When April arrives and Amihan the northeast wind brings moderate temperatures, little or no rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the east; then people long to go on pilgrimages to renowned shrines in various distant lands. And especially from every school’s end in Manila they make their way to Canterbury—I mean, Calamba—to seek the holy blessed hero whose novels are required reading in high school.
I was sitting by myself in Tabard Inn preparing for a
pilgrimage to Calamba, Laguna, to the home of our national hero, Dr. José P. Rizal, “whose
cranium was destroyed by bullets, but whose ideas destroyed an empire”. It
happened to be that there are several other people there, who by chance have
joined together in fellowship. When the sun had set at 6:11 pm, I was able to
talk with each and every one of them until I was part of their fellowship. And
we agreed to rise early when the sun rises tomorrow at 5:37 am to make our way
to the place I told you.
The Philosopher comes from a
well-known family. They are very powerful, influential, and rich. The Philosopher
is a genius. He loves to read books and newspapers, especially those concerning
political and philosophical issues. His family owns a lot of properties,
establishments, etc. He is kind and generous. His only work is to manage his
family’s businesses. Because he is powerful and influential, many people would
come to him for help. That is why he knows a lot of issues and definitely knows
everyone. And one good thing about him is that he never gossips. If he knows
something about someone, it will only be between him and that person.
There are the Super Twins, Dorothy and Bell. Dorothy is as white as snow and as beautiful
as the roses of the field. She is innocent and graceful. Many boys have asked
for her hand but none were lucky. She is also known as “Dolly Dorothy” because
she looks like a doll that came to life. She has porcelain-like skin: flawless,
shiny, and white. She wears a pink floral dress and a pair of pink shoes to
match her pink lips. When you see her, you’ll think you’re in heaven because she’s
like an angel sent from above. But beauty is not her only strength. She can
send for a rain of fire called “Lord of Vermillion”, a
powerful magic that only Wizards
can have. She also has the power to summon “Storm Gust” that can freeze
enemies to death.
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| The original Dorothy. Photo courtesy of Vicky Tusing. |
Her twin sister Bell
is as brave and novel as a knight (in fact, she is a Crusader). She fights dragons, wizards,
and even pirates from the sea. She is witty and all her strategies played out
to her advantage. She wears a silver dress made of dragon scales called “the
Great Valkyrie Set” which was made by Valkyrie herself. In the battlefield,
Bell summons “Holy Cross” from
the ground (but in exchange of her stamina). It usually kills only the undead
but she is the only one who can use it to slay dragons. Her “Devotion” to Dorothy puts a barrier
around her twin sister, so whenever Dorothy is attacked, she will not feel
anything because all the damage is dealt on Bell.
The Minstrel is
a simple lady who loves to sing and play the harp. She is an entertainer who
travels from place to place, to sing and play her harp and bring joy to
everyone. Through music she can express her real feelings. She has beautiful
eyes, pinkish lips, and long, golden brown hair. She is also a good religious
person; she never forgets to thank God for all the blessings she receives. She
is extremely well-loved by many because she is adorable and kind. Her name is
Aoede.
The hardworking Merchant
comes from the province and travels to sell his goods like toys and handicrafts.
He lives a simple life and works hard to provide for his needs, He is a poor man
but he is rich in natural resources like rice, mongo beans, apples, vegetables,
and all kinds of fruits.
The Doctor is
a person qualified in medicine and treats people who are ill. She also has
supernatural powers that can not only heal wounds but also broken hearts.
The Herbalist—scientific
name Homo sapiens cannabis—is an
expert in a wide variety of herbal products, like sedatives. He spends most of
his time stoned and dozing. One of his routines is to meet up with his colleagues
and fellow herbalists and they take a considerable amount of cannabis. The
Herbalist hates work; he prefers to smoke instead. He is a free-spirited
person. He may be stoned now be he is really a sociable and approachable person.
He also eats and drinks a lot. He may look shady, but don’t mistake him as a
fool, for there is there is more than meets the eye. (Personally, I would like hold
up his picture and say, “SAY NO TO DRUGS”.)
The Traveler from
South Korea has been to Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, India, China, the US,
Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. He never gives up, he loves other
cultures, he wants to know different languages and meet new people.
The Cowboy is
like the knight of old but he wears no suit of shining armor, though they also
ride on horses. He is brave and prudent and protects his land—the ranch.
There was a Nerd
Guy with his pet, a Chimera Bunny. His pet can change into any form, like a
minotaur.
Merchants nowadays go from house to house to sell
goods. But this one is actually a Thief.
She visits houses to promote and sell her products. But when the owner of the
house is absent, she would steal everything in the house and quickly run away.
There were three Cosplayers
who wear the costumes of their favorite animé characters. When they wear their
costumes, they actually think they are the real character.
There was a Fashion
Model who is also a travel blogger. As a model, she goes to different
places around the globe and despite her busy schedule, she finds time to write
a blog about her current location and of course, about beauty. The biggest misconception
about her is that people think that she’s a serious, sophisticated kind of
woman. But the truth is that she is fun, fearless female with a good sense of
humor despite her fame and success. She also enjoys parasailing, cliff diving,
surfing, and mountain climbing. She prefers to drive a big motorbike than a
car. She believes that the hair is a woman’s crowning glory and she changes her
hairstyle according to her moods. With her black and orange jumpsuit and green
pumps, she is ready to go on the pilgrimage.
One of the pilgrims is a Rocker. He talks about how miserable the life of a rocker is. He is
always judged as the black sheep of the family, a drug addict, and a war freak
alcoholic. He always says that he has an imaginary friend and his mother would
see him talking, laughing, or crying alone. Because of all of the bad things
people say about him, their wrong judgment became real. He started taking
drugs, drinking alcohol, and not getting the proper amount of sleep. He became
stressed out with all the accusations so he abandoned his band and hid in a
secret place where would be safe with his imaginary friend.
His name is Hammer
Boy. He uses his hammer to kill innocent people. He would work for bad
people and gets paid for doing bad things to others and he uses his power to
make men suffer. (I pray that the pilgrimage will make him use his powers for
the good.) I noticed that as Hammer Boy began to speak, the Thief at the back
of the room blushed a bright red.
There was Soldier
who fights for his country, at the same time a writer who wrote several stories
on Wattpad and plays as a clown for children’s parties during his spare time.
The only robot pilgrim was Zoidberg, who can do whatever a human being can do. He saves
damsels in distress. He is faster than an old style knight because he comes
from the future—he has time-travel capabilities. He can also control lightning
and electricity.
The female Squire
wears a cape made of wood. She has the ability to freeze her enemies. She
used to be a normal person until her family was killed. She is willing to do
anything to help people in need. She would fight alongside her Knight until
they fell in love.
There were several other pilgrims: Joy-Pop, who is a good dancer; the
warrior Tiger the Great; an Archer named Eir Stegalkin; Nibbler
the Protector, the Zombie Swordsman,
Dora the Explorer, Hanamichi
Sakuragi, a basketball player from Shohoku High School; Joy the joyful girl and Happy the happy girl; the Power Puff Girls; Lady Nature the Green Lady; a Priest, Mr. Technician; Prince Florante of
Albania; a Police Officer; Misha and her friend the Distracted Student; a faith-healing Nurse; a Babysitter; a Fairy named
Sarah; Mercarpenter, a minion who
makes and sells wooden furniture; a Secret
Agent; a Super Hero; an Angry Man (who I hope will learn how to
smile) and a Knight from the Myanmar.
There were forty and four people in our fellowship,
not including the Rocker’s imaginary friend.
The Philosopher rose and said to the company and said,
"Now gentle people, truly you are heartily welcome to me, for I have not
seen this year so merry a company at this inn at once. Therefore I will make
you a game. If it pleases you all, tomorrow as you ride along, that each of you
shall tell a tale on this journey to Canterbury—I mean, Calamba—and another on
the way home. And whoever tells now tales most instructive and amazing shall
have a supper at the expense of us all, sitting here in this place, when we
come back."
We agreed to this thing and pledged our word with glad
hearts, and asked him to do so, and to be our ruler and to remember and judge
our tales, and to appoint a supper at a certain price.
In the morning, when the day began to spring, the
Philosopher arose and woke us all, and gathered us. He said, “We will now draw
lots to see who will tale the first tale.” The Rocker drew the shortest lot so
it was he who will begin.
The Rocker began, “Once upon a time, there was a
rocker who was always wrongly judged by people. One day the Rocker became
distressed and he started taking drugs and drinking alcohol and not getting the
right amount of sleep. He was stressed with all the accusations so he left his
band. He went to a secret place where he can be alone with his imaginary
friend. Then his mother got worried and decided to look for her son. She was
praying all the way while driving. Then she arrived at their old house….”
Here ends the Prologue of this book.
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| Some of my students presenting their New Canterbury Tales characters in class. Photo courtesy of April Espinelli. |
thank you sir :">
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