Two Roads

Part 1 - Chapter 32

Jeruel

Dalawang linggong hindi pumasok si Benjie. Inisip na ng lahat na sinukuan na niya ang pagaaral ngayong wala na ang lola niya. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang nangyari, pero isang araw, bigla na lang siyang pumasok. Gulat na gulat kaming lahat, dahil hindi lang siya basta pumasok. Ibang Benjamin Arevalo na ang nakita namin.

Makikita sa mga mata niya ang matinding determinasyon. Parang lahat ng gawin niya, siguradong sigurado siya. Mas masipag pa nga siyang magrecite kesa sa amin ni Paul eh. Lagi siyang makikitang nagbabasa, o nagsusulat. Basta, ibang iba siya.

Oh where hae ye been, Lord Randall, my son!
And where hae ye been, my handsome young man!
I hae been to the wild wood: mother, make my bed soon,
For Im wearied wi hunting, and fain wad lie dwn.

An wha met ye there, Lord Randall, my son?
An wha met ye there, my handsome young man?
I dined wi my true-love; mother, make my bed soon,
For Im wearied wi hunting, and fain wad lie doon.

And wha did she give you, Lord Randall, my son?
And wha did she give you, my handsome yound man?
Eels fried in broo; mother, make my bed soon,
For Im wearied wi hunting, and fain wad lie doon.

And wha gat your leavins, Lord Randall, my son?
And wha gat your leavins, my handsome young man?
My hawks and my hounds; mother, make my bed soon,
For Im wearied wi hunting, and fain wad lie doon.

What become a yer bloodhounds, Lord Randall, my son?
What become a yer bloodhounds, my handsome young man?
They swelled and they died, mother; make my bed soon,
For Im weary wi hunting, and fain wad lie doon.

O I fear ye are poisoned, Lord Randall, my son!
I fear ye are poisoned, my handome young man!
O yes, I am poisoned; mother, make my bed soon,
For Im sick at m heart, and I fain wad lie doon.

Isinara namin ang mga libro namin at tumingin sa isa't isa. Kitang kita ko sa mga mukha ng mga kaklase ko na natatawa sila na parang ewan. Paano naman kasi, ito na yata ang pinakawirdong tula na nabasa namin.

Hinubad ni Ma'am Myrna ang kanyang salamin at lumakad sa aisle ng classroom.

"OK, so who can tell me what kind of poetry this is?"

Ako at si Paul ang nagtaas ng kamay.

"Mr. Alejandro?"

"Ma'am, that one is a ballad."

"Explain."

"A ballad is short narrative folk song that fixes on the most dramatic part of a story, moving to its conclusion by means of dialogue and a series of incidents. The word ballad was first used in a general sense to mean a simple short poem. Such a poem could be narrative or lyric, sung or not sung, crude or polite, sentimental or satiric, religious or secular; it was vaguely associated with dance."

Ngumiti si Ma'am. "Well, thank you Mr. Alejandro for defining the word ballad for us. Although you could have simply said that this poem, Lord Randall is a ballad because it is intended to be sung because of its structure. OK? You may take your seat."

Napailing na lang ako. Minsan na nga lang magpabibo si Paul nasasabon pa ni Ma'am.

"We could say that the text is in English, right?"

"Yes." sabay sabay na sagot ng lahat.

"However, as you have noticed, and I can see it in your faces, there's something weird about the language here. Can somebody explain to me why?"