The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
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CHAPTER XVII 84<br />
Sisa had no faith in dreams, so she did not insist.<br />
"Mother, I've thought of a plan tonight," said Basilio after a few moments' silence.<br />
"What is your plan?" she asked. Sisa was humble in everything, even with her own sons, trusting their<br />
judgment more than her own.<br />
"I don't want to be a sacristan any longer."<br />
"What?"<br />
"Listen, mother, to what I've been thinking about. Today there arrived from Spain the son of the dead Don<br />
Rafael, and he will be a good man like his father. Well now, mother, tomorrow you will get Crispin, collect<br />
my wages, and say that I will not be a sacristan any longer. As soon as I get well I'll go to see Don Crisostomo<br />
and ask him to hire me as a herdsman of his cattle and carabaos--I'm now big enough. Crispin can study with<br />
old Tasio, who does not whip and who is a good man, even if the curate does not believe so. What have we to<br />
fear now from the padre? Can he make us any poorer than we are? You may believe it, mother, the old man is<br />
good. I've seen him often in the church when no one else was about, kneeling and praying, believe it. So,<br />
mother, I'll stop being a sacristan. I earn but little and that little is taken away from me in fines. Every one<br />
complains of the same thing. I'll be a herdsman and <strong>by</strong> performing my tasks carefully I'll make my employer<br />
like me. Perhaps he'll let us milk a cow so that we can drink milk--Crispin likes milk so much. Who can tell!<br />
Maybe they'll give us a little calf if they see that I behave well and we'll take care of it and fatten it like our<br />
hen. I'll pick fruits in the woods and sell them in the town along with the vegetables from our garden, so we'll<br />
have money. I'll set snares and traps to catch birds and wild cats, [61] I'll fish in the river, and when I'm<br />
bigger, I'll hunt. I'll be able also to cut firewood to sell or to present to the owner of the cows, and so he'll be<br />
satisfied with us. When I'm able to plow, I'll ask him to let me have a piece of land to plant in sugar-cane or<br />
corn and you won't have to sew until midnight. We'll have new clothes for every fiesta, we'll eat meat and big<br />
fish, we'll live free, seeing each other every day and eating together. Old Tasio says that Crispin has a good<br />
head and so we'll send him to Manila to study. I'll support him <strong>by</strong> working hard. Isn't that fine, mother?<br />
Perhaps he'll be a doctor, what do you say?"<br />
"What can I say but yes?" said Sisa as she embraced her son. She noted, however, that in their future the boy<br />
took no account of his father, and shed silent tears.<br />
Basilio went on talking of his plans with the confidence of the years that see only what they wish for. To<br />
everything Sisa said yes--everything appeared good.<br />
Sleep again began to weigh down upon the tired eyelids of the boy, and this time Ole-Luk-Oie, of whom<br />
Andersen tells us, spread over him his beautiful umbrella with its pleasing pictures. Now he saw himself with<br />
his little brother as they picked guavas, alpay, and other fruits in the woods; they clambered from branch to<br />
branch, light as butterflies; they penetrated into the caves and saw the shining rocks; they bathed in the springs<br />
where the sand was gold-dust and the stones like the jewels in the Virgin's crown. <strong>The</strong> little fishes sang and<br />
laughed, the plants bent their branches toward them laden with golden fruit. <strong>The</strong>n he saw a bell hanging in a<br />
tree with a long rope for ringing it; to the rope was tied a cow with a bird's nest between her horns and Crispin<br />
was inside the bell.<br />
Thus he went on dreaming, while his mother, who was not of his age and who had not run for an hour, slept<br />
not.