REPAYING A SURPRISE FRATERNAL VISIT
Brethren who have read that article titled “Surprise Masonic Visitors” that was posted in the wonderful pages of this Internet last September may find this follow-up sequel entertaining.
Last November 5 at about nine in the morning, the aging lion was at the backyard leisurely listening to the radio on his favorite DZRH AM band with his ears glued at the entertaining voice of Bro. Deo Macalma, when the lion tamer shouted at him at the top of her voice saying a certain Col. Ushida was on the phone. Promptly, he entered the house via the backdoor and at the sala where the phone was located, answered the call. At the other end was Bro. Eric who said that the 15th Infantry battalion of the Philippine Army that he heads is celebrating its 30th Founding Anniversary on November 9 and would therefore be honored if the lion could grace the occasion. He said he expects Bro. Arsenio Arugay to likewise attend the gathering. and so hopes other brethren in the vicinity could also attend by adding that he is leaving it to me to extend the invitation.
My reply was guarded. Except for Bro. Eduardo Palac who is now in his nineties who could no longer attend socials, I do not know of any other brother within thirty kilometer radius whom I could invite. But since the coming Saturday was the stated meeting of Dagohoy Lodge No. 84, I told Bro. Eric that I will mention it to them.
And so last November 8 before the stated meeting commenced, I relayed his message to VW Emmanuel Mende and true enough, the hundred kilometer distance between Tagbilaran and the town of Candijay where the camp is located makes a fraternal visit difficult, especially because the affair will be held in the evening. At my request, he sent a text message to Bro. Arugay who, it turned out, was already assigned in Cebu City and therefore could not also attend the event. That leaves the lion the only brother who could honor Bro. Eric’s invitation.
On the day following (this sounds more like the starting phrase of a paragraph in the lecture of the third degree) the lion rode a jeepney bound for barangay La Union at Candijay town and hired a “habal-habal”(a local term for a tricycle for hire which is a standard mode of conveyance in the area) for twenty five pesos. Sensing that the driver was proceeding at the direction of the town of Mabini, I told him that he appears to be headed at the wrong route since Bro. Eric earlier said that the camp is at the right side of the national road. It turned out there are two military camps in the area and the driver, realizing that the camp at Mabini was not the one I sought, promptly executed a 360 degree turn and speed to the other way.
Before we arrived at the camp, I noticed many people at a roadside basketball court who were mostly in fatigue uniforms attending a spirited basketball contest. I promptly ordered the driver to stop to enable me to look for Bro. Eric and true enough, he was there. I approached him but was mildly surprised because a balding gentleman immediately stood in our way and extended his hands to me as a welcome gesture. It turned out he was the incumbent Governor of Bohol whose name is Erico Aumentado. Yeah, having the same name of Bro. Eric, but with an additional letter “o” appended.
The game having just ended, the good Governor bade leave and together with the Brigade Commander who was the guest of honor for the occasion, left for their respective destinations. Which made Bro. Eric later ask if I knew the Governor to which I promptly nodded. After all, it is true that me and the Governor did meet before, and to be specific, during the March 2003 installation at Dagohoy Lodge No. 84 where he was its guest speaker. I no longer added to Bro. Eric that politicians routinely extends their arms as welcome gesture especially it’s now the advent of elections, and never mind if they could not distinguish you from King Solomon!!
We then proceeded to the camp and at his office he immediately called up Bro. Arugay via his cellphone. The latter is in Cebu City hence could not attend. He then opened his own computer and showed me some of the things that he has already installed. He is truly a computer whiz at home in the Web!
Since it was still early, we talked about things Masonic. It’s been barely three months since he took over the battalion from Colonel Ernesto Guidaya who is himself a Mason and somehow he said he miss the brethren. But he managed to bring with him two things, the monitor and the pamphlet on the ritual on floorworks. The others, like the Constitution and by laws and similar other masonic materials were somehow left behind. He mentioned that his wife has just visited him for four days and there she felt how it is to be in the fields. On being asked, he said that his late grandfather was a Japanese and that his father was once connected with the US Navy, a rather curious situation as the Japanese were the enemies of the Americans during the Second World War.
By seven that evening dinner was served and at the table that accommodated a dozen persons, we and his junior officers partook of the food that was prepared for the evening. I there realized that military customs and traditions are different from that of the ordinary mortals. I noticed that the rest of the diners cannot bid leave from their chairs even if they have already finished eating, not until the leader of the pack has finished his. And these officers who are composed of a major, two captains and several lieutenants, are all younger than him, most of whom are barely in their thirties.
By eight, the battalion’s combo dished out its repertoire while the soldiers and their ladies danced to the live beat of their guitars and drums. Bro. Eric and myself just watched them while liquefying our respective throats with a bottle of red wine. In fine, the barangay officials arrived and joined us in our table, and were offered by Bro. Eric “bahalina”, that intoxicating beverage from Leyte which he calls the official drink of the 15th IB to their pleasurable delight.
But somehow, the unique visit has got to end. By nine thirty I excused myself and requested Bro. Eric to order one of his soldiers to take me home to our residence in Guindulman as the lion tamer must surely be lonely and alone that night!!
Brethren who have read that article titled “Surprise Masonic Visitors” that was posted in the wonderful pages of this Internet last September may find this follow-up sequel entertaining.
Last November 5 at about nine in the morning, the aging lion was at the backyard leisurely listening to the radio on his favorite DZRH AM band with his ears glued at the entertaining voice of Bro. Deo Macalma, when the lion tamer shouted at him at the top of her voice saying a certain Col. Ushida was on the phone. Promptly, he entered the house via the backdoor and at the sala where the phone was located, answered the call. At the other end was Bro. Eric who said that the 15th Infantry battalion of the Philippine Army that he heads is celebrating its 30th Founding Anniversary on November 9 and would therefore be honored if the lion could grace the occasion. He said he expects Bro. Arsenio Arugay to likewise attend the gathering. and so hopes other brethren in the vicinity could also attend by adding that he is leaving it to me to extend the invitation.
My reply was guarded. Except for Bro. Eduardo Palac who is now in his nineties who could no longer attend socials, I do not know of any other brother within thirty kilometer radius whom I could invite. But since the coming Saturday was the stated meeting of Dagohoy Lodge No. 84, I told Bro. Eric that I will mention it to them.
And so last November 8 before the stated meeting commenced, I relayed his message to VW Emmanuel Mende and true enough, the hundred kilometer distance between Tagbilaran and the town of Candijay where the camp is located makes a fraternal visit difficult, especially because the affair will be held in the evening. At my request, he sent a text message to Bro. Arugay who, it turned out, was already assigned in Cebu City and therefore could not also attend the event. That leaves the lion the only brother who could honor Bro. Eric’s invitation.
On the day following (this sounds more like the starting phrase of a paragraph in the lecture of the third degree) the lion rode a jeepney bound for barangay La Union at Candijay town and hired a “habal-habal”(a local term for a tricycle for hire which is a standard mode of conveyance in the area) for twenty five pesos. Sensing that the driver was proceeding at the direction of the town of Mabini, I told him that he appears to be headed at the wrong route since Bro. Eric earlier said that the camp is at the right side of the national road. It turned out there are two military camps in the area and the driver, realizing that the camp at Mabini was not the one I sought, promptly executed a 360 degree turn and speed to the other way.
Before we arrived at the camp, I noticed many people at a roadside basketball court who were mostly in fatigue uniforms attending a spirited basketball contest. I promptly ordered the driver to stop to enable me to look for Bro. Eric and true enough, he was there. I approached him but was mildly surprised because a balding gentleman immediately stood in our way and extended his hands to me as a welcome gesture. It turned out he was the incumbent Governor of Bohol whose name is Erico Aumentado. Yeah, having the same name of Bro. Eric, but with an additional letter “o” appended.
The game having just ended, the good Governor bade leave and together with the Brigade Commander who was the guest of honor for the occasion, left for their respective destinations. Which made Bro. Eric later ask if I knew the Governor to which I promptly nodded. After all, it is true that me and the Governor did meet before, and to be specific, during the March 2003 installation at Dagohoy Lodge No. 84 where he was its guest speaker. I no longer added to Bro. Eric that politicians routinely extends their arms as welcome gesture especially it’s now the advent of elections, and never mind if they could not distinguish you from King Solomon!!
We then proceeded to the camp and at his office he immediately called up Bro. Arugay via his cellphone. The latter is in Cebu City hence could not attend. He then opened his own computer and showed me some of the things that he has already installed. He is truly a computer whiz at home in the Web!
Since it was still early, we talked about things Masonic. It’s been barely three months since he took over the battalion from Colonel Ernesto Guidaya who is himself a Mason and somehow he said he miss the brethren. But he managed to bring with him two things, the monitor and the pamphlet on the ritual on floorworks. The others, like the Constitution and by laws and similar other masonic materials were somehow left behind. He mentioned that his wife has just visited him for four days and there she felt how it is to be in the fields. On being asked, he said that his late grandfather was a Japanese and that his father was once connected with the US Navy, a rather curious situation as the Japanese were the enemies of the Americans during the Second World War.
By seven that evening dinner was served and at the table that accommodated a dozen persons, we and his junior officers partook of the food that was prepared for the evening. I there realized that military customs and traditions are different from that of the ordinary mortals. I noticed that the rest of the diners cannot bid leave from their chairs even if they have already finished eating, not until the leader of the pack has finished his. And these officers who are composed of a major, two captains and several lieutenants, are all younger than him, most of whom are barely in their thirties.
By eight, the battalion’s combo dished out its repertoire while the soldiers and their ladies danced to the live beat of their guitars and drums. Bro. Eric and myself just watched them while liquefying our respective throats with a bottle of red wine. In fine, the barangay officials arrived and joined us in our table, and were offered by Bro. Eric “bahalina”, that intoxicating beverage from Leyte which he calls the official drink of the 15th IB to their pleasurable delight.
But somehow, the unique visit has got to end. By nine thirty I excused myself and requested Bro. Eric to order one of his soldiers to take me home to our residence in Guindulman as the lion tamer must surely be lonely and alone that night!!
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