many couples are living together well, without the benefit of marriage.
Both of them were in the right age and they love each other.
He told his parents about his decision and informed them too that someday, they will visit them ( with their children if they will be blessed with any ) and they might have the proper marriage ceremony there in Zamboanga.---#
( to be continued )
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