I took her to my apartment, and it was there that I read the manuscript in the hours before I called 911. I was mesmerized. I confess: I was galvanized into scholarly activity. Estrella was sleeping, prostrate on my futon, and as long as she looked as if she were breathing I left her alone, holding on to my lead Mongol Pencil #2. I clutched page after page with intolerable desire. Here was a document worth my while: filled with misconstructions of the ego and malapropisms of time, affections unnarcotized (banyan trees get more time than the revolutionary Cry of Balintawak—genius!), autistic lists, moving digressions, classic psychopathologies of the tongue (typical of the Filipino, who has an irritating penchant for puns), and, most important, a pervading obsession that baffles the most tolerant practitioner, the patient listener.
That patient listener is I: it is I who was meant to edit this volume, not that noisome narcolept on the bed. I called 911 when I realized at three a.m. that she had stopped snoring, and when I put my ear to her mouth there was no sound, no wind, no sign of life. One of the symptoms of her illness, when brought to an acute point, is an involuntary blockage in her trachea. This is a typical offshoot of astasic stress. Trust me, I know whereof I speak. To this day she believes I tried to smother her when in fact I saved her life. But I will explain all this in court (see “Verizon Wireless Statement”).
Estrella needs to seek a therapist. I hope she gets a good one.
Dr. Diwata Drake
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
August 15, 2005
MANILA CHARACTERS:
A TRANSLATOR’S ABECEDARY OF
THE REVOLUTION OF 189614
By Mimi C. Magsalin (pseud.)
Acrostics and Anagrams
Part of the fun of being a revolutionary was making anagrams of your name to hide your identity from Spain’s Guardia Civil. E.g., Oxicam for Diego Moxica, rebel leader in Leyte; Damolag for Magdalo, that is, Miong, that is, General Emilio Aguinfaldo of Kawit, Cavite, first president of the Republic; and M. Calero for Marcelo [H. Del Pilar], prolific journalist, tireless reformer, and workaholic, byline Madrid. Jose Rizal, the great novelist-hero, author of the romance that begot the nation, did not bother with games and gave himself the most boring Boy Scout epithet, Laong-Laan—Ever-ready. Still, the canny secret society of the Katipunan used Rizal’s codename as password. Particularly confusing for Guardia Civil who were dyslexic. As for acrostics, jokes or slips enlightened raw intelligence: zeal aided luck.15
Americans
During the Second World War, destroyed more Philippine libraries and historical matter than Spaniards did during the entire revolutionary war of 1896. At the time Americans destroyed Manila in 1945, the islands were both U.S. colony and ally.
Andres Bonifacio
The Supremo. Founder of the secret revolutionary society, Katipunan, that eventually overthrew Spain (with brief help of Americans) in 1898. Killed in August 1897. R.I.P.! The first and foremost katipunero—i.e., revolutionary. Also called The Great Plebeian. The Great Plebeian was a Great Reader. Nice slogan for a library. Think of other variations: “Supremo—the Supreme Reader!” Et cetera.
Artemio Ricarte
Never surrendered! Refused to pledge allegiance to United States in 1901, exiled to Guam with the Sublime Paralytic. Ended up running a turo-turo in Yokohama, serving pancit and adobo to expatriates. His return to the Philippines during Japanese rule in Second World War is very complex topic for a novel.
Balagtas
A.k.a. Francisco Baltazar. Filipino poet. Wrote in Tagalog. Author of Florante at Laura. Rizal loved him. Not to be confused with balagtasan: oratorical poetic jousts invented by drunken people.
Blumentritt
Street in Manila. End of jeepney line that begins at Novaliches. Also, Austrian ethnologist (1853–1913). Friend of the Filipino People. Famous letter-writer, especially to Jose Rizal. Also sent postcards.
Cryptolect
Secret language a group adopts to prevent others from knowing its business; useful in revolutions and adulterous emails.
Cryptolepts
Psycho readers, qu’est-ce que c’est?
Cryptomane
The revolutionaries were in love with codes; they were cryptomanes. Cryptomanes take pleasure in both art and function of ciphers (not to mention the thrill of being in the know). Do not confuse with cryptolepts (deranged people who think everything is in code).
Doctrina Cristiana
First text ever published in the Philippines [c. 1593] containing evidence of indigenous Tagalog script, called Baybayin. So important to national patrimony is kept it in the Library of Congress of the United States.
Emilio, a.k.a. “Miong”
That is, Aguinaldo. Of Kawit, Cavite. First president of the Republic. Childhood friend of the hero Raymundo Mata. Did Aguinaldo kill Andres Bonifacio, the Supremo? Who knows? Water under the bridge.
Epifanio de los Santos
Longest avenue in the Philippines. Site of rebellion: also called EDSA. Also, former National Librarian. Invoke full place-name to make knowing remarks about texts, reading, revolution, etc. etc.
Epithet
Second most popular way of honoring heroes (most popular: street signs). Good for quiz shows and crossword puzzles.
Fiesta
Some chronicles note that at times revolution was like a happy fiesta (party for the patron saint)—with pintakasi (featured cockfights), gambling, and lots of communal engorgement of free foodstuffs. Enemy cannons provided fireworks.
Fil-Am
Filipino-American. An ongoing conundrum: Is it easier for a rich man to go through the eye of a camel than it is for a Fil-Am to understand his parents’ country? While the known fact is—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a married child of a Filipino green-card holder to enter the United States! See also Nora/Vilma Complex.
Fire, Insects, and Worms, plus Wars and Typhoons
After kleptos, great enemies of national heritage. See also Americans.
Forgers
Bane of Philippine historiography. Scholars consider some documents to be entirely forged cryptolects, such as the un-fact-checked but otherwise fascinating Minutes of the Katipunan—not only a possible forgery but also completely in code! Talk about criminal genius! Though forgery is, okay, a felony, aren’t such attempts also an extreme form of cryptomania, a kind of love for the revolution? Forgers muddle up an already muddled history, but at least they’re not indolent.
Gom-Bur-Za
One more revolutionary password of the secret society. Also, neologism and
