The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home

CHAPTER LVI 253
CHAPTER LVI
Rumors and Beliefs
Day dawned at last for the terrified town. The streets near the barracks and the town hail were still deserted
and solitary, the houses showed no signs of life. Nevertheless, the wooden panel of a window was pushed
back noisily and a child's head was stretched out and turned from side to side, gazing about in all directions.
At once, however, a smack indicated the contact of tanned hide with the soft human article, so the child made
a wry face, closed its eyes, and disappeared. The window slammed shut.
But an example had been set. That opening and shutting of the window had no doubt been heard on all sides,
for soon another window opened slowly and there appeared cautiously the head of a wrinkled and toothless
old woman: it was the same Sister Puté who had raised such a disturbance while Padre Damaso was
preaching. Children and old women are the representatives of curiosity in this world: the former from a wish
to know things and the latter from a desire to recollect them.
Apparently there was no one to apply a slipper to Sister Puté, for she remained gazing out into the distance
with wrinkled eyebrows. Then she rinsed out her mouth, spat noisily, and crossed herself. In the house
opposite, another window was now timidly opened to reveal Sister Rufa, she who did not wish to cheat or be
cheated. They stared at each other for a moment, smiled, made some signs, and again crossed themselves.
"Jesús, it seemed like a thanksgiving mass, regular fireworks!" commented Sister Rufa.
"Since the town was sacked by Balat, I've never seen another night equal to it," responded Sister Puté.
"What a lot of shots! They say that it was old Pablo's band."
"Tulisanes? That can't be! They say that it was the cuadrilleros against the civil-guards. That's why Don Filipo
has been arrested."
"Sanctus Deus! They say that at least fourteen were killed."
Other windows were now opened and more faces appeared to exchange greetings and make comments. In the
clear light, which promised a bright day, soldiers could be seen in the distance, coming and going confusedly
like gray silhouettes.
"There goes one more corpse!" was the exclamation from a window.
"One? I see two."
"And I--but really, can it be you don't know what it was?" asked a sly-featured individual.
"Oh, the cuadrilleros!"
"No, sir, it was a mutiny in the barracks!"
"What kind of mutiny? The curate against the alferez?"
"No, it was nothing of the kind," answered the man who had asked the first question. "It was the Chinamen
who have rebelled." With this he shut his window.