Season for Sison

By Emmanuelle

Shhhhh. This is very confidential, my dear, just between you and me. 

And thousands of our readers, print or internet, here in the Philippines, and there in the USA, Canada, and the Middle East.

There was just that one dance during those five hours I was there. In a dreamy magic-bowl setting, with trees casting down puddles of shadows, she danced her birthday waltz with a man who was not her husband. Just the same, she held her high, she glided with proud strides. 

 It was a master act of diplomacy, a stroke of political genius. But it was more than tact. It was a very perceptive woman, so genteel a lady, reaching out a gesture of discernment, empathy, and foresight.

Like saying:

It would be very presumptuous of me to tell you that I feel what I know you are feeling now. I am sorry this has to be done, but it is being done. And it is for a reason greater than our little selves. 

For these few moments, though, allow me to make you feel a little less pain, a little less bitter.

This dance celebrates both our births. A new life, a fresh curve on the road.

There will be no declaration of war. That dance sealed the pact.   

Sunlight must have filtered through my thin lashes. Makalaram. These eyes smarted with unshed tears.  Suddenly, I found it hard to breathe. These jaws had clenched, locked-in the sighs. I looked away. I caught others looking away. It must be because they also had very thin eyelashes, alaram met ira. Or we were all exhibiting tetanus symptoms with all those clenched jaws. 

I wish you were there with me. It was a most beautiful moment in time, one that artists etch in words, shade in brushstrokes or carve in substance. Chroniclers would jot it down for history.

No, I am not describing a moment of   foolish indiscretion. For one thing, there were too many people around. Like hundreds.  More like thousands. And they were not pleasantly quiet all the time. Just that time When They Danced. Otherwise, they were boisterously cheering, applauding.

She was Kimi Cojuangco, beloved wife of Congressman Mark Cojuangco of   the 5th District of Pangasinan. Oh, I forgot to mention, she did say “with my husband’s permission . . .” and she let the   words hang just like that. We all had the romantic thought she was asking her husband to dance with her. Then she continued on with “will you dance this waltz with me, Mayor Lagmay, sir?” 

The man she danced with who was not her husband was Mayor Dionisio M. Lagmay of Sison. A few moments before, with a catch in his throat, he had announced that he was giving-in his mayoral candidacy on May in favor of the congressman’s wife.

Before the mayor’s announcement, Vice Mayor Ben Mariñas had read aloud a letter from the town officials and employees endorsing Kimi as their choice for the next mayor of Sison.

After Mayor Lagmay, Kimi read a speech she herself wrote. She did it in endearingly halting Pilipino. It didn’t matter how, the message got clearly through.

She didn’t exactly announce she was accepting the endorsement. She told the people though that if needst be, she would be willing na maging daan to lead them to a life better that what they have now.

Which was exactly telling them she will be as good as their next town mayor, to coincide with   her   husband’s last term as congressman of the eight towns and  one city of the 5th district.

And everyone loved her for that. And also for the implication of the dance.

One willingly loses a friend that the many may gain a champion. I miss her already.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/feelings/)

 

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