I was in my afternoon siesta nap when an old women was shouting to the top of her lungs. "Manok, netib manok baligyaaaaa!!!! " I was unceremoniously awaken by her shouting. " Lagring...Lagring, tan-awa ra god tong manok nga baligya sa gawas..!!!!! my quick response, knowingly that barrio women move fast to sell their stuffs and in a hurry.
These women sell their poultry produce in town and the money they earned are use in buying some necessities back home in the barrio. They bought dried fish as well as fresh ones. Salts, cooking oils, vetsin and kerosine gas are additonal items they will bring home.
"Oo sir!, kadyot lang", as she ran outside in the main gate. " Nang, nang agi ra gud dire kay paliton ni Sir imong mga manok!!!.
Lagrimas Maluloy-on is my new help in the house. She just started working a month ago." Taga diin diay ka day? I asked her. Taga Suminot Sir...didto ko natawo, pero pagkaminyo nako, sa Baganian Peninsula na mi namuyo sa akong bana Sir, kay mananagat man gud to sya...she shyly answered my queries. Mao ba?....I squaked as I was inspecting her looks. "Pila nay imong edad diay? naa kay mga anak? asa naman imong bana....naa gihapon ka sa Baganian tig-ulian?" were my rapid interview questions to her.
" Wala na Sir, kay nagbulag na mis akong ika-tulo ka bana...she moaned as she was shy telling such private and personal questions. Wow, I was really amazed about her having three husbands...how she managed to have three. Lagring was looking frail, and looked younger than I thought...maybe 40?..38?...thanks to her make-up, maybe brought from Maranaw hawkers, and pink Ching chang Soo plus dark red lipstick. Her worn out blouse, looked like bought from ukay-ukay somewhere with some Chinese drawings on the front. She was wearing faded jeans that matched the pink t-shirt.
"Unya...ang imong mga anak asa naman?...I was outright intruding deeper into her private life. "Wala man koy mga anak Sir, kay nag palayget ko !!!! she blushes. I was embarrassed too. So after a while I accepted Inday and let her to start working that day.
The native chicken is my favorite fowl...Nanay Tiba used to get fresh eggs from a nearby "pugaran" and add the egg yolks to my hot "NILUGAW". I love eating porridge till now but without those eggs, after modern times, the pugarans just disappeared in the house.
The two hens I bought looked so healthy, they have spotted feathers, their stomach bloated...I thought maybe those hens were forced to eat bananas or mais or maybe nails? to increase their kilos.
I instructed Lagring to kep the two chickens being binded together with plastic straws. I was feeling sleepy again so I continued my additional nap in a bamboo sofa, the July amihan wind made my eyes drowsy.
"Sir,Sir ...nawala ang duha ka manok!!!!!!! " Lagrimas screamed that woke me up. " Asa man diay nimo gibutang Inday....impossible jud nga mawala to ay, panihapon biya to natong usa ka manok, kay gusto nakog tinula." I said to her.
"Dire nako gibutang sa ilalom sa sofa set Sir....ambot nganong nga nawala sila." I was beginning to feel angry on her, my God! imagine in two days, she made mistakes, the nerve....the price of two chicken cost already her one week salary, and the worst is we will have no hot chicken tinola soup.
" Hala pangitaa jud tong mga manok, kay ikaw jud akong itak-ang diris kawa....!!!!!! I shouted at her. WOw, how can she be that dumb? why she put those chicken in the sala under those furniture????? so stupid woman.
"Hala Sir nakabuhi diay...nia sa likod sa balay! " she was shouting while she was chasing both chicken. " Sir, kusog man managan uy....dili nako madakpan." Bweset!!!!!!dakpa jud na kay wala tay panihapon.
True to itself, Inday was gasping her breath, the chicken disappeared ....together with my dinner....my tinolang manok. My tinolang native na manok.
So I called my niece to just go to the carinderia on the side of the public market to buy some dinner for me. So from hot sabaw of chicken....it was adobong manok on the table. It was the only available food left in the closing restaurant.
photo credit: Tina Enad Tagle for the delicious and mouth watering TINULANG MANOK
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