Love in the cornhusks By: Aida Rivera Ford

Constantina "Tinang" Tirol, Señora (the former employer of Tinang ), Tito (son of Señora), Señorito (Father of Tito and the
boss of Amado), Amado Galuran (Tinang's boyfriend), A Bagobo(Tinang‟s husband, Bagobito (Tinang‟s baby boy)
Setting: The story happens in a Barrio.
Climax: Tinang discovers after reading the love letter from her first love,Amado, that she is still loved by him. However, by
then, she is already married to a Bagobo and has a son with him.

Tinang has visited her former mistress' abode with an intent of baptismal commitment for her child. While they are
having a conversation, she was informed that there is a letter in the drugstore addressed to her. This made her feel
nervous. By that moment, she thought that someone might be dead or maybe that letter comes from her sister. So she
hurriedly takes her way home and passes by that drugstore to get the letter after leaving the house of her former senora,
she head to the drugstore to fetch the letter withthe bundle of clothes given to her. She then proceeded to home with her
hands fully occupied. As she continues walking in a muddy road to her way home, she tries to look for a place where she
could lay down her baby, hoping that she could read the letter before she arrives home. Finally, she finds a good place
where she can stop for a while and has decided to read the letter in which she situated herself under the Kamansi tree
with the pile of cornhusks. So, she prepares a heap of it using her foot and laid her babyupon it. Then, she starts reading
the letter. After doing so, she finds out that the letter is a love letter, from her first love, which comes from Amado, saying
that he does not want to break up with her when he left from the field of Señora without telling the reason why he did so.

My dearest Tinay, Hello, how is life getting along? Are you still in good condition? As for myself, the same as usual. But
you’re far from my side. It is not easy to be far from our lover. Tinay, do you still love me? I hope your kind and generous
heart will never fade. Someday or somehow I’ll be there again to fulfill our promise. Many weeks and months have
elapsed. Still I remember our bygone days. Especially when I was suffering with the heat of the tractor under the heat of
the sun. I was always in despair until I imagine your personal appearance coming forward bearing the sweetest smile that
enabled me to view the distant horizon. Tinay, I could not return because I found that my mother was very ill. That is why I
was not able to take you as a partner of life. Please respond to my missive at once so that I know whether you still love
me or not. I hope you did not love anybody except myself I think I am going beyond the limit of your leisure hours, so I
close with best wishes to you, my friends Gonding, Sefarin, Bondio, etc. Yours forever, Amado P.S. My mother died last
month. Address your letter: Mr. Amado Galauran Binalunan, Cotabato

So that was amados message to tinang, so after nabasa ni tinang ang letter she cried, remembering the young girl she was
less than two years ago. But Time cannot be back anymore. It is already too late that she discovers that Amado still loves
her. However, she was not informed that his mother's worst illness made him gone for some time. Instead, Tinang marry a
Bagobo man, whom owns 2 hectares of land. After all, what shedoes is only to remember her past with Amado until the
time comes when she has to leave upon noticing that a snake is sneaking toward her baby boy. In the end, she leaves the
place without noticing that her first love letter fell down among the cornhusks.

The Woman in the Box By: Jose Dalisay, Jr.

Al - The protagonist and gatekeeper at the airport's refrigerated section. He is responsible for verifying the names on the
coffins and providing closure to the families.
Filemon Catabay, Sr. - The deceased individual whose family mistakenly believes is in the coffin. His family travels to the
airport to retrieve his body.
Filemon's Sister - Filemon's sister who accompanies her husband and children to the airport. She is responsible for
managing the funeral arrangements and handling the expenses.
Filemon's Brother-in-law - The husband of Filemon's sister. He drives his jeepney to the airport to bring Filemon's body
back to their village.
Filemon's Mother - The grieving mother who desperately wants to see her son one last time and share her thoughts with
him.
Filemon's Nephew - The young boy who refuses to leave the airport and insists on staying behind.
Aurora V. Cabahug- The woman in the box
On a late Saturday evening in August, a zinc casket arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, carrying the body of
Aurora V. Cabahug. She had traveled from Jeddah, via Bangkok, on a Gulf Air 747, sharing the cargo bay with tiger orchids
and apricots. After a brief pause in Bangkok, the plane continued its journey to Manila. Despite arriving promptly, Aurora's
body spent three additional days in a refrigerated customs warehouse before being released into the warm climate of her
home country.

A 5,000-mile journey stretched daylight across the Indian Ocean, culminating in a crowded flight from Bangkok to Manila.
The plane was filled with a diverse group of Filipinos, after a mechanical issue on another jet resulted in 23 additional
passengers transferring onto the Gulf Air flight. The passengers' reactions upon landing varied, with some cheering and
praying, while others felt embarrassed and tried to ignore the commotion. Despite the potential for darkness, many
eagerly watched the airport lights, as if worried the plane might be forced to return to the desert.

At Ninoy Aquino, three pilots, eight flight attendants, and 267 passengers disembarked. The crew quickly left for their
hotel, while the passengers navigated the bustling arrivals area. The heavy rain led to hasty decisions, with some falling
prey to scams or winding up in unexpected situations. The next day's news reported on the unfortunate incidents, while
the rain continued to drum on the rooftops, creating a chaotic atmosphere.

The deceased woman, Aurora, was beyond all complications and schedules. Unbeknownst to those who should have
known, there was an issue with her body. However, there was nothing she or anyone could do about it. Her journey home
was a reluctant gesture, fulfilling a legal clause for citizens in her situation: dead but not yet buried.

The cause of death was drowning, as per the forensic report from Jeddah. The body met and was consumed by water in
its last moments. No other documents, including a police report, autopsy, or passport, were found with the body. Even
the temporary identity card, or iqama, typically held by foreign workers, was missing. This lack of identification caused
delays for the authorities. The authorities struggled to establish the woman's identity, as her bloated face provided little
information. Clues from her dried abaya suggested she was of low social status. After an extensive search, one report
stood out: the sudden disappearance of Aurora V. Cabahug, a 26-year-old Filipino maid, along with another runaway
named Meenakshi. Cabahug's employer, a Saudi prince, claimed they had stolen goods, including a gold Montblanc
fountain pen. The embassy authorities and the Overseas Workers Welfare Office (OWWO) took custody of Cabahug's
body. If no one claimed her from the cargo section, the OWWO clerk would have to retrieve her details from the
basement archives.

Unfortunately, there was no one to claim the body of Aurora V. Cabahug. The mix-up occurred when a Filipino vice-consul
in Riyadh mistakenly sent her body ahead of another headless man, a convict involved in a violent crime. The mix-up
involved three corpses in different stages of paperwork, causing confusion and further delays.

The vice-consul, Quirante, had a particularly challenging week, as he had to deal with distressed maids seeking refuge at
the embassy. Among his responsibilities was allocating sleeping spaces and providing bedding for these runaways.
However, he would occasionally exploit his position by favoring attractive women and expecting favors in return. A
seamstress from Muntinlupa, who was intended to be his victim, bit him on the nose in self-defense. In his anger, he
switched her papers with the beheaded man's, leading to her immediate release and departure from the embassy.
Meanwhile, a family from Lingayen had come to claim the remains of Filemon Catabay, who had been executed three
months prior, after learning of his death from a routine news report.

The woman's body deteriorated in the box, awaiting its rightful claimants. The only person who found any humor in the
situation was a security guard named Al Viduya, who had witnessed various unusual incidents at the airport, including a
passionate encounter between a congressman and his chief of staff in the lavatory.

After finishing his meal of fish in black bean sauce, rice, coffee, and a banana, Al walked towards the cargo warehouse as
the rain subsided. He had made a casual remark to a new helper from Ozamis about a Sunday walk at Luneta, sensing a
potential connection. Skipping between oil-streaked puddles to keep his polished shoes clean, Al wished for a smoke but
couldn't indulge as his shift started earlier than usual. Approaching the warehouse, he noticed a group of people huddled
together, clutching dirty handkerchiefs and seeking shelter from the rain. Despite their soaked clothes and feet, they
seemed unfazed by the discomfort.

The arrival of a new body in cold storage drew a crowd of squashed brown faces, unsure of how to react. Among them, a
young woman punched her male companion's arm while he remained indifferent, focused on the autograph-seekers in
the arrivals area. Four children, accompanied by their grandmother, were also present, with one boy seemingly aware of
what lay behind the concrete wall. The absence of the husband and wife struck Al as unusual, as they would typically be
smoking and standing in a corner. Only Al had the key to open the door labeled "CARGO," and without his permission, the
waiting crowd would see nothing. He held the key to their anticipation, the one thing they all yearned for from different
corners of the world.

The woman in the dark brown dress appeared to be their grandmother, looking stunned and out of place amidst the
crowd. Al wondered where the husband and wife were, as they would typically stand or sit in a corner, the husband
seemingly dazed and the wife smoking cigarettes with her best friend. None of them stood out in this particular gathering.
The grandmother faced the closed door labeled "cargo," but there was nothing to see. Even if the door were to open, they
wouldn't see anything unless Al allowed them to. Only Al had the key to open the door from his side of the building.
Another guard was responsible for the larger doors in the rear, where cargo was brought in from incoming flights. As it
was past office hours, all the clerks had gone home earlier in the day. From the public's perspective, Al held the key, the
real key, to everything that everyone anxiously waited for from all corners of the world. The whimpering woman
expressed her desire to see her brother, while another person, holding a picture, cried out for their father, referring to him
as a "fathead."

As Al approached the door, the whimpering woman expressed their desire to see someone who had arrived on the
Jeddah flight. The sister mentioned the name "Filemon Catabay," and the young boy asked about their father. Fumbling
with the lock, Al inquired about the person's name. The elder son confirmed that it was Filemon Catabay, Senior, their
brother and father. The girl holding the picture exclaimed, "My father! My father!"

The old woman cried out, "My son... Filemon, oh my son Filemon..." Al could sense the overwhelming wave of grief
building within her. He understood that grief was a deeply personal experience, unique to each individual. People
mourned for their own loved ones, often disregarding the loss of others. Al had experienced loss himself when his brother
passed away from tuberculosis, but he only shed tears for a few minutes before returning to work. Sometimes, at the
Luneta, he found solace in Brother Mike's sermons, shedding tears alongside others, but it wasn't out of grief. He believed
that these grieving individuals would eventually find solace and move forward with their lives. The mother pleaded, "Can I
see my son?"

As the mother and sister rushed behind him, Al turned to face them, with one foot still outside the door. Apologetically,
he informed them that the area was restricted and they couldn't enter. The sister pleaded, mentioning how they had
waited for months to see him. Al refrained from making a comment about the condition of the body after such a long
time. Instead, he advised them to wait until the office opened the next day for the necessary paperwork and checks. The
little boy complained about getting wet, and the little girl bravely informed Al that the man's head had been severed. Al
repeated the name "Catabay" to himself and assured them that he would check if the body was present.

Despite their usual complaints, Al believed it was important for them to confront the reality of the situation. He locked
the door behind him, knowing they would still be waiting when he returned in the morning. However, he had no intention
of peeking into the boarded-up casket himself. His role was simply to verify the name, which often provided the closure
these individuals needed to move forward with their lives and find new companionship.

Al turned up his jacket collar and entered the refrigerated section through another door. The crates and boxes were
stacked high on pallets, illuminated by the greenish glow of the fluorescent lights. Special items, such as life-saving
serums, were stored in freezer chests and cabinets with thermostats. However, Al knew that the standby generator often
failed to kick in during power outages, requiring manual intervention. Once, they even ran out of gas in the generator,
resulting in spoiled drugs and a subsequent inquiry. Al felt a heightened sense of responsibility for any incidents that
occurred during his shift, as his job involved the safety of the contents in those boxes.
The telephone rang in the background, but Al paid it no mind, assuming it was an importer eager to inquire about his
shipment. He continued towards the corner where the freshly arrived coffin was kept, noting that the previous day's
bodies had already been forwarded. He thought about the large number of bodies passing through the airport, as
reported in People's Tonight, finding it hard to comprehend. The sheer quantity of lives lost each year was staggering. Al
couldn't help but feel frustrated by the foolishness of his fellow countrymen, who often squandered their opportunities
for happiness. He recalled a tabloid story about Filipino sailors who died due to tetanus infection caused by implanted
reindeer horn in their penises, generating dark humor among beer-drinking wags.

Al knelt beside the crate, searching for identification. He found a plastic pouch taped onto the crate, containing an
airwaybill. Rubbing off the moisture and squinting in the dim light, he read the typewritten name of the deceased:
CABAHUG, AURORA V. Realizing the mistake, he chuckled to himself and stood up to console the grieving family, who had
been crying for the wrong person.

"He's not here. There's a coffin, but it belongs to someone else," Al stated, keeping the door half-open. He wanted to keep
the conversation brief so he could attend to his personal needs. Initially, there was silence as the family processed the
news. They were unsure of how to react—should they feel joy, relief, anger, or indignation? Could they trust the word of
this gatekeeper who knew nothing about Filemon's character or appearance in life? Finally, the brother-in-law, who had
traveled from Ligayen to bring the body back, regained his composure and insisted that Al check again. He believed there
must be a mistake and that Al was simply mistaken.

Al suggested that they sleep in the airport and use the public toilets, cautioning them not to use up all the water.
Filemon's sister and her husband exchanged glances, considering their options. The eldest boy sobbed, his exact reason
for crying becoming less clear. Al remained at the door, eager to go back inside and relieve himself. The man expressed
frustration, having driven for six hours only to find their trip futile. The wife proposed waiting until Monday, as she had
some money to buy food. The littlest girl clung to her grandmother, sucking her thumb. The young boy suggested going to
the park to ride a bicycle, reminiscing about a previous outing with Filemon. The brother-in-law asked Al if they could
retrieve Filemon's body on Monday, to which Al replied that he couldn't provide a definite answer. The mother wondered
if her son might still be alive and questioned the name of the woman inside the coffin.

"Aurora. Aurora, uh, Sulpicio," Al replied, fabricating a surname to replace "Catabay." He advised them to go around and
get some fresh air, emphasizing the nice parts of the area but cautioning them to be mindful of their belongings. The
sister mentioned that they didn't have much money, only what the village had gathered for a proper funeral, along with a
donation from the congressman. Her husband became alert and asked if she had brought all that money with them. She
tightly secured her bag, which contained almost twenty thousand pesos. Unbeknownst to anyone else, she had already
deducted eight thousand pesos that Filemon had borrowed from her for a failed poultry farm, which his ex-wife Rosalie
had joined a cult. The sister justified her actions, believing that Filemon would have given her the money if he had the
chance, and now he did.

Managing the emotional and complicated operation of handling Filemon's funeral arrangements was no joke. It was a
significant overhead expense that impacted the sister's working hours as a department store cashier in Lingayen. She
couldn't help but reflect on Filemon's past transgressions, from stealing money meant for her graduation dress to lying
about their father's jeep being lost to a gang. The more she thought about it, the longer the list of Filemon's faults grew. It
almost felt like justice had finally caught up with him. After some deliberation, her husband decided against using the
money for Filemon's funeral, as he was considering using it to purchase new tires for his jeepney.

The husband and wife realized the urgency of replacing the worn-out tires on their jeepney, which would not be helped
by their weekend expedition. The mother expressed her desire to see her son and share all the things she had to tell him.
The daughter comforted her mother and assured Al that they would return on Monday. Al tiredly nodded and closed the
door, feeling relieved. The little boy began chanting excitedly about going to the park, and this time, no one silenced him.
Secretly, they all wished for simple pleasures like cotton candy and dancing fountains. The aunt suggested making the
most of their time by going to the Megamall the next day. However, the nephew stubbornly decided to stay behind. The
woman led her other children away, while her husband carried their daughter's piggybank. She instructed the dead man's
son to stay near the parked jeep and not wander too far. The mother expressed sympathy for the grieving woman as they
made their way back to the parking lot, where the crowd was growing restless in anticipation of the arrival of the
Northwest flight from San Francisco via Tokyo Narita. The mother paused on the sidewalk, holding her daughter's arm,
and wondered aloud about the kind of family the grieving woman had.