Author Topic: A Query on a Quarry  (Read 2056 times)

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Offline Major Jaws

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A Query on a Quarry
« on: March 27, 2020, 08:11:32 AM »
A small town in the jungles of Abra Province hasn’t had something new since a train station was built there in the nineties. The residents of Santa Maria, however, have lived mostly simple yet discontent lives, living on customary traditions while slowly trying to incorporate the modern world. However, with the new economic plans the administration has rolled out, Santa Maria may face a dilemma: go along with this change or go against the development.

This vignette will be (mostly?) in the first-person perspective of Tadeo Balangtik, an 18-year old working student and resident of Santa Maria.

This will be my first time writing in first-person, so criticisms are very welcome. :D

Offline Major Jaws

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Chapter 1: The Train Station
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2020, 08:30:27 AM »
The train grinded down to a screeching halt by the platform, drowning out the songs of the jungle birds. This sleepy train station of Santa Maria, the only outside connection my town of 3,000 has to the rest of the country aside from a dirt road accessible to a limited number of trucks. The train station itself consisted of a small platform, covered by a wooden roof, and a reception area where the ticketbooth, a few benches, and a couple of vending machines were placed. The rails are rusty already, taking its toll from the humid environment. Today however, four trains have unloaded a few hundred people, unusual from it’s weekly trips coming from Bangued, mainly carrying the weekly supplies of goods and gasoline along with the occasional group of backpackers and those returning from out-of-town trips.

My boss and the station manager, Chief Magnos, called me this morning to work overtime due to the influx of arrivals. His rash decision gave no regards to my schedule later. I may be “just a janitor” as most people will call it, but I still have standards in managing my time. Later this afternoon, I still have to help Lolo[1] in the cocoa orchard, then have my date with [insert female name] at the plaza by the chapel, and finally work on the assignment Ma’am Punso gave us on trigonometry. Oh well, I could always copy Laurel’s work on Monday just like everybody else; trigonometry can’t make me money anyways.

“Tadeo!” Chief Magnos called out from the other side of the platform. “You know computers right?” I answered with a nod. “Well then, hand that mop over to Adriatico and come here.” I gave my mop to Adriatico,who reluctantly took it from me. I headed into the small and messy ticketbooth, complete with a noisy fan and 90’s era computers; this stuff is older than me, I think.

“So what’s the problem now?” I asked, leaning my elbow on the desk, but the blue screen gave me my answer. I held on the power button and turned to my boss. “What’s the deal with the workers coming in? We’re finally getting a decent road?”

“Why would you want to know?” The jefe retorted back condescendingly, raising his foot on the desk.

“Why not? We have to deal with them for one.” I replied with the same arrogant tone he gave as I gave the monitor a few light hits as it booted up.

“Ok fine, but you owe me another joint.” Ah addictions, one of the easiest ways to bribe someone. Lucky for me I don’t have chemically induced addictions. “So, remember when Governor Manodok was under fire for proposing the Kanan dam?” I gave a nod, trying to pay no attention to the cannabis-smelling breath Chief has. “Well, he did drop the project, but is going to replace it with a quarry right in the middle of our town, San Isidro, and Danglas. Some say they might be mining gold or platinum or something there.” I stared, surprised and discontent with what he was spilling to me. “I heard that Dizon is involved somehow.”

“What a bitch.” I yelled, startling the Chief as he kicked his legs back to the floor. “What a fucking bitch. She can’t just do that, Dizon can’t just do that, that’s our land!” The computer seemed fixed, flashing the schedule of arriving trains, of which there were seven more. I stormed out of the kiosk and went over to Adriatico. ”Hey can you cover for me again? I gotta go help out Lolo now.”

“Wha- why me?” The stick-thin boy looked up, wiping his sweat. “Can’t you see how many people are here? You’re just going to go with [insert female name] anyways.”

“Well, yes that and I legit really need to go before he breaks his back from working too much.” He sighed at me disappointingly as I bolted through the crowded station, shoving a couple of the workers out of the way.
 1. Grandfather
« Last Edit: January 17, 2021, 05:13:35 PM by Major Jaws »

Offline Major Jaws

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Chapter 2 - The Town Plaza
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2020, 07:40:42 PM »
Chapter Two: The Town Plaza

Those workers do seem pretty much annoyed, justified, if I could say it. I was, after all, still in my uniform and supposed to be sweeping the floor and not shoving them away. As I gave a small glance back, I made eye contact with the Chief, who gave me a nod of approval to leave. Adriatico, meanwhile, let’s just say he wasn’t happy with working until seven. I then grabbed my rickety bicycle and dashed through the mud road. I passed through the main road with small shops scattered between houses, through the sparse town market, finally arriving at the plaza.

The plaza itself is paved with bricks originally masoned centuries back. At its center is the iron bust of Miguel Malong, commemorating his most famous skirmish in the mountains surrounding the town’s Poblacion[1]. Facing the iron monument was the three hundred year old chapel, constructed by Ecclesiastical missionaries on top of the shaman’s shrine when they violently took over. Its structure is mostly unchanged, standing the test of time. The coral-stone church still looks as elegant as ever and it is one of the few things I like about this town. On the back of the statue was the municipal hall, established by the same missionaries with the help of the then Datu Wagdu-an; whose descendants joined Malong’s revolt. The municipal hall, however, was initially a baroque structure that underwent renovation a few years ago. Now, it is a small blob of concrete painted with tacky murals and slogans, failing to hide the large crevices that creep from the ground up. Along the left side were a playground, covered by thorny vines and jungle brush that have been my childhood's bane; and a basketball court where endless curses come from kids, teens, and adults alike along with the sound of skidding flip-flops that never cease echo through the plaza. On the other side is a granite fountain that was a vanity project of the previous mayor and only turned on when the governor visited; and a tricycle shed, the only public transportation one could get to go around this town.

I chained my bike onto a streetlamp as I headed towards the rows of benches by the mossy granite fountain. This has been the hang-out spot of our group since fourth grade and will be until we all eventually move out to Lungsod. There [insert female name] has been sitting alone, probably for an hour or so, staring at the imposing mountains that would be barren within the next few days. I don’t know how she’ll take the news on the governor’s plan, let alone the fact that it’s now about to start. I walked slowly towards her, softly whispering out her name. She stood up and looked at me, a bit surprised.

“Tibs? Why-why are you here already?” Wait, she rarely uses that nickname to call me; that’s either great or bad “I thought you had overtime at the station?” She asked, raising her eyebrows. I did text her about that earlier this morning “Don’t say that you got away from work again just for me.” Now she unfurled her hair and crossed her arms at me. Oh she was just being playful as usual. Why did I even worry about it?

“Yeah, uhh, about that.” I scratched my head thinking for a response. “After fixing the jefe’s computer, he told me something. I then excused myself and he seemed cool with it I guess. Plus, I got Adriatico to cover for me just in case. So, yeah, there’s something important to tell you” I sat down on the bench while [insert female name] remained standing, seemingly annoyed. Was it something I said?

“You know he can’t do too much work, remember he’s got asthma and his salbutamol ran out last week.” Oh of course, I had to bring up her ex. “But what was that something the Chief told you that it’s so important? Are we going to finally have a decent road here?” She continued sarcastically while I silently breathed a sigh of relief as I won’t have to continue to talk about her ex.

“Ok well, remember the petition we filed against the governor’s plan to build Kanan Dam?” Her attitude changed from mocking to being curious at what I was saying. “Well, that shit is worthless now because that bitch of a governor will have Mount Kagulog cleared.” I pointed at the mountains she was staring at a moment ago. “That’s why I was supposed to be working overtime as laborers, I assume, are flooding the train station.”

“What? That’s where my family’s vanilla orchard is, that’s where your cocoa orchard is.” [insert female name] was taken aback by the rumor I told her. “Are you sure about this?” I gave an assured nod. “Should we call the squad about this?”

“Sure, let’s have a meeting about this,” I answered. “But I need to head back home first, you know with my Lolo and all.” I kissed my girlfriend on her cheek. “I’ll be back here in an hour. I love you.”
 
“Ok, I love you too” She replied back.


 1. The barangay/s representing the downtown area
« Last Edit: January 17, 2021, 05:14:18 PM by Major Jaws »