THE VISITATION OF THE GODS Gilda Cordero-Fernando The letter announcing the visitation (a yearly descent upon the

school by the superintendent, the district supervisors and the division supervisors for "purposes of inspection and evaluation") had been delivered in the morning by a sleepy janitor to the principal. The party was, the attached circular revealed a hurried glance, now at Pagkabuhay, would be in apili by lunchtime, and barring typhoons, floods, volcanic eruptions and other acts of !od, would be upon Pugad "awin by afternoon. #onse$uently, after the first period, all the morning classes were dismissed. The %ome &conomics building, where the fourteen visiting school officials were to be housed, became the hub of a general cleaning. "ong'handled brooms ravished the homes of peaceful spiders from cross beams and transoms, the capiz of the windows were scrubbed to an eggshell whiteness, and the floors became mirrors after assiduous bouts with husk and candlewa(. )pen wood bo(es of #oronas largas were scattered within convenient reach of the carved sofa, the *ienna chairs and the stag'horn hat rack. The sink, too, had been repaired and the spent bulbs replaced+ a block of ice with patches of sawdust rested in the hollow of the small unpainted icebo(. There was a brief discussion on whether the ,rench soap poster behind the kitchen door was to go or stay- it depicted a trio of languorous nymphs in various stages of deshabille reclining upon a scroll bearing the legend Parfumerie et .avonerie but the woodworking instructor remembered that it had been put there to cover a rotting jagged hole ' and the nymphs had stayed. The base of the flagpole, too, had been cemented and the old gate given a whitewash. The bare grounds were, within the remarkable space of two hours, transformed into a riotous bougainvillea garden. Potted blooms were still coming in through the gate by wheelbarrow and bicycle. /uried deep in the secret earth, what supervisor could tell that such gorgeous specimens were potted, or that they had merely been borrowed from the neighboring houses for the visitation0 &very school in the province had its special point of pride ' a bed of giant s$uashes, an enclosure or white king pigeons, a washroom constructed by the PT1. 2early, Pugad "awin %igh .chool had made capital of its topography- rooted on the firm ledge of a hill, the schoolhouse was accessible by a series of stone steps carved on the hard face of the rocks+ its west windows looked out on the misty grandeur of a mountain chain shaped like a sleeping woman. arvelous, but the supervisors were e(pecting something tangible, and so this year there was the bougainvillea. The teaching staff and the student body had been divided into four working groups. The first group, composed of rs. 3ivinagracia, the harassed %ome &conomics instructor, and some of the less attractive lady teachers, were banished to the kitchen to prepare the menu- it consisted of a 45'lb. suckling pig, macaroni soup, embutido, chicken salad, baked lapu-lapu, morcon, leche flan and ice cream, the total cost of which had already been deducted from the teachers6 pay envelopes. ,ar be it to be said that Pugad "awin was lacking in generosity, charm or good tango dancers7 *isitation was, after all, 889 impression ' and r. )lbes, the principal, had promised to remember the teachers6 cooperation in that regard in the efficiency reports. The teachers of !roup Two had been assigned to procure the beddings and the dishes to be used for the supper. :n true bureaucratic fashion they had relegated the assignment to their students, who in turn had denuded their neighbors6 homes of cots, pillows, and sleeping mats. The only bed properly belonging to the %ome &conomics /uilding was a four'poster with a canopy and the superintendent was to be given the honor of slumbering upon it. %ence it was endowed with the grandest of the sleeping mats, two si;es large, but interwoven with a detailed map of the archipelago. <estling against the headboard was a $uartet of the principal6s wife6s heart'shaped pillows ' two hard ones and two soft ones ' !roup Two being uncertain of the sleeping preferences of division heads. ".tructuring the =ooms" was the responsibility of the third group. :t consisted in the construction (hurriedly) of graphs, charts, and other visual aids. There was a scurrying to

complete unfinished lesson plans and correct neglected theme books+ precipitate trips from bookstand to broom closet in a last desperate attempt to keep out of sight the dirty spelling booklets of a preceding generation, unfinished projects and assorted rags ' the key later conveniently "lost" among the folds of rs. )lbes6 (the principal6s wife) balloon skirt. 1ll year round the classroom walls had been unperturbably blank. <ow they were, like the grounds, miraculously abloom ' with cartolina illustrations of Parsing, 1mitosis #ell 3ivision and the &volution of the ,ilipina 3ress ' thanks to the !roup Two leader, r. /uenaflor (:ndustrial 1rts) who, forsaken, sat hunched over a rainfall graph. The distaff side of !roup Two were either practicing tango steps or clustered around a vacationing teacher who had taken advantage of her paid maternity leave to make a mysterious trip to %ongkong and had now returned with a provocative array of goods for sale. The rowdiest freshman boys composed the fourth and discriminated group. >nder the stewardship of iss <oel (&nglish), they had, for the past two days been ""andscaping the Premises," as assignment which, true to its appellation, consisted in the removal of all unsightly objects from the landscape. That the dirty assignment had not fallen on the hefty r. de 3ios (Physics) or the crafty r. /a; (<ational "anguage), both of whom were now hanging curtains, did not surprise iss <oel. .he had long been at odds with the principal, or rather, the principal6s wife ' ever since the plump rs. )lbes had come to school in a fashionable sack dress and caught on iss <oel6s mouth a half'effaced smile. "?e are such a fashionable group," iss <oel had joked once at a faculty meeting. ":f only our reading could also be in fashion7" '' which statement obtained for her the ire of the only two teachers left talking to her. That iss <oel spent her vacations taking a summer course for teachers in anila made matters even worse ' for r. )lbes believed that the &nglish teacher attended these courses for the sole purpose of showing them up. 1nd iss <oel6s latest wrinkle, the :ntegration ethod, gave r. )lbes a pain where he sat. iss <oel, on the other hand, thought utterly unbecoming and disgusting the manner in which the principal6s wife praised a teacher6s new purse of shawl. (":t6s so pretty, where can : get one e(actly like it0" ' a heavy'handed and graceless hint) or the way she had of announcing, well in advance, birthdays and baptisms in her family (in other words, "Prepare7"). The lady teachers were, moreover, for lack of household help, "invited" to the principal6s house to make a special salad, stuff a chicken or clean the silverware. /ut this certainly was much less than e(pected of the vocational staff ' the ?oodworking instructor who was detailed to do all the painting and repair work on the principal6s house, the Poultry instructor whose stock of leghorns was depleted after every party of the )lbeses, and the 1utomotive instructor who was forever being detailed behind the wheel of the principal6s jeep ' and iss <oel had come to take it in stride as one of the ha;ards of the profession. /ut today, accidentally meeting in the lavatory, a distressed rs. )lbes had appealed to iss <oel for help with her placket ;ipper, after which she brought out a bottle of lotion and proceeded to douse the &nglish teacher gratefully with it. ,resh from the trash pits, iss <oel, with supreme effort, resisted from making an untoward observation ' and friendship was restored on the amicable note of a stuck ;ipper. 1t 4-@A, the superintendent6s car and the weapons carrier containing the supervisors drove through the town arch of Pugad "awin. 1 runner, posted at the town gate since morning, came panting down the road but was outdistanced by the vehicles. The principal still in undershirt and drawers, shaving his jowls by the window, first sighted the approaching party. :nstantly, the room was in a hustle. !rimy socks, ,orm 4@B6s and a half bottle of beer found their way into r. )lbes6 desk drawer. 1 sophomore bree;ed down the corridor holding aloft a newly'pressed barong on a wire hanger. /ehind the closed door, rs. )lbes wriggled determinedly into her corset. The welcoming committee was waiting on the stone steps when the visitors alighted. :t being ,lag 3ay, the male instructors were attired in barong, the women in red, white or blue dresses in obedience to the principal6s circular. The .ocial .tudies teacher, hurrying down the steps to

present the sampaguita garlands, tripped upon an une(pected pot of borrowed bougainvillea. Peeping from an upstairs window, the kitchen group noted that there were only twelve arrivals. "ater it was brought out that the <ational "anguage .upervisor had gotten a severe stomach cramp and had to be left at the %ealth #enter+ that iss .antos (P&) and r. del =osario ( ilitary Tactics) had eloped at dawn. ,our pairs of hands fought for the singular honor of wrenching open the car door, and r. 1lava emerged into the sunlight. %e was brown as a sampaloc seed. r. 1lava ga;ed with satisfaction upon the patriotic faculty and belched his approval in cigar smoke upon the landscape. The principal, rivaling a total eclipse, strode towards r. 1lava minus a cuff link. "Compaero!" boomed the superintendent with outstretched arms. "Compaero!" echoed r. )lbes. They embraced darkly. There was a great to'do in the weapons carrier. The academic supervisor6s pabaon of live crabs from apili had gotten entangled with the kalamay in the %ome &conomics supervisor6s basket. The district supervisor had mislaid his left shoe among the s$uawking chickens and someone had stepped on the puto seco. There were overnight bags and reed baskets to unload, bundles of perishable and unperishable going'away gifts. (The %ome &conomics staff6s dilemmasans ice bo(, how to preserve all the food till the ne(t morning). 1 safari of Pugad "awin instructors lent their shoulders gallantly to the occasion. *ainly, iss <oel searched in the crowd for the old "anguage 1rts supervisor. 1ll the years she had been in Pugad "awin, r. 1mpil had come- in him there was no sickening bureaucracy, none of the self'importance and pettiness that often characteri;ed the small public official . %e was dedicated to the service of education, had grown old in it. %e was about the finest man iss <oel had ever known. %ow often had the temporary teachers had to court the favor of their supervisors with lavish gifts of sweets, de hilo, portfolios and what'not, hoping that they would be given a favorable recommendation7 1 permanent position for the highest bidder. /ut iss <oel herself had never e(perienced this rigmarole '' she had passed her e(ams and had been recommended to the first vacancy by r. 1mpil without having uttered a word of flattery or given a single gift. :t was ironic that even in education, you found the highest and the meanest forms of men. Through the crowd came a tall unfamiliar figure in a loose coat, a triad of pens leaking in his pocket. >nder the brave nose, the chin had receded like a gray hermit crab upon the coming of a great wave. " iss <oel, : presume0" said the stranger. The &nglish teacher nodded. ": am the new &nglish supervisor ' .awit is the name." The tall man shook her hand warmly. "3id you have a good trip, .ir0" r. .awit made a face. "Terrible7" iss <oel laughed. ".hall : show you to your $uarters0 2ou must be tired." "2es, indeed," said r. .awit. ":6d like to freshen up. 1nd do see that someone takes care of my orchids, or my wife will skin me alive." The new &nglish supervisor gathered his portfolios and iss <oel picked up the heavy load of orchids. .ilently, they walked down the corridor of the %ome &conomics building, hunter and laden :ndian guide. ": trust nothing6s the matter with r. 1mpil, .ir0" "Then you haven6t heard0 The old fool broke a collar bone. %e6s dead." ")h." "2ou see, he insisted on doing all the duties e(pected of him ' he6d be ahead of us in the school we were visiting if he felt we were dallying on the road. %e6d go by horseback, or carabao sled to the distant ones where the road was inaccessible by bus ' and at his age7 Then, on our visitation to barrio Tungkod ' you know that place, don6t you0" iss <oel nodded.

")n the way to the godforsaken island, that muddy hellhole, he slipped on the banca ' and well, that6s it." "%ow terrible." ",unny thing is ' they had to pass the hat around to buy him a coffin. :t turned out the fellow was as poor as a churchmouse. 2ou6d think, why this old fool had been thirty'three years in the service. <ever a day absent. <ever a day late. <ever told a lie. 2ou6d think at least he6d get a decent burial ' but he hadn6t reached CD and wasn6t going to get a cent he wasn6t working for. ?ell, anyway, that6s a thorn off your side." iss <oel wrinkled her brow, pu;;led. ": thought all teachers hated strict supervisors." r. .awit elucidated. "3idn6t you all $uake for your life when r. 1mpil was there waiting at the door of the classroom even before you opened it with your key0" ",eared him, yes," said iss <oel. "/ut also respected and admired him for what he stood for." r. .awit shook his head smiling. ".o that6s how the wind blows," he said, scratching a speck of dust off his earlobe. iss <oel deposited the supervisor6s orchids in the corridor. They had reached the reconverted classroom that r. .awit was to occupy with two others. "2ou must be kind to us poor supervisors," said r. .awit as iss <oel took a cake of soap and a towel from the press. "The things we go through7" eticulously, r. .awit peeled back his shirt sleeves to e(pose his pale hairless wrists. "1t Pagkabuhay, iss ?hat6s'her'name, the grammar teacher, held a demonstration class under the mango trees. Euite impressive, and modern+ but the class had been so well rehearsed that they were reciting like machine guns. : think it6s some kind of a code they have, like if the student knows the answer he is to raise his left hand, and if he doesn6t he is to raise his right, something to that effect." r. .awit reached for the towel hanging on iss <)el6s arm. "?hat : mean to say is, hell, what6s the use of going through all that palabas0 1s : always say," r. .awit raised his arm and pumped it vigorously in the air, "let6s get to the heart of what matters." iss <oel looked up with interest. "2ou mean get into the root of the problem0" "%ell no7" the &nglish supervisor said, ": mean the dance7 : always believe there6s no school problem that a good round of tango will not solve7" r. .awit groped blindly for the towel to wipe his dripping face and came up to find iss <oel smiling. "#ome, girl," he said lamely. ": was really only joking." 1s soon as the bell rang, iss <oel entered :'/ followed by r. .awit. The students were nervous. 2ou could see their hands twitching under the desks. )nce in a while they glanced apprehensively behind to where r. .awit sat on a cane chair, straight as a bamboo. /ut as the class began, the nervousness vanished and the boys launched into the recitation with aplomb. #onfidently, iss <oel sailed through a sea of prepositions, using the )ral 1pproach ethod": live in a barrio." ": live in a town." ": live in Pugad "awin." ": live on a street." ": live on #alle =ealF" r. .awit scribbled busily on his pad. Triumphantly, iss <oel ended the period with a trip to the back of the building where the students had constructed a home'made printing press and were putting out their first school paper. The inspection of the rest of the building took e(actly half an hour. :t was characteri;ed by a steering away from the less presentable parts of the school (e(cept for the :ndustrial 1rts supervisor who, unwatched, had come upon and stood gaping at the ,rench soap poster). The

twenty'three strains of bougainvillea received such a chorus of praise and re$uests for cutting that the poor teachers were nonplussed on how to meet them without endangering life and limb from their rightful owners. The 1cademic supervisor commented upon the surprisingly fresh appearance of the 1mitosis chart and this was of course followed by a ripple of nervous laughter. r. .awit in$uired softly of iss <oel what the town6s cottage industry was, upon instructions of his uncle, the supervisor. "Buntal hats," said iss <oel. The tour ended upon the sound of the dinner bell and at B o6clock the guests sat down to supper. The table, lorded over by a stuffed /ontoc eagle, was indeed an impressive sight. The flowered soup plates borrowed from rs. *alenton vied with rs. 3e los .antos6 bone china. rs. 1lejandro6s willoware server rivalled but could not $uite outshine the soup tureens of rs. #ru;. Pink paper napkins blossomed grandly in a water glass. The superintendent took the place of honor at the head of the table with r. )lbes at his right. 1nd the feast began. &veryone partook heavily of the elaborate dishes+ there were second helpings and many re$uests for toothpicks. )n either side of r. 1lava, during the course of the meal, stood iss =osales and rs. )lbes, the former fanning him, the latter boning the lapu-lapu on his plate. The rest of the Pugad "awin teachers, previously fed on hopia and coke, acted as waiteresses. <ever was a beer glass empty, never a napkin out of reach, and the supervisors, with murmured apologies, belched approvingly. Towards the end of the meal, r. 1lava in$uired casually of the principal where he could purchase some buntal hats. &lated, the latter replied that it was the cottage industry right here in Pugad "awin. They were, however, the principal said, not for sale to colleagues. The .uperintendent shook his head and said he insisted on paying, and brought out his wallet, upon which the principal was so offended he would not continue eating. 1t last the superintendent said, all right, compaero, give me one or two hats, but the principal shook his head and ordered his alarmed teachers to round up fifty+ and the ice cream was served. #lose upon the wings of the dinner tripped the .ocial %our. The hosts and the guests repaired to the sala where a rondalla of high school boys were playing an animated rendition of " erry ?idow" behind the hat rack. There was a concerted reaching for open cigar bo(es and presently the room was clouded with acrid black smoke. r. )lbes took iss <oel firmly by the elbow and steered her towards r. 1lava who, deep in a cigar, sat wide'legged on the carved sofa. " r. .uperintendent," said the principal. "This is iss <oel, our &nglish teacher. .he would be greatly honored if you open the dance with her." "Compaero," twinkled the superintendent. ": did not know Pugad "awin grew such e($uisite flowers." iss <oel smiled thinly. r. 1lava6s terpsichorean knowledge had never advanced beyond a bumbling walt;. They rocked, gyrated, stumbled, recovered, rolled back into the center, amid a wave of teasing and applause. To each of the supervisors, in turn, the principal presented a pretty instructor, while the rest, unattractive or painfully shy, and therefore unfit offering to the gods, were left to fend for themselves. The first number was followed by others in three'$uarter time and iss <oel danced most of them with r. .awit. 1t ten o6clock, the district supervisor suggested that they all drive to the ne(t town where the fiesta was being celebrated with a big dance in the pla;a. 1ll the prettier lady teachers were drafted and the automotive instructor was ordered behind the wheel of the weapons carrier. iss <oel remained behind together with rs. 3ivinagracia and the %ome &conomics staff, pleading a headache. !raciously, r. .awit also remained behind. 1s iss <oel repaired to the kitchen, r. .awit followed her. "The principal tells me you are $uite headstrong, iss <oel," he said. "/ut then : don6t put much stock by what principals say." iss <oel emptied the ashtrays in the trash can. ":f he meant why : refused to dance with r. "ucbanF" "<o, just things in general," said r. .awit. "The visitation, for instance. ?hat do you think of it0"

iss <oel looked into r. .awit6s eyes steadily. "3o you want my frank opinion, .ir0" "2es, of course." "?ell, : think it6s all a farce." "That6s what :6ve heard ' what makes you think that0" "isn6t it obvious0 2ou announce a whole month ahead that you6re visiting. ?e clean the schoolhouse, tuck the trash in the drawers, bring out our best manners. 1s you said before, we rehearse our classes. Then we roll out the red carpet ' and you believe you observe us in our everyday surrounding, in our everyday comportment0" ")h, we know that." "That6s what : mean ' we know that you know. 1nd you know that we know that you know." r. .awit gave out an embarrassed laugh. "#ome now, isn6t that putting it a trifle strongly0" "<o," replied iss <oel. ":n fact, : overheard one of your own companions say just a while ago that if your lechon were crisper than that of the preceding school, if our pabaon were more lavish, we would get a higher efficiency rating." ")f course he was merely joking. : see what r. )lbes meant about your being stubborn." "1nd what about one supervisor, an ac$uaintance of yours, : know, who used to come just before the town fiesta and assign us the following items- C chickens, 4DA eggs, G goats, 4G leche flans. : know the list by heart ' : was assigned the checker." "There are a few miserable e(ceptionsF" "?hat about the sweepstakes agent supervisor who makes a ticket of the teacher6s clearance for the withdrawal of his pay0 %ow do you e(plain him0" r. .awit shook his head as if to clear it. ".ir, during the five years that :6ve taught, :6ve done my best to live up to my ideals. 2et : please nobody. :t6s the same old narrow conformism and favor'currying. ?hat matters is not how well one teaches but how well one has learned the art of pleasing the powers'that'be and it6s the same all the way up." r. .awit threw his cigar out of the window in an arc. ".o you want to change the world. :6ve been in the service a long time, iss <oel. .eventeen years. This bald spot on my head caused mostly by new teachers like you who want to set the world on fire. :n my younger days : wouldn6t hesitate to recommend you for e(pulsion for your rash opinions. /ut :6ve grown old and mellow ' : recogni;e spunk and am willing to give it credit. /ut spunk is only hard'headedness when not directed towards the proper channels. /ut you6re young enough and you6ll learn, the hard way, singed here and there ' but you6ll learn." "%ow are you so sure0" asked iss <oel narrowly. "They all do. There are thousands of teachers. They6re mostly disillusioned but they go on teaching ' it6s the only place for a woman to go." "There will be a reclassification ne(t month," continued r. .awit. " r. )lbes is out to get you ' he can, too, on grounds of insubordination, you know that. /ut :6m willing to stick my neck out for you if you stop being such an idealistic fool and henceforth e(press no more personal opinions. "et sleeping dogs lie, iss <oel. : shall give you a good rating after this visitation because you remind me of my younger sister, if for no other reason. Then after a year, when : find that you learned to curb your tongue, : will recommend you for a post in anila where your talents will not be wasted. : am related to r. 1lava, you know." iss <oel bit her lip in stunned silence. :s this what she had been wasting her years on0 .he had worked, she had slaved ' with a sting of tears she remembered all the parties missed ("#an6t wake up early tomorrow, #lem"), alliances forgone ("=eally, : haven6t got the time, maybe some other year0") the chances by'passed ("?hy, she6s become a spinster7") ' then to come face to face with what one has worked for ' a boor like r. .awit7 %ow did one e(plain him away0 ?hat syllogisms could one invent to rub him out of the public school system0 /elow the window, iss <oel heard a giggle as one of the Pugad "awin teachers was pursued by a mischievous supervisor in the playground.

"2ou see," the voice continued, "education is not so much a matter of brains as getting along with one6s fellowmen, else how could : have risen to my present position0" r. .awit laughed harshly. "1ll the fools : started out with are still head'teachers in godforsaken barrios, and how can one be idealistic in a mudhole0 !oodnight, my dear." r. .awit6s hot trembling hand (the same mighty hand that fathered the H'16s that made or broke &nglish teachers) found its way swiftly around her waist, and hot on her forehead iss <oel endured the supreme insult of a wet, fatherly kiss. !ive up your teaching, she heard her aunt say again for the hundredth time, and in a couple of months you might be the head. ?e need someone educated because we plan to e(port. )h, to be able to lie in a hammock on the top of the hill and not have to worry about the ne(t lesson plan7 To have time to meet people, to party, to write. .he remembered #lem coming into the house (after the first troubled months of teaching) and persuading her to come to anila because his boss was in need of a secretary. Typing7 ,iling7 .horthand7 .he had spat the words contemptuously back at him. : was given a head so : could think7 Pride goethF iss <oel bowed her head in silence. #ould anyone in the big, lighted offices of the city possibly find use for a stubborn, cranky, /.& major0 1s iss <oel impaled the coffee cups upon the spokes of the drainboard, she heard the door open and the student named "eon come in for the case of beer empties. "Pandemonium over, a6am0" he asked. iss <oel smile dimly. 3ear perceptive "eon. %e wanted to become a lawyer. Pugad "awin6s first. ?hat kind of a piker was she to betray a dream like that0 ?hat would happen to him if she wasn6t there to teach him his p6s and f6s0 3eep in the night and the silence outside flickered an occasional gaslight in a hut on the mountain shaped like a sleeping woman. ?as Porfirio deep in a Physics book0 ()h, but he mustn6t blow up any more pigshed.) ?hat was Iuanita composing tonight0 (1n ode on starlight on the trunk of a banana tree0) "eon walked swiftly under the window- in iss <oel6s eyes he had already won a case. ?hy do : have to be such a darn missionary0 >nafraid, the boy "eon stepped into the night, the burden of bottles light on his back. 1fter breakfast the ne(t morning, the supervisors packed their belongings and were soon ready. r. /uenaflor fetched a camera and they all posed on the sunny steps for a souvenir photothe superintendent with r. and rs. )lbes on either side of him and the minor gods in descending order on the %ome &conomics stairs. iss <oel was late ' but she ran to take her place with pride and humility on the lowest rung of the school6s hierarchy.