The Parable of Two Shepherds

       The landlord planned of leaving for a far off place. But before doing so, he saw to it that everything in his ranch are well taken cared of.

For his flock, he hired a couple of shepherd. He called them by their name and entrusted to them his beloved sheep. "Please take care of my sheep until my return", he implored each one of them. Then he set forth on a journey into that far off place.

On their first day alone with the flock, the elder of the two called for a meeting. He informed the other shepherd of his plan. The younger one however found the plan too conservative and presented what he thought was a better, radical and contemporary way of pasturing the flock. The discussion progressed for hours without the two reaching a consensus. A recess was agreed upon and the two shepherds have their lunch--separately, I should tell you, for even in such thing as lunch they could not agree what meals to have. After their siesta, the meeting resumed and their arguments became heated and loud that the hungry sheep below became restless and agitated. By vespers, the two were already resolved of dividing the flock into two groups so to show off to each other that he is the better man to do the job. The evening was cold and they were too tired for the night prayer so they called it a day. Their first day.

On the next day, each of the shepherds was up and about to lead the starving sheep into the greener pasture. The elder of the two declared that he will will guide his flock into the lush field by the river and suggested to the younger that the other flock shall be led up into the hill. The younger protested and suggested the other way around. The squabble progressed for hours without the two reaching a consensus. A recess was agreed upon and the two shepherds have their lunch--again separately, I should tell you, for even in such thing as lunch they could not agree what meals to have. After their siesta, the meeting resumed and soon, another heated and loud argument broke out and the starving sheep scattered everywhere, restless and agitated. By vespers, the two were ready to resolve the disagreement through a toss coin, but a coin they do not have. So they left their famished sheep in the corral and went down to the town to borrow from the sole merchant a coin. The evening was cold and they were exhausted for the night prayer so they called it a day. Their second day.

The bleating of the famished animals woke the two shepherd up. It was their third day. Both realized that their flocks have not eaten for two days and so hurriedly went down. One after the other, they opened the gates of the corrals widely for a quick passage of the flocks. The sheep were already ravenous and all rushed out into the opening where they bottleneck. A stampede ensued which resulted into the death of a large number of lambs, some ewes and a few rams, the injury of many and the destruction of the corrals.  The two shepherds blamed each other for the mishap. Their bickering  progressed for hours without the two reaching a consensus. A recess was agreed upon and the two shepherds have their lunch--separately, I should tell you, for even in such thing as lunch they could not agree what meals to have. After their siesta, the meeting resumed and a more intense, heated and loud argument broke out and the ravenous sheep scampered everywhere, restless agitated and yet too exhausted to tend for themselves. By vespers, the two were ready to resolve the bickering by slaughtering the injured and to donate the mutton of the animals to bystanders and in return thereof, solicit their help in repairing the corrals. So they collected the dead sheep, slaughtered the injured and distributed the mutton among the bystanders in the neighborhood while at the same time solicited their help in repairing the rundown corrals. But the evening was cold and the bystanders managed only to salvage the broken wood while the two were worn out for the night prayer so they called it a day. Their third day.

Early on the fourth day, the landlord returned home and found the now small yet ravenous flock wandering warts and all beyond the broken corrals with no shepherd to be seen nearby. Now, what do you think will he say and do to those egotistical irresponsible pastors he hired?

Song of the Jal-o

KANTA KU JAE-O Naga-eumpat ako sa bueogsukan kung Aeatubang Sa ilaya nga akon ginhalinan Sa kabukiran sa unhan pa it Benitinan Kun siin may maberde pang kagueangan. Iba eon ako makaron Ilig ko bukon eon it masueog Kon amat matin-aw pero eaban hay maeobog Bisan pa ako mat a ra sa gihapon. Naga-ilig ako sa dagasanan sa Kipot Sub-eangon ku rong sili pati sa kahoy rong siga ku mga aninipot Iya eon lang sanda mapabilin kumo ginahingabot Sa ilawod nga anay anda man nga palibot. Iba eon ako makaron Ilig ko bukon eon it masueog Kon amat matin-aw pero eaban hay maeobog Bisan pa ako mat a ra sa gihapon. Padayon rong haganas bisan pa sa tig-ilinit Sa kurbada sa may Takasan ni Ambit Sa balsa makaron ag ku baroto anay ni ‘lo Pantit Sa akon nga sueog naga-eupsi ro imo nga panit. Iba eon ako makaron Ilig ko bukon eon it masueog Kon amat matin-aw pero eaban hay maeobog Bisan pa ako mat a ra sa gihapon. Dag-onan ku nga ginadagsaan rong siyam nga katilingban Eay-on ag dagutdot halin sa kalbo nga kabukiran Pati eon rong rong hilo sa kaeanasan Nagahangla sa tangke ro sugpo ag pasayan. Iba eon ako makaron Ilig ko bukon eon it masueog Kon amat matin-aw pero eaban hay maeobog Bisan pa ako mat a ra sa gihapon. Iba eon ako makaron Ilig ko bukon eon it masueog Kon amat matin-aw pero eaban hay maeobog Bisan pa ako mat a ra sa gihapon. Manugpatigayon ku bukid ag ku eawod Eatayan ku taga Ilaya ag ku taga ilawod. Iba eon ako makaron Bisan pa ako mat a ra sa gihapon.

SONG OF THE JAL-O I drop into the Falls of Aeatubang Upstream where I came from In the mountain ranges beyond Benitinan Under lush of green of the last forest I become. I have changed from what I had been For my current are no longer that strong Sometimes I am crystal clear but typically wrong Even then, I am still who I am. I flow  along the rapids of Kipot Where I encounter the freshwater eel and the luminescence of fireflies I reflect In here they opted to stay so as not to be caught Away from the downstream where they are checked I have changed from what I had been For my current are no longer that strong Sometimes I am crystal clear but typically wrong Even then, I am still who I am. I keep running my course even in arid days Take along the bend at Takasan ni Ambit That through my surge your skin turned pale and blasé Under the bamboo raft of today just as in the wooden boat of Old Pantit. I have changed from what I had been For my current are no longer that strong Sometimes I am crystal clear but typically wrong Even then, I am still who I am. Annually I inundate the nine communities With silt and debris from the balding hills And even the sticky pesticides from the factories To maledict in the ponds the prawns and the shrimps to chills I have changed from what I had been For my current are no longer that strong Sometimes I am crystal clear but typically wrong Even then, I am still who I am. I have changed from what I had been For my current are no longer that strong Sometimes I am crystal clear but typically wrong Even then, I am still who I am. Matchmaker of the mountain and the sea The bridge of the Ilayanhon and the  dweller by the Balete tree I have changed from what I had been Even then, I am still who I am.

About Face

(The following post is an anecdote involving Batch '84 of then Roxas Memorial School of Arts and Trade [RMSAT], when it was being renamed into Roxas Memorial College of Arts and Trade. The incident took place sometime in December of 1983 at the "campus oval". See related story at this link.) 

       Responding to a cue, the adjutant snappily approached the corps commander and attentively listened to the instruction. Then, he turned around and marched into the middle of the field. Having reached his unmarked destination, he stood at attention and sounded off a command. As in a domino effect, the entire battalion set itself, from company to another, into its desired position.      Yes, all of the entire battalion were in their proper place save for one.

       Prior to the dispatched, a staff sergeant of a platoon gave in to the call of nature. Since he was positioned behind the entire corps, he assumed that his act would go unnoticed. He was wrong. The eagle-eyed corps commander noticed his movement from afar and readily decided to humor his men at the expense of that wayward personnel.

       The staff sergeant was in the middle of his grand performance when the co-ed Citizen Army Training Corps turned about face to witness his “oblation.” 

When My Daughter Starts Philosophizing

My 12-year old daughter raised a question while I was nursing a hangover one Saturday morning. "Tatay, what does synchronicity means?" 

I stammered for words understandable enough to her curious young mind. Here is my answer:
Late in 2009, I was finalizing the idea of constructing a blog to be called "By the Jal-o River'.  That title is based on a favorite psalm of mine which begins with this word, “By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and wept.” I prepared the design of the header in MS Publisher as I was ignorant then of Adobe Photoshop. Hereunder was that design.

Last year, however, a friend based from down under sent me a copy of a book by Paulo Coelho. The title of the book was, “By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept.” I was amused. But what took my breath away and paused to consider this "meaningful coincidence" (Karl Jung’s) are the similarity of the characters' circumstances with my own "personal legend" (Paulo Coelho's).  

My daughter went away, looking satisfied and thoughtful. As for myself, I did some menial work in the orchard so as to force the alcohol out of my body. Late in the afternoon of that cloudy day though, I found myself still nursing such a terrible headache. Terrible Matador Brandy, I should say.