Chapter 26- Washing Dishes Give Me Longer Life
At CPU, I took a lodging space in the house of Miss Carmelita Catedral. She was a Lady Minister working with the Iloilo Kasapulanan of Baptist Churches. For my food allowance, I worked two hours, 3 days a week on the grounds of Rev. and Mrs. James Long, American Baptist missionaries. The allowance they gave provided my daily subsistence and other school needs.
I tried to put my best in my studies. But I do not like my classroom works. I like to read and always at the library perusing the titles of the books that were listed in the catalogue at CPU library. l read histories, poems, biographies and autobiographies. By that time, I had already read part of the book of the “Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire. I read some historical books like the biographies of Adulf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, President Roosevelt and President Harry Truman. The books that were written by Dr. Jose Rizal and some English and American writers, I had read them in high school.
In the Second year of my study at CPU, I met Ellie Formelleza. He was also a working student at CPU. He came from Romblon. He works at Weston Hall, two hours every day. His duty was 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. He served food to dormitory students Interns. After serving their food. he and two other working students had their lunch. After eating they wash dishes. They work for another hour until 1:00 p.m.
The dormitory students were mostly sons and daughters of well-off families. They were Interns. They can pay seventy pesos (P70.00) monthly board and lodging at Weston Hall Girl’s dorm and Franklin Hall Boys dorm They were served with food and water. The food in their tables were rice, soup, fish, meat, water and candies. The Interns came anytime from 11:30 .a.m. – 12:30 p.m. for their lunch.
When they need anything while eating, they just clapped their hands. The work students came around the wide dining hall and served them. Quite many dishes were washed daily, morning, lunch and supper. About 150 plates, 150 glasses, 300 pieces of spoons and forks, 50 pieces of plates for rice, 50 pieces of vegetable bowls, and other utensels needed by the quite rich students.
One morning, Ellie Formelleza gave a proposal to me. We would exchange work assignments. He would serve as janitor of Room 208 -209 of Valentine's Hall. I will worked at Weston Hall, serving Intern students food and washing dishes. The work, he said with me free lunch.
He was tired of washing dishes. He liked my job scrubbing only two floors, sweeping the floors and wiping windows. I studied his proposal. I think it is good. We decided to swap work assignments.
I introduced him to the head of the janitorial department, Mr. Angel Tambora. He was accepted. Then, I accompanied Ellie Formilleza to Weston Hall where he introduced me to Miss Alobin, the dormitory Assistant Matron. We talked with Miss Alobin. After some questions, Miss Alobin accepted me to work at Weston Hall. Two hours every noontime from 11:00 a.m – 1:00 p.m. I will help serve food to dormitory Interns during lunch. Then, we will have lunch and start washing dishes until 1:00 p.m. It was a good arrangement I had made with Ellie Formelleza.
I had to work also with 2 two working students at Weston Hall during lunch time. One was Serapio Alfeche. He was taking Elementary education. He was fat, big and tall. He was a nephew of Mayor Alfeche of Alimodian, Iloilo. My other companion was Warlito Laquihon, nephew of Atty. Laquihon, the Dean of College of Law of CPU.
Warlito was small. He was shorter than me. He was taking agriculture. He is a campus writer. We were a good team serving Intern students of CPU. After we finished lunch at noon, we washed all the dishes We poured boiling water on plates, saucers, bowls, spoons, forks and glasses. We made sure dormitory students will not be easy prey to disease in the dormitories. At 1:00 p.m. we go to our boarding house or go under some acacia trees near CPU. At 2:00 a.m. I went to my classes.
Some Interns were my classmates. We have good relations in the university. I often speak and participates in discussions. Most of our classmates, including dormitory students also speak during class hours. We love to participate in class discussions.
After finishing education, Serapio Alfeche became a public school teacher. I did not know what town he was assigned. We did not meet anymore. I only learned he was married. Warlito Laquihon graduated with honors in agriculture and went to Mindanao. He work at Southern Christian College in Midsayap, Cotabato. He focused on agriculture and natural farming. Their project became well- known in the Philippines and other parts of the world. Warlito Laquihon pursued his advanced studies, later finishing his Doctor of Education.
While we were washing dishes, Warlito made a vow. He would never wash dishes again. When he got married he told his wife that he would not wash dishes. When they have children, he continued his vow not to wash dishes again.
When I was director of the New Frontier Ministries of CPBC, I often went to different provinces and towns in Mindanao. I visited him at Southern Christian College. I have lunch with his family. I asked him. “Warly, do you now wash dishes at home?’ He told me. “ Rud, I remained true to my promise. I never washed dishes at home”.
Serapio Alfeche also vowed never to wash dishes once he became a teacher. But I never met Serapio after graduation. I did not know if he washed dishes at home. He became an Elementary school teacher. He died, much younger me.
When I began to work in Manila, I often ate in restaurants. I did not wash dishes. When I was working in the newspaper and the International New Service, Agence France Presse, while covering news events we ate meals in hotels. I did not wash dishes. But when I got married I washed dishes with Hesther, my wife. When we have children, we taught our four children, all boys to wash dishes. I loved washing dishes. Employed people and the rich have helpers to wash their dishes.
There is something good washing dishes. During this time while washing dishes that sometimes new ideas and recollections come to me from nowhere. These ideas help me in my preaching, lectures and radio messages. I was told later that Dr. Warlito Laquihon died when still young. He died at the prime of his life. I think he could have prolonged his life a little more, if like me, he washed dishes at home during some busiest times of his life.
I continue to wash dishes today . Whenever there are dishes left unwash by my sons, I wash them specially early in the morning. I think washing dishes added to my life a little more. While washing dishes with water pouring from the faucet on my hands, I wash my face¸ neck, head and hair always. I feel the coolness of water stir my mind and refresh my heart. It softens my feeling. Some burdens in my heart were released. Worries in my mind dissipate a bit. The burden in my heart seems lighter. Washing dishes and pouring water on my face seems to be a miracle, like a cool cleansing that comes to me. It softens the feelings of my soul.
When I am busy, have a problem or when my blood pressure is high, washing dishes, singing gospel and loved songs also relieves softly some stress and heart pressures. Many friends friends professional die young, some in the prime of their lives due to life’s stress. They did not wash dishes and did not sing gospel songs and love songs in the mornings and nights before going to be.
In my 2nd year in college, I have a subject from Dr. Alfredo Gonzales, who was a self- made man and a writer. He told me that he always sing gospel songs, love songs and write. Writing and singing gospel songs and love songs softens the stress in the mind and heart. I read the two books of Dr. Alfredo Gonzales. These two inspirational books challenged the best in me. I listened most often to Dr. Alfredo Gonzales when he lectured. For his gems of thoughts continue to inspire me even today. He sometimes made me laugh alone in my room.
Dr. Alfredo Gonsalez went to the United States early in life and finished his studies as a working student. He wrote articles in International magazines. He wrote two books, “The Call of the Heights” and“The Bamboo Flowers.” He reminded me he sang gospel songs and love songs in his room. I kept his reminders. I also kept his two books from 1963 until 2008. But Typhoon Frank hit Panay with deep floods in our village, Buntatala, Leganes, Iloilo, destroyed all my 6,000 volumes of books, including “The Call of the Heights” and “The Bamboo Flowers.”
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