Nena came home excited, Nanay! Tatay! Our class was chosen to have a field trip!”
Martha was washing the dishes and Tacio was feeding the chickens as Rey was washing himself in the open shower behind the pig pen.
“Hey, can I go to!” Rey, her 12-year-old brother exclaimed.
“No. It is only for first graders. We will have a five day trip to Pagsanjan Falls!”
“Is that true?” Martha piped in.
“Yes Nanay. We are going! Free Trip. You have to sign this’ as she handed the paper with parental consent.
Martha reads the paper.
Tacio grabbed it from her.
“No” shakes his head. “It is too dangerous. The falls could drown you. “
“Mrs. Ignacio and Mr. Perez will be there. There are only seven kids plus two adults, Tatay”
“So what is this camping all about?”
“It teaches us how to survive there. We will put up tents and also learn about plants in the area.”
“Oh really, is it like biology?” We have a lot of fruit trees and plants here?”
“Tatay? Please?” she pleaded.
“Well ask your Nanay first”
She faces Martha.
“Ok. You promise to behave there. OK”
“Nena and Kulit Goes to the fall”
“Yes, Nanay and guess what? (Pause) I can bring Kulit”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “They loved Kulit after the Boracay incident. They think Kulit is our guardian angel”
“Alright” Martha signs the paper and gives it to Nena. “Just remember do not stray. Stay with your classmates and your teachers!”
“Thank you Nanay. Salamat uli” she gushed.
The next morning at the Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School, she gave Mrs. Ignacio the paper.
“OK class m we will have a Nature Project at Pagsanjan Falls. We will go on a field trip this Friday and we will camp there. Are you all excited?”
“Yes, ma'am!” the kids exclaimed.
Jojo, a skinny six-year-old who chews ball point pens raised his hand.
“Yes?”
Ma’m, Could we bring the plants back here so we can plant them and learn more about them.”
“Precisely! We will study the habitat. The weather, the behavior and the nature of each plan and animal we find there. “
“Not only bugs, and butterflies but grasshoppers, caterpillars, gumamela, ylang-ylang, and even orchids!”
“Wow!” Nena squealed.
She raised her hand. “Could I bring Kulit?”
“We have to ask our principal, Mr. Perez, remember he is coming with us.”
“Ok. Ma'm. Please”
“We will see.”
The following day, Wednesday, Nena was inside the principal’s office after school. It was at 4 pm.
“Yes, Nena. What can I do for you?”
“Sir, could I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead, do not be shy…”
“Sir, could we bring my pig, Kulit, in our nature camping trip?”
“Oh, Mrs. Ignacio requested that. Yes, there should be no problem since I heard a lot of things about Kulit,” he said smiling.
“Thank you, sir!” She shakes his hand.
She runs out and goes walking with one of her classmates.
“I am happy since we can prepare and all go to camp with Kulit.”
“I wish I had an intelligent pig like that,” Veronica chimed.
“Oh, you never will.” Jojo teased.
“I told my Tatay to buy one of the piglets that Mang Tacio has,” Veronica said.
“Do you have the money?”
“I have fifty pesos in my piggy bank.” Veronica reasoned.
“That is not enough.” Jojo said.
“You can ask Tatay. You never know. You might be able to pay it monthly.” Nena answered.
“Well, I’ll ask my Tatay to ask Mang Tacio.”
“OK. I will tell my Tatay.”
Nena came rushing in to tell her family Kulit can come.
Friday came and it was the day they went took a bus to Pagsanjan Falls. It was an hour away.
Arriving at their destination near the sitio. Kulit felt a need to go.
“Could we go to the bushes; I had to accompany Kulit he needed to pee” Nena told Mrs. Ignacio.
“You better hurry we will set camp here.” Pointing to a flat formation with trees and plants overlooking the falls.
“Ok, we will hurry” Nena promised.
While Kulit peed, Nena saw some bangkeros plying tourists in boats. There were vendors in the area near the bus depot nearby selling kakanin to the tourists and travelers. She could here somebody yell. “Buko Pie!” “Espasol!” “Puto!”
Going back. Nena saw her classmates pitching up three tents and Jojo was trying to put a peg down. Nena came over and helped him. Kulit followed.
The children pitched the tents and set up their food area. They all rested for thirty minutes before they start exploring the area.
She brought a binocular and wore some gloves with a pail to put some plants to study. A cry for help screamed.
“Diyos ko. Mamatay na ata ako!” A lady was flailing near the falls. Kulit rushed to the scene about a mile away.
Nena followed in pursuit.
The bankero was trying to save this overweight lady to shore yet he disappeared. Another bankero dived in she was near the deep cesspool of water where the falls were gushing healthily downstream. It pulled the other bankero down.
Kulit caught the rope that was tied in the boat while another bankero dived in as Kulit gave the rope to the bankero he jumped into the boat and people were yelling for help.
The boat almost tipped over due to the current as a Caucasian man jumped in and pulled the boat into the shore. The bankero and the lady were able to swim in the surface and got away from the current.
Paramedics arrived and the lady was taken to the hospital.
Kulit jumped into Nena and all the kids and adults clapped on her rescue.
The following day, Nena and Kulit were walking early after they ate breakfast before the camping excursion.
Nena said goodbye to Kulit since she will be near the Pagsanjan Falls collecting plants and rocks with her classmates and two teachers.
Kulit wagged his tail.
A few hours later, Kulit got bored in the camp after taking a longer nap and he meandered in the city district.
He followed a penoy and balut vendor offering food to the public. The vendor thought he was nobody’s pet. So he brought him along in his tiny shack. Kulit saw his family, six children and a wife who does laundry on-the-side to augment the family income.
He had twins, both girls, about 8-years-old named Martha and Marsha. He played with them and immediately the girls loved his company.
As the days pass on, Kulit sneaks out late afternoons and comes back in the tiny shack daily.
He helps the mother do laundry by giving her laundry soap and helps the kids do their chores.
Mang Isidro, the balut vendor came in one afternoon.
“Jesusa, I was robbed!” he said crying, “Some thugs in the street stole my Three hundred pesos and a few balut and penoy that was left for the day!”
“Let us go to the police!” Jesusa said
Kulit stayed with the children as Jesusa and Mang Isidro only held their youngest, their three-year-old son.
While waiting for them to return that night, Nena was worried in the camp. She could not find Kulit.
One of her classmates, Stephanie, approached her.
“Let us find him! I am getting worried, too!”
“Common, I am sure he might be in the city market! He loves people and little kids!” Nena and Stephanie run through the city center.
They ask the city baker, the city barber, and the city police. They denied seeing him.
Then they started asking residents, no sight of him.
Until it was almost 8:00 pm, they were getting tired and wanted to go back to camp.
“One last try, let us ask that little house there!” Nena said.
“OK, then lets go back to camp” Stephanie said.
Nena nodded.
The cardboard shack with galvanized tin roof and hollow block base was lighted up.
“Hello, did you see a little pig?” Nena asked
“Yes, he is at the back!” pointing near an outhouse restroom.
The two walked there and saw Kulit trying to find scraps of food.
“Oh you had us worried!” Nena grabbed him.
Kulit kissed her.
“You are so dirty and stinky!” Stephanie laughed.
“Well let’s go!” Nena said
Kulit jumped out and ran inside the home with the five children.
“Why won’t you come with me?” Nena puzzled.
An older boy of 11 explained they are alone and their parents are in police precinct.
Nena and Stephanie waited there and almost dozed off when the parents returned.
“Tatay, we have visitors! I believe they own the pig!”
“Is that so?” Mang Isidro said.
“Yes sir!” Nena said politely. “I am Nena, this is Stephanie and our little pig is Kulit!”
“Oh, Kulit is such a help here!” Jesusa said. “Could he visit us often?”
“Sure, as long as he is not a bother…”
“Not at all. We like him around.” Martha said happily.
The kids introduce themselves as Nena, Stephanie and Kulit trooped back in their camp.
At camp, Mr. Perez and Mrs. Ignacio were worried and called police.
They showed up at 11:00 pm.
“Where have you two been?”
“Sorry about it Ma’m, Sir, we look for Kulit!”
“You girls should ask permission!” Next time if you do it again, both of you are barred from any field trips. Understood!” Mr. Perez was adamant.
“We will never do it. Ever!” Stephanie crosses her heart.
“We are so sorry, Sir” Nena apologized.
“Better draw blood on it.” Jojo teased.
“Shut up!” Nena cautioned.
Mrs. Ignacio shakes her head.
“Gas Lamps Out!" We have a big day tomorrow!” She yelled.
Two days later, Kulit was feeling bored in the campsite and he swung by to visit the Tadeo kids again.
He entered the door that was left ajar and found no sign of the family there not even Jesusa and the toddler.
He looked around to see if she was at the back doing some laundry. It was all too quiet and he felt danger was in the air.
He saw Joseph, the 11-year-old boy in the market with a Caucasian man in a straw hat chewing tobacco. They were holding hands with the twin girls in tow.
The girls had nice dolls and the boy Joseph seems like he is wearing new clothes. They were laughing and eating ice cream.
He followed them and they shooed him away.
“Kulit!" Be a good boy and go back to Nena!” Joseph warned.
“We are going to the amusement center to play video games and they do not allow pigs there!” Martha chimed.
Kulit looked and stayed put. He was about to go back and saw Aling Jesusa with Tito, the three-year-old toddler in tow buying some fish in the market.
“Kulit! How are you?”
Kulit wagged his tail.
She seemed happier. So Kulit took off and went back to camp.
The following day, Kulit rose early to wake up Nena and the kids. It is their last day in camp and he was happy he can go home to his mama.
Before leaving he thought he wanted to say goodbye to the Tadeo family, so he went back and to his surprise Jesusa was crying and Mang Isidro looked drunk and swearing.
“Putang Ina ninyo! Kinuha ninyo pa ang anak ko!”
He knew something was wrong.
The kids were there except Joseph.
He remembered the French guy and saw him milling around the market before. He looked in the market again to see if he can find him.
To his surprise, he was there alone buying groceries in a store.
He sneaked and hid.
He trailed him till he came to a bungalow. He saw that there were three other guys who lived in the same place.
All speak French and they were about to eat lunch. While eating one guy stood up and prepared a plateful of vegetables and fish. He went into another room.
Kulit sneaked in the kitchen.
When the stocky built guy went out he said.
“He would not eat. He was whining… Poor boy he could not take the pleasure anymore as he touches his groin.”
All of them laughed.
Another guy got his video camera and went in the room.
Kulit immediately went in as the others were eating and drinking San Miguel beer.
To his surprise he saw Joseph hog-tied blindfolded and stripped naked in bed.
He was squirming in fear.
As the other lanky guy came in. The stocky guy inserted his cigarette inside his butt unlighted.
“Common, lets do it.”
“No! I cannot take it anymore” he yelled
“Do it for your Big Daddy!”
“Your Proud Papa will be lonely if you do not give it to Big Daddy!”
As he caressed his naked body and kissed it all over and spilled beer on it and licked it like syrup….
“Yummy… I like this…. Make sure the camera is on, Tony! "You moron!”
“Oh yeah." Sorry.” As the lanky guy Tony turned it on.
The stocky man played with himself as he let Joseph swallow his juices. “
He gagged and retched.
Tied with both hands and blindfolded.
Another guy came in and said “Here don’t you want to be famous!” “We will make you a star, just a few more days and we will pay you good, boy!”
The guy in the market came and kissed him on the lips.
“You guys treat my baby gently, ok.” He still needs to get home to Nanay and Tatay.”
He had a small blade and tried to still the boy as he engraved this on his belly.
“My Sweet Baby”
He screamed and shrieked mixed with fear and pain.
The other guys’ gang upped on him and raped him one after the other.
Kulit could not stand it any longer. So when the door was open he scampered away.
They noticed him and one guy chased him with his pants down.
He went to camp and saw Mrs. Ignacio. She could not believe it or the kids as they were packing up.
“Susmaryosep! Ano ba ito!”
She took her cell phone and called the police. Mr. Perez pounced on him as the other kids punched him.
The police came and apprehended him.
Kulit jumped up and down and Nena sensed something is wrong as they followed him to the house of the bearded guy.
They were about to inside the house as the police called a shoot out.
They threatened to kill the boy or give them freedom. They heard shots and screams from Joseph.
The parents of Joseph came and waited for almost six hours before they surrendered.
Kulit came inside the house and was shot in the neck, yet he still tried to bite the stocky guy. The only one who refused to surrender.
The boy Joseph was harmed but alive.
He had cuts and bruises and was raped.
Jesusa cried and Mang Ignacio almost fainted as the boy lost consciousness and was brought to the hospital.
Kulit followed and was patched up.
A hearing was set the following week yet Nena and her friends were scheduled to leave.
“Thank you for all your help and in saving my Joseph!”
“We hope he will be ok?” Mr. Perez said.
They left back to Pulilan cheering Kulit from saving the boy.
The End
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