The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home

CHAPTER XII 66
"One grave is as recent as another."
"I can't stand it any longer! That bone you're just cut in two has blood oozing from it--and those hairs?"
"But how sensitive you are!" was the other's reproach. "Just as if you were a town clerk! If, like myself, you
had dug up a corpse of twenty days, on a dark and rainy night--! My lantern went out--"
His companion shuddered.
"The coffin burst open, the corpse fell half-way out, it stunk--and supposing you had to carry it--the rain wet
us both--"
"Ugh! And why did you dig it up?"
The grave-digger looked at him in surprise. "Why? How do I know? I was ordered to do so."
"Who ordered you?"
The grave-digger stepped backward and looked his companion over from head to foot. "Man, you're like a
Spaniard, for afterwards a Spaniard asked me the same questions, but in secret. So I'm going to answer you as
I answered the Spaniard: the fat curate ordered me to do so."
"Ah! And what did you do with the corpse afterwards?" further questioned the sensitive one.
"The devil! If I didn't know you and was not sure that you are a man I would say that you were certainly a
Spaniard of the Civil Guard, since you ask questions just as he did. Well, the fat curate ordered me to bury it
in the Chinamen's cemetery, but the coffin was heavy and the Chinese cemetery far away--"
"No, no! I'm not going to dig any more!" the other interrupted in horror as he threw away his spade and
jumped out of the hole. "I've cut a skull in two and I'm afraid that it won't let me sleep tonight." The old
grave-digger laughed to see how the chicken-hearted fellow left, crossing himself.
The cemetery was filling up with men and women dressed in mourning. Some sought a grave for a time,
disputing among themselves the while, and as if they were unable to agree, they scattered about, each kneeling
where he thought best. Others, who had niches for their deceased relatives, lighted candles and fell to praying
devoutly. Exaggerated or suppressed sighs and sobs were heard amid the hum of prayers, orapreo, orapreiss,
requiem-aeternams, that arose from all sides.
A little old man with bright eyes entered bareheaded. Upon seeing him many laughed, and some women
knitted their eyebrows. The old man did not seem to pay any attention to these demonstrations as he went
toward a pile of skulls and knelt to look earnestly for something among the bones. Then he carefully removed
the skulls one by one, but apparently without finding what he sought, for he wrinkled his brow, nodded his
head from side to side, looked all about him, and finally rose and approached the grave-digger, who raised his
head when the old man spoke to him.
"Do you know where there is a beautiful skull, white as the meat of a coconut, with a complete set of teeth,
which I had there at the foot of the cross under those leaves?"
The grave-digger shrugged his shoulders.
"Look!" added the old man, showing a silver coin, "I have only this, but I'll give it to you if you find the skull
for me."