The mystery behind Alkansyang Kawayan

     Everytime the sun rises in the east from the horizon where the South China Sea can be seen, the everyday life of Jose, a 12-year old child started. He is a typical boy who are longing for the love and care of his father though they’re living in the same roof. Jose was a child of Mang Nick. Her mother died when she was giving birth to her younger sister, Mary Li. They lived in an old Nipa hut where if it rains, it will directly pour inside their house for there’s a series of holes therein. Mang Nick earned their living by catching fishes together with their neighbour. He earns an amount which is not even enough to pay for their loans and everyday needs. And if there are times where there are few fishes catch, Mang Nick would always get home drunk and due to too much liquor intake, he will end up hitting his child Jose. After wailing and crying in pain, Jose will get inside their room and will get his Alkansyang Kawayan and tries to talk to it as if it has a life. He considered his Alkansya as one of the important memories left by his younger sister Mary Li when she was alive. He is also aware that he is the reason why his father always beat him.

       His younger sister died because of her fault. Mary Li died when she was six years old after he was drowned in the sea. Jose was collecting seashells that time together with his sister because they will sell it to the ornament shop and that the money they earn will be put in their Alkansyang Kawayan. They both wrote words to their Alkansya “To Tatay from Nene and Toto”. They decided that the money from their Alkansya will help their family especially to their Tatay. They were very happy that time when suddenly, while Jose busy picking up shells along the shoreline, he noticed that his sister was no longer at his back as what he was thought. It was too late because he found out that his sister’s body was already floating in the shallow part of the sea. Losing a daughter, his father blamed Jose for disobeying him that he will always look and guard his sister. It’s hard for him to accept the fact that his only daughter died. The sacrifice of his wife to risk herself for the sake of their daughter’s life was turn into nothing. Jose then, can’t imagine and accept what had happened. He was silent and shock. He himself can’t believe about the accident.  After the burial, things went wrong inside the house. Mang Nick would always go home late and drunk. He always punches and beat Jose because everytime he looks at him, he remembers that he is the cause of his daughter’s death. On the other side, Jose bears the pain inside. If his father can’t move on about what happened, how much more on his part. He blamed himself and it’s very hard to accept that it’s his fault.

       One day, same thing happened. Mang Nick comes in their house drunk and when he found out that there’s no food on the table, he looks for Jose. Everytime it will happen, it created a trauma on Jose. If he hears the footsteps of his father, he will automatically hide on his room holding his Alkansya and howling. When his father enters the room, he saw Jose. As what he was expecting, he was battered by his father. The worst thing happened is that his father saw the Alkansya and forcefully gets it from him. At first, he hides it from his back but soon, he left with no choice but to give it to his father. After that, he saw that his father throws the Alkansya a distance from their house. He was worried because it might be seen by people who pass by. It was the only memory left by his sister Mary Li and he needs to find it as soon as possible. One morning, he woke up early just to find his Alkansya and luckily, he saw it on the grassy part at the back of their house. He was very thankful to see that it was not destroyed nor broken. After the death of his sister, he continued collecting shells, sell it and put the money inside the Alkansya.

       As days goes by, he can’t bear the pain everytime he was beaten by his father. The next thing he does is to avoid residing in their house instead he stayed on the shoreline where the accident of his younger sister happened. He was holding his Alkansya and talk to himself. He said that if only he was careful that time, his sister will not die. If only his sister was alive now, his father will not be like that. After that, he decides to go home and there, he saw his father peacefully sleeping. He slowly gets his clothes, put it in his old bag and decided to stay away from their home and left his father. But before he left, he put his Alkansyang Kawayan inside an aged wood cabinet and kisses his father to bid goodbye.

      Days and weeks had passed; Mang Nick tried to look for his child Jose but he can’t find him. He was also attacked by an illness cause of too much liquor intake and it affects his whole body. He was then realized that he should appreciate the love of Jose. He should take good care of his child because they are only two of them left. But it was too late. Jose was gone. One morning, when Mang Nick was preparing his jacket because they will put out to sea, he accidentally opened the wood cabinet and there he found out an Alkansyang Kawayan. Tears ran down from his face as he was reading the words written there, to Tatay, from Nene and Toto.

     Mang Nick does not value the existence of his child Jose because he is still living and remembering the past- the past that will not come to pass again.