My grandfather Pedro was a fisherman. A hardworking one. He woke up with clockwork precision every early morn to catch fish along with the other fishermen of this small barrio by the sea. I would like to tell you this little story ………….GRANDFATHER PEDRO AND "IT"
One early hour before dawn, grandfather was getting ready to set out to sea. Lifting up the fishnets to his broad and strong shoulders, he then took a lamp with the other hand and walked to the boat he sat by the shore. As he drew closer, he noticed a figure that seemed to be sitting but not quite at the edge of the boat nearest the waters. Peering closely he saw that it was a small man with pointed ears and nose, piercing slant eyes, and though heavy seemed to float in the air. It’s one of them, he thought. This was common in the barrios. Barrio folks knew about them. Many times he had encounters with these eerie little creatures others called elves or gnomes-- but he never paid any of them attention----- simply regarded them as irritations to his early morning fishing chores. He drew closer, dropped his fishnets on the coarse sand and said ....
“What do you want?”
“What do YOU want..whatever thing in there kicking and swirling and turning in that head of yours?” countered the elf with eyes gleaming and lips curled up in what looked like an evil grin.
‘Get out of my boat. I’m late.’ gruffly replied Pedro under his breath.
'Ahhh but you could fish treasure from the sea. I can make that happen… far beyond your wildest dreams’ said the elf in a voice so low sounding like gurgling treacherous waves lashing out with ugly fury.
This sent a chill up Pedro’s spine.
‘You can rebuild your old house…. send your children to America, study there…. own a fleet of fishing boats…. get so very… VERY… very RICH.’
Pedro turned away from the elf and looked out to sea. Gad! how'd he know that..... and thought of last night when Pining (his wife) riled him for the leaks on the roof, unpaid debts, food running short, tuition due next week, and on and on about this and that. Ugh!
‘--Well-l-l-l..?’ came the chilling voice of the elf which seemed to have drawn closer now.
Pedro wrested his eyes from the sea, faced the elf and looked him in the eye. He never was afraid of them. ‘And if I agree...?’
‘Then it shall be as promised……’ replied the elf gliding back to the edge of the boat. ‘But for one tiny thing......…’ the elf stood up and his face transformed and revealed an ugly wrinkled gnome --- ‘your first born son-- will come with me back to my kingdom.’
Pedro felt shivers run up his spine, head throbbing; heart pounding seemingly drowning out the furious waves on the shore. 'Why are the waters so angry now?' wondered Pedro. But between the man and the ugly gnome was dead silence for what seemed an eternity.
Pedro said no more, willfully he turned his head back towards the sea but now suddenly became so still and calm -- as if sensing what was to come next. He looked out farthest to the horizon now showing a thin line of light and seeing the other fishermen hauling in their nets oblivious to the drama onshore.…'still have time for a catch', he thought, 'not enough but Pining can still sell them at the market. Got to hurry because it’ll be light soon.' With new found strength Pedro determinedly shoved his boat out to the waters...… pushing with all of his might feeling his strength grow with every push. He pushed harder until he felt the cold but what felt like welcoming waters under his feet— then jumped into the boat, got the motor up, and pushed out to sea. Never looking back.
And nothing was ever heard of the gnome since.
While Pedro -- well, he was back to worrying over bills, school fees, and with Pining still nagging him about everything. But how I love this wonderful man – Grandfather Pedro ---- He didn’t trade my dad for the deep treasures of the sea!! Yeah, my dad was born in that tiny fishing village of Tapon, Cebu. :-)
End of story.
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