THE TWO BROTHERS

THE TWO BROTH ERS

 BY. RONY V. DIAZ

AT THE DAWN THE TWO BROTHERS LEFT THE TOWN. CARRYING SPEAR GUNS AND OPENMESH RATTAN BASKETS, THEY WALKED BAREFOOTED ALONG THE EDGE OF THE SLIDING SEA TOWARDS THE DOCK . THE SEA, STILL WEIGHTED BY THE WIND, SLID IN LONG UNBROKEN SWELLS TOWARD THE SHORE WHERE IT BROKE AND DRAGGED AWAY THE FOOTPRINTS AND DELICATE WHORLS LEFT BY THE CRABS ON THE BLACK SAND OF THE BEACH. THE BROTHERS HAD REACHED THE ELBOWOF THE BEACH, JAWED ROCKS SPRAYCROWLED AT THIS TIME OF TIDE, FROM WHERE THE CURVED AWAY FROM THE TOWN OF FOLLW A TALL, HARSH CLIFF OF CLAY AT WHOSE ROCJY BASE THE DISSOLVING WORLD OF THE SEA ABRUPTLY ENDED. THEY WALKED ON A ROCKY STRETCH OF BEACH. THE ROCKS ENDED IN FRONT OF A SMALL TURTLE- SHAPED CAVE AND MORE THEY WERE ON SIGHING, SALT - DASHED SAND. WITHOUT STOPPING, THE OLDER BROTHER HANDED HIS SPEAR GUN AND BASKET TO HIS COMPANION. THE WIND WAS HEAVY AND COLD. THE SMALLER WAS DARK AND TIGHTLY MUSCLED. HE WAS LOOKING AT THE SEA.

GIVE ME YOUR ANTIPARA, SIMO, HIS BROTHER SAID.

SIMO REACHED INTO A POCKET OF HIS SHORT PANTS PULLED OUT A PAIR OF GOGGLES. HE GAVE THEM TO HIS BROTHER. HIS BROTHER STOPPED AND BEGAN TO EXAMINE THE GOGGLES CLOSELY.

THE CAULKING HAS DRIED, HE SAID SOFTLY. I THINK IT WILL HOLD. BUT I'LL TRY THEM OUT FOR YOU FIERST BEFORE YOU USE THEM.

THEY HAD GONE FISHING AT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER LAST WEEK AND THE CAULKING OF SIMO'S GOGLES HAD COME LOOSE. THE GLASS FELL OFF AND THE SALT WATER DASHED INTO HIS EYES. ENJOY YOURSELF, HE HAD SAID. I'LL KEEP WATCH OVER YOU. GOING HOME THE FISH STRINGED THROUGH WITH BLACK NITO, HIS BROTHER PROMISED TO MAKE A NEW PAIR FOR HIM. HE BROJE FOR AIR NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE BREAKWATER. HE CLUNG LOOSELY TO THE ROCKS FOR SEVERAL MOMENTS AND THEN VAULTED UP, SHAKING OFF DROPS OF WATER THAT SPANGLED HIS DARK BODY. FROM THE WAY, HE WALKED AND DANGLED THE GOGGLES HAD SATISFIED HIS BROTHER.

I'LL DO, HIS BROTHER CONFIRMED, HANDLING BACK THE GOGGLES TO SIMO. HE HITCHED UP HIS PANTS, PICKED UP HIS SHIRT, SPEAR GUN AND BASKET AND THEY STOKE TOWARD THE WHARF. RIDING HIS BROTHER'S SHADOW, SIMO FELT A BLOOD - MEASURED THRUST OF PRIDE AND ELATION PULSE THROUGH HIS BODY. HE FELT SAFE, WRAPPED TO SAY TO HIS BROTHER'S AS IN AN IMMINENT COCOON. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME HE WOULD FISH THE PIERS. HE WAS HAPPY AND HE WANTED TO TALK. HE GROUPED ABOUT IN HIS MIND FOR SOMETHING TO SAY TO HIS BROTHER. THEN HE REMEMBERED THE KALTANG. HE KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT THAT FISH. HE AND HIS FRIENDS HAD TALKED INTERMINABLY ABOUT IT, ITS HABIT, SHAPE ANG AUGRY.

DO YOU THINK WE'LL SEE THE KALTANG? SIMO ASKED TOMOROUSLY.

HIS BROTHER LOOKED AT HIM AND SMILED. I DON'T KNOW. PROBABLY WE WON'T. NOBODY HAS SEEN IT SINCE IT APPEARED ONCE IN THESE WATERS AND THAT WAS YEARS AGO.

IT IS DANGEROUS, ISN'T IT? SIMO PURSUED.

IT HASN'T HARMED ANYONE YET, AS FAR AS I CAN REMEMBER. YOU SEE IT APPEARED WHEN THIS WHARF WAS BEING BUILT. SIMO KNEW THAT; AND, STILL STRIDING WITH HIS BROTHER HE SEARCHED HIS LIPS AND EYES FOR THE CABALISTIC IMAGE, THE TWITCH OR THE GESTURE THE UNFAMILLIAR PREDICTABLE. ONE OF THE ENGINEERS, HIS BROTHER CONTINUED VOICE UNINFLECTED. SEVERAL LABORERS DIVED IN TO GET HIM AND ALMOST ALL OF THEM SAW THIS FISH WHICH THEY CALL A KALTANG, A DARK, WIDE-MOUTHED AND HORNED. THAT WAS ALL, AND THE KALTANG REMAINS TO THIS DAY A PRETTY MISTERIOUS FISH. ALL THAT SIMO KNEW, AND SYILL HE WAITED; BUT IT DID NOT COME, AND HIS BROTHER'S VOICE FLOATED BEFORE THEM LIKE SMOKE, WHICH THE WIND SHOOK AND SNATCHED AWAY. THEY HAD REACHED THE DOCK NOW. THE SQUAT CONCRETE PIERS THAT SUPPORTED THE WHARF CLOBBERED WITH DARK EXTRUSIONS OF OYSTER SPATS. AN OLD STEAMBOAT WAS MOORED ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WHARF. SAILBOATS WERE ANCHORED SEVERAL YARDS AWAY FROM THE PIER, THEIR MASTS RISING AND FALLING WITH THE WHEELING HORIZON LIKE BUOYING POLES. THAY CLIMBED UP TO THE CAUSEWAY AND WALKED TOWARD THE PIER HEAD. SEVERAL MAGY-LOOKING, SLEEP-LOGGED STEVEDORES WERE LOAFING IN FRONT OF A CANTEEN, AWAY FROM THE WIND.

HOY, LITOY, ONE OF THEM SHOUTED IN GREETING WHEN THEY SAW HIS BROTHER.

GOING FISHING? IT'S TOO EARLY. THE TIDE IS JUST STARTING TO FLOW IN.

YES, HIS BROTHER SAID DISINTERESTEDLY.

LITOY, I'VE A FAVOR TO ASK FROM YOU. HE FLICKED AWAY HIS CIGARARETTE.

LET'S HEAR IT, HIS BROTHER SAID, ANNOYED, SIMO COULD TELL, BY THE ARM ON HIS SHOULDER.

I HEARD, THE STEVEDORE SAID SLOWLY, THAT YOUR UNCLE GOT THE CONTRACT FOR THE BRIDGE AT ALAG.

YES? HIS BROTHER SAID ALMOST ANGRILY.

YOU ARE GOING TO OVERSEE IT, AREN'T YOU?

OF COURSE. WHAT ABOUT IT?

I JUST THOUGHT YOU MIGHT HAVE A JOB FOR ME, THE STEVEDORE SAID.

WE'VE FILLED UP ALL THE POSITIONS, LITOY SAID. YOU SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO ME EARLIER.

BUT I'LL SEND FOR YOU WHEN WE NEED MORE MEN.

THANK YOU, LITOY. BUT NO JOB FOR NOW?

NONE AT THE MOMENT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HE DISENGAGED HIS ARM AND BEGAN TO TALK EFFUSIVELY. HE STARTED TO TELL THEM ABOUT LIKELY WHERE WOULD BE FISH AND EVEN HE OFFERED TO HELP THEM LOOK FOR FISH.

I KNOW THIS PLACE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME WHERE TO FISH.

A TRUCK LOADED WITH LUMBER ROARED PASSED THEM AND TURNED ALONG SIDE ONE OF THE MOTOR LAUNCHES. THE TWO BROTHERS STOPPED AT THE OLD STEAMBOAT. GRAY SMOKE BLEW THROUGH A BLUNT SMOKE STACK. IT WAS AN OLD BOAT, SPANNED FROM BOW TO STERN BY AN OLD, UNSEALED RACHITIC-LOOKING LUMBER ROOF. THEY SAW THAT THE WHEEL WAS LASHED TO TWO CLEATS ON THE WALL. FROM THE ENGINE ROOM AN OLD MAN EMERGED, PICKED UP PIECES OF RAJITA THAT WERE STREWN ON THE DECK AND RETURNED BELOW.

LITOY STEPPED UP CLOSE AND LOOKED IN.

THEY ARE FILLING UP THIS JUNK, HE SAID TO SIMO. WONDER WHY?

HEY YOU, LITOY CALLED DOWN. THE OLD MAN REAPPEARED, PEERED AT THEM AND WALKED UP THE GANGPLANK.

AH, MANG ORTO. HAVE YOU BOUHT THIS JUNK? LITOY ASKED.

NO, NINOY FIXED THE ENGINE LAST NIGHT BECAUSE THE ATTORNEY WANTED A BOAT TO CARRY A LOAD OF RICE TO MAMBURAO. THE OLD MAN STOPPED, THEN CONTINUED: HE SAW ME THIS MORNIG AND ASKED ME TO FIRE THAT FURNACE FOR HIM. I KNOW NEXT TO NOTHING ABOUT STEAM ENGINES AND THE FURNACE IS GOING FULL BLAST. I WISH HE WOULD COME BACK.

NINOY? HAH, HE'S PROBABLY ASLEEP SOMEWHERE, LITOY SAID.

I WISH HE WOULD COME BACK. I'M HUNGRY AND THIS PIG OF BOAT LOOKS READY TO COME APART.

JUST KEEP THE FURNACE GOING. HE'LL BE BACK IN TIME.

LITOY WALKED OFF TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE DOCK,, SIMO TRAILING AFTER HIM.

THEY STRIPPED OFF THEIR CLOTHES AND PREPARED FOR THE DIVE. LITOY TESTED THE RUBBER OF HIS SPEAR GUN AND THEN SPAT ON TO HIS GOGGLES.

STAY CLOSE TO ME, HE TOLD SIMO. HE PICKED UP A COIL OF ROPE AND GENTLY LOWERED IT. THEY SLID DOWN THE ROPE, THE SPEAR GUNS TUCKED UNDER THER ARMPITS, INTO THE WATER. THEY BROKE THROUGH THE NET OF OIL, WHICH INSTANTLY ENVELOPED THEM AND RAISED A RANK, HOT SMELL. TRRREADING WATER, HE TURNED TO SIMO AND SAID, IT IS LIGHT ENOUGH UNDER WATER, WE CAN SEE. SIMO INHALED DEEPLY, JACKED DOUBLE AND FOLLOWED AFTER HIM. THE COLD WATER CRUSHED AGAINST HIS BELLY, AND THE AIR INSIDE HIS CHEST WEBBED INTO THINSTRANDS THAT TAUNTED WITH EVERY STROKE HE TOOK, SIMO STAYED DOWN AS LONG AS HE COULD, THEN TURNED, BROKE WATER, AND DIVED IN AGAIN. HIS BROTHER HAD LOOKED UP AND WHEN HE SAW SIMO DIVED AGAIN, HE TURNED HEAD ON AND SWAM FOR THE FLOOR OF THE SEA. SIMO HEARD THE SEA SUGH INTO HIS EARS AND THEREAFTER SEALED ALL SOUND. HE COULD FEEL THE BEATING OF HIS BLOOD AGAINST HIS TEMPLES. THIS AWAS THE FIRST TIME HE HAD GONE THIS DEEP, AND ALTHOUGH HE WANTED TO BREAK SURFACE AGAIN, HE ALSO WANTED TO IMPRESS HIS BROTHER. AT FIRST, EVERYTHING AT THE BOTTOM LOOKED GREEN AND EVEN THE BRIGHT MURREY CORELS WERE ONLY DARK HORNS THAT RIGIDLY DEFIED THE MOBILITY OF THE SEA. THE PRESSURE HAD MADE HIM A LITTLE GIDDY AND THIS FACT OCCURRED TO HIM WITHOUT SURPRISE, AS THOUGH SOMEHOW HE HAD EXPECTED IT. THE SHADOW LESS DOMAIN OF THE UNDER SEA SLIPPED ON FOR SEVERAL YARDS AND WAS LOST IN A HAZY, AMORPHOUS HORIZON. THEN THE CORALS FLAMED, AND BANDED COWRIES AND BRIGHT SPINY SHELLS STAINED THE WHITE SAND. SIMO SWAM CAREFULLY, TRYING TO LOOK FOR FISH. AHEAD, SIMO SAW A RED FISH THRASH AND LIE STILL, THEN IT THRASHED AGAIN AND SWAM FOR THE CORALS WHERE IT WAS LOST. UNDER THE WHARF, WHERE THE SHADOWS SHOULDERED THE PIERS, HIS DARK BROTHER BEAMED AT HIM, HE GASPED FOR BREATH AND THEN SAID EXCITEDLY: I GOT ONE. DID YOU SEE IT?

IT'S A MAYA-MAYA, HIS BROTHER SAID.

SIMO PUSHED THE FISH INTO ONE OF THE RATTAN BASKET THAT THEY HAD TRIED TO THE END OF THE ROPE. HIS BROTHER WAS PREPARING HIS SPEAR GUN FOR THE NEXT DIVE. HIS BROTHER SAW A BLACK LAPU-LAPU FLIT BRIEFLY BEHIND A BRANCH OF CORAL AND HE STAYED STILL. HIS BROTHER SLAPPED HIM ON THE BOTTOCKS. THEY SWAM UP AND SMILED BROADLY. SIMO DIVED ALONE TO GET THE FISH SWIMMING UP, HE BRUSH AGAINST ONE OF THE PIERS AND HE FELT OYSTER SHELLS RASPED AGAINST HIS SKIN. HE GAVE THE FISH TO HI BROTHER. I CUT MY SELF, HE TOLD HIM.

COME UP AND LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT IT, HIS BROTHER SAID, PUSHING THE DEAD LAPU-LAPU INTO SIMO'S BASKET.

THEY PULLED THEMSELVES UP BY THE ROPE. THE OYSTER SHELL HAD SCRAPPED OFF THE SKIN. HE BEGAN TO BLEED.

THAT IS NOTHING, HIS BROTHER SAID, IT WON'T HURT UNDER WATER. SEAWATER IS AS THICK AS BLOOD. LET'S DIVE.

SIMO WAS STALKING A STRIPED MAYA-MAYA WHEN THE EXPLOSION FROZE INTO AN INSTANTANEOU BLOCK ABOUT HIS HEAD. BEFORE THAT MOMENT WHEN HE COMPLETELY LOST MUSCULAR CONTROL. HE ROLLED IN THE WATER AND HE CRASHED AGAINST ONE OF THE OYSTER-PITTED PIERS. THEN SHE FLINCHED HIS SKIN CLEANLY; HE FELT HIS CHEEK SPLIT OPEN AND BLOOD GLIDED BEFORE HIS EYES, WHICH THE CRESPUSCULAR LIGHT OF THE UNDERSEA TURNED, INTO A MOMENTARY PURPLISH BLOB.

THE BLOCK THAT ENCASED HIS HEAD MELTED INTO HIS BELLY AND TAUT WEBS OF AIR IN HIS BODY SLACKENED; THE SEA BOUYED HIM UP. A SHARP PAIN PIERCED HIS EARS; A SERIES OF MINUTE EXPLOSION RANG IN HIS HEAD. HE FELT AS THOUGH HIS SKULL HAS BURST BUT FEAR HAD CLEARED HIS BRAIN AND WITH GREAT DELIBERATION, HE TURNED OVER AND BEGAN TO SWIM, HIS BLOOD SLOWLY THINNING IN HIS LUNGS, FOR THE SURFACE. GRIPPING ONE OF THE OYSTER- PITTED PIERS, HE RIPPED OFF HIS GOGGLES AND THOUGH SHOCKED SLAT- BURNED EYES SAW THE OLD STEAMBOAT KEEL AND SINK INTO THE UNCTUOUS, SHADELESS SEA. PUSHED BY THE SUN AGAINST THE SHAGREEN OF THE FLOOR OF THE WHARF, SIMO LAID STERCHED, HIS HANDS PRESSED ON HIS GUTTERED CHEEK. LITOY KNELT BESIDE SIMO AND TRIED TO PRESS HIS SHIRT ON THE WOUND. SIMO FEEBLY RESISTED HIS HELP.

THEIR EYES MET SOFTLY SIMO ACCUSED LITOY: I SAW YOU SWIMMING TOWARD ME.

I CAME FOR YOU, LITOY SAID. I CAME BACK FOR YOU.

BACK! HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO COME BACK? SIMO SHOUTED. TEARS OF PAIN CAME TO HIS EYES.

THE TANGLED VOICEES OF PEOPLE, WHO HAD KNOTTED THEM IN, CEASED WHIRRING AND HUNG SUSPENDED, UNHITCHED, ABOVE THEM WAITING TO ABSORB THE NEXT STRIKE.

THEN SIMO HEARD ONE OF THEM SAY: THE JEEP IS READY, LITOY. LET'S TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL.

BUT LITOY SEEMED NOT TO HEAR BECAUSE HE LIFTED HIS FACE TO THEM AND PLEADED: HE'S DELIRIOUS. CAN'T YOU SEE HE'S DELIRIOUS?

CALM YOURSELF, BRIDGE BUILDER, THE FAMILIAR VOICE OF THE STEVEDORE CONTINUED. WHAT WAS LEFT OF HIS BODY WAS SCALDED BEYOND RECOGNITION.

SIMO CLOSED HIS EYES AT THIS REVELATION. HIS WHOLE BODY WAS KINDLED BY A PAIN MORE INTENSE THAN ONE THAT SPNKED HIS CHEEK AS HE FELT HIMSELF MERGED WITH THE HURLED FIGURE OF MANG ORTO, HIS SKIN PEELED OFF. HIS BODY QUIVERED WITH SUPREME SOBS. THE PAIN OF EMERGENCE AS UNBEARABLE.

SIMO HEARD THE JEEP START ROAR AWAY. THEY'RE TAKING HIS BODY AWAY, THE STEVEDORE SAID.

TOPIC OUTLINE

I. The two brothers
1. the spear gun and openmesh rattan basket
2. the beach
3.small turtle-shape cave

II.Heavy of the wind
1. antipara
2. lost of goggles
3. the break water

III. Fishing the piers
1. the kaltang
2. friends
3.the town's recent legends

IV. Appearing of the kaltang
1. the laborers
2.dark wide mouth and horn
3. pretty mysterious fish

V. The reaching of the dock
1. the stevedorese
2. bridge at alag
3.unconfortable of simo

VI. The old steamboat
1. mang orto
2. Ninoy
3. the attorney

VII. The preparing for diving
1.Simo's beating of blood
2. wedging sense of Simo
3. the molten metal

VIII. The looking for fish
1. red fish
2. Simo's excitement
3. the maya maya

IX. The black lapu lapu
1. approaching the lapui lapu
2. oyster shells
3. the bleeding

X. Simo's lost of muscular strength
1. oyster pitted piers
2. the black sharp horn
3.the slowly thinning of blood in simo's lung

XI. The disappearing of Litoy
1. the surface of the sea
2. the old steamboat
3. floor of the warf

XII. The tears of pain
1. the jeep