CHAPTER XII
PLACIDO PENITENTE
Reluctantly, and almost with tearful eyes, Placido Penitente was goingalong the Escolta on his way to the University of Santo Tomas. Ithad hardly been a week since he had come from his town, yet he hadalready written to his mother twice, reiterating his desire to abandonhis studies and go back there to work. His mother answered that heshould have patience, that at the least he must be graduated as abachelor of arts, since it would be unwise to desert his books afterfour years of expense and sacrifices on both their parts.
Whence came to Penitente this aversion to study, when he had beenone of the most diligent in the famous college conducted by PadreValerio in Tanawan? There Penitente had been considered one of thebest Latinists and the subtlest disputants, one who could tangle oruntangle the simplest as well as the most abstruse questions. Histownspeople considered him very clever, and his curate, influenced bythat opinion, already classified him as a filibuster--a sure proof thathe was neither foolish nor incapable. His friends could not explainthose desires for abandoning his studies and returning: he had nosweethearts, was not a gambler, hardly knew anything about _hunkian_and rarely tried his luck at the more familiar _revesino_. He didnot believe in the advice of the curates, laughed at _Tandang BasioMacunat_, had plenty of money and good clothes, yet he went to schoolreluctantly and looked with repugnance on his books.
On the Bridge of Spain, a bridge whose name alone came from Spain,since even its ironwork came from foreign countries, he fell in withthe long procession of young men on their way to the Walled City totheir respective schools. Some were dressed in the European fashion andwalked rapidly, carrying books and notes, absorbed in thoughts of theirlessons and essays--these were the students of the Ateneo. Those fromSan Juan de Letran were nearly all dressed in the Filipino costume, butwere more numerous and carried fewer books. Those from the Universityare dressed more carefully and elegantly and saunter along carryingcanes instead of books. The collegians of the Philippines are not verynoisy or turbulent. They move along in a preoccupied manner, such thatupon seeing them one would say that before their eyes shone no hope,no smiling future. Even though here and there the line is brightenedby the attractive appearance of the schoolgirls of the _EscuelaMunicipal_, [24] with their sashes across their shoulders and theirbooks in their hands, followed by their servants, yet scarcely a laughresounds or a joke can be heard--nothing of song or jest, at best a fewheavy jokes or scuffles among the smaller boys. The older ones nearlyalways proceed seriously and composedly, like the German students.
Placido was proceeding along the Paseo de Magallanes toward thebreach--formerly the gate--of Santo Domingo, when he suddenly felta slap on the shoulder, which made him turn quickly in ill humor.
"Hello, Penitente! Hello, Penitente!"
It was his schoolmate Juanito Pelaez, the _barbero_ or pet of theprofessors, as big a rascal as he could be, with a roguish look anda clownish smile. The son of a Spanish mestizo--a rich merchant inone of the suburbs, who based all his hopes and joys on the boy'stalent--he promised well with his roguery, and, thanks to his customof playing tricks on every one and then hiding behind his companions,he had acquired a peculiar hump, which grew larger whenever he waslaughing over his deviltry.
"What kind of time did you have, Penitente?" was his question as heagain slapped him on the shoulder.
"So, so," answered Placido, rather bored. "And you?"
"Well, it was great! Just imagine--the curate of Tiani invited me tospend the vacation in his town, and I went. Old man, you know PadreCamorra, I suppose? Well, he's a liberal curate, very jolly, frank,very frank, one of those like Padre Paco. As there were pretty girls,we serenaded them all, he with his guitar and songs and I with myviolin. I tell you, old man, we had a great time--there wasn't ahouse we didn't try!"
He whispered a few words in Placido's ear and then broke out intolaughter. As the latter exhibited some surprise, he resumed:"I'll swear to it! They can't help themselves, because with agovernmental order you get rid of the father, husband, or brother,and then--merry Christmas! However, we did run up against a littlefool, the sweetheart, I believe, of Basilio, you know? Look, what afool this Basilio is! To have a sweetheart who doesn't know a wordof Spanish, who hasn't any money, and who has been a servant! She'sas shy as she can be, but pretty. Padre Camorra one night started toclub two fellows who were serenading her and I don't know how it washe didn't kill them, yet with all that she was just as shy as ever. Butit'll result for her as it does with all the women, all of them!"
Juanito Pelaez laughed with a full mouth, as though he thought thisa glorious thing, while Placido stared at him in disgust.
"Listen, what did the professor explain yesterday?" asked Juanito,changing the conversation.
"Yesterday there was no class."
"Oho, and the day before yesterday?"
"Man, it was Thursday!"
"Right! What an ass I am! Don't you know, Placido, that I'm gettingto be a regular ass? What about Wednesday?"
"Wednesday? Wait--Wednesday, it was a little wet."
"Fine! What about Tuesday, old man?"
"Tuesday was the professor's nameday and we went to entertain himwith an orchestra, present him flowers and some gifts."
"Ah, _carambas!_" exclaimed Juanito, "that I should have forgottenabout it! What an ass I am! Listen, did he ask for me?"
Penitente shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but they gave hima list of his entertainers."
"_Carambas!_ Listen--Monday, what happened?"
"As it was the first school-day, he called the roll and assigned thelesson--about mirrors. Look, from here to here, by memory, word forword. We jump all this section, we take that." He was pointing outwith his finger in the "Physics" the portions that were to be learned,when suddenly the book flew through the air, as a result of the slapJuanito gave it from below.
"Thunder, let the lessons go! Let's have a _dia pichido!_"
The students in Manila call _dia pichido_ a school-day that fallsbetween two holidays and is consequently suppressed, as though forcedout by their wish.
"Do you know that you really are an ass?" exclaimed Placido, pickingup his book and papers.
"Let's have a _dia pichido!_" repeated Juanito.
Placido was unwilling, since for only two the authorities were hardlygoing to suspend a class of more than a hundred and fifty. He recalledthe struggles and privations his mother was suffering in order to keephim in Manila, while she went without even the necessities of life.
They were just passing through the breach of Santo Domingo, andJuanito, gazing across the little plaza [25] in front of the oldCustoms building, exclaimed, "Now I think of it, I'm appointed totake up the collection."
"What collection?"
"For the monument."
"What monument?"
"Get out! For Padre Balthazar, you know."
"And who was Padre Balthazar?"
"Fool! A Dominican, of course--that's why the padres call on thestudents. Come on now, loosen up with three or four pesos, so that theymay see we are sports. Don't let them say afterwards that in orderto erect a statue they had to dig down into their own pockets. Do,Placido, it's not money thrown away."
He accompanied these words with a significant wink. Placido recalledthe case of a student who had passed through the entire course bypresenting canary-birds, so he subscribed three pesos.
"Look now, I'll write your name plainly so that the professor will readit, you see--Placido Penitente, three pesos. Ah, listen! In a coupleof weeks comes the nameday of the professor of natural history. Youknow that he's a good fellow, never marks absences or asks about thelesson. Man, we must show our appreciation!"
"That's right!"
"Then don't you think that we ought to give him a celebration? Theorchestra must not be smaller than the one you had for the professorof physics."
"That's right!"
"What do you think about making the contribution two pesos? Come,Placido, you s
tart it, so you'll be at the head of the list."
Then, seeing that Placido gave the two pesos without hesitation,he added, "Listen, put up four, and afterwards I'll return youtwo. They'll serve as a decoy."
"Well, if you're going to return them to me, why give them toyou? It'll be sufficient, for you to write four."
"Ah, that's right! What an ass I am! Do you know, I'm getting to bea regular ass! But let me have them anyhow, so that I can show them."
Placido, in order not to give the lie to the priest who christened him,gave what was asked, just as they reached the University.
In the entrance and along the walks on each side of it were gatheredthe students, awaiting the appearance of the professors. Students ofthe preparatory year of law, of the fifth of the secondary course,of the preparatory in medicine, formed lively groups. The latterwere easily distinguished by their clothing and by a certain airthat was lacking in the others, since the greater part of them camefrom the Ateneo Municipal. Among them could be seen the poet Isagani,explaining to a companion the theory of the refraction of light. Inanother group they were talking, disputing, citing the statementsof the professor, the text-books, and scholastic principles; inyet another they were gesticulating and waving their books in theair or making demonstrations with their canes by drawing diagramson the ground; farther on, they were entertaining themselves inwatching the pious women go into the neighboring church, all thestudents making facetious remarks. An old woman leaning on a younggirl limped piously, while the girl moved along writh downcast eyes,timid and abashed to pass before so many curious eyes. The old lady,catching up her coffee-colored skirt, of the Sisterhood of St. Rita,to reveal her big feet and white stockings, scolded her companionand shot furious glances at the staring bystanders.
"The rascals!" she grunted. "Don't look at them, keep your eyes down."
Everything was noticed; everything called forth jokes and comments. Nowit was a magnificent victoria which stopped at the door to set down afamily of votaries on their way to visit the Virgin of the Rosary [26]on her favorite day, while the inquisitive sharpened their eyes to geta glimpse of the shape and size of the young ladies' feet as they gotout of the carriages; now it was a student who came out of the doorwith devotion still shining in his eyes, for he had passed throughthe church to beg the Virgin's help in understanding his lesson andto see if his sweetheart was there, to exchange a few glances withher and go on to his class with the recollection of her loving eyes.
Soon there was noticed some movement in the groups, a certain air ofexpectancy, while Isagani paused and turned pale. A carriage drawnby a pair of well-known white horses had stopped at the door. Itwas that of Paulita Gomez, and she had already jumped down, lightas a bird, without giving the rascals time to see her foot. With abewitching whirl of her body and a sweep of her hand she arrangedthe folds of her skirt, shot a rapid and apparently careless glancetoward Isagani, spoke to him and smiled. Dona Victorina descendedin her turn, gazed over her spectacles, saw Juanito Pelaez, smiled,and bowed to him affably.
Isagani, flushed with excitement, returned a timid salute, whileJuanito bowed profoundly, took off his hat, and made the same gestureas the celebrated clown and caricaturist Panza when he receivedapplause.
"Heavens, what a girl!" exclaimed one of the students, startingforward. "Tell the professor that I'm seriously ill." So Tadeo,as this invalid youth was known, entered the church to follow the girl.
Tadeo went to the University every day to ask if the classes would beheld and each time seemed to be more and more astonished that theywould. He had a fixed idea of a latent and eternal _holiday_, andexpected it to come any day. So each morning, after vainly proposingthat they play truant, he would go away alleging important business,an appointment, or illness, just at the very moment when his companionswere going to their classes. But by some occult, thaumaturgic artTadeo passed the examinations, was beloved by the professors, andhad before him a promising future.
Meanwhile, the groups began to move inside, for the professorof physics and chemistry had put in his appearance. The studentsappeared to be cheated in their hopes and went toward the interiorof the building with exclamations of discontent. Placido went alongwith the crowd.
"Penitente, Penitente!" called a student with a certain mysteriousair. "Sign this!"
"What is it?"
"Never mind--sign it!"
It seemed to Placido that some one was twitching his ears. He recalledthe story of a cabeza de barangay in his town who, for having signeda document that he did not understand, was kept a prisoner for monthsand months, and came near to deportation. An uncle of Placido's,in order to fix the lesson in his memory, had given him a severeear-pulling, so that always whenever he heard signatures spoken of,his ears reproduced the sensation.
"Excuse me, but I can't sign anything without first understandingwhat it's about."
"What a fool you are! If two _celestial carbineers_ have signed it,what have you to fear?"
The name of _celestial carbineers_ inspired confidence, being, as itwas, a sacred company created to aid God in the warfare against theevil spirit and to prevent the smuggling of heretical contraband intothe markets of the New Zion. [27]
Placido was about to sign to make an end of it, because he was ina hurry,--already his classmates were reciting the _O Thoma_,--butagain his ears twitched, so he said, "After the class! I want to readit first."
"It's very long, don't you see? It concerns the presentation of acounter-petition, or rather, a protest. Don't you understand? Makaraigand some others have asked that an academy of Castilian be opened,which is a piece of genuine foolishness--"
"All right, all right, after awhile. They're already beginning,"answered Placido, trying to get away.
"But your professor may not call the roll--"
"Yes, yes; but he calls it sometimes. Later on, later on! Besides,I don't want to put myself in opposition to Makaraig."
"But it's not putting yourself in opposition, it's only--"
Placido heard no more, for he was already far away, hurrying to hisclass. He heard the different voices--_adsum, adsum_--the roll wasbeing called! Hastening his steps he got to the door just as theletter Q was reached.
"_Tinamaan ng--!_" [28] he muttered, biting his lips.
He hesitated about entering, for the mark was already down againsthim and was not to be erased. One did not go to the class tolearn but in order not to get this absence mark, for the class wasreduced to reciting the lesson from memory, reading the book, andat the most answering a few abstract, profound, captious, enigmaticquestions. True, the usual preachment was never lacking--the sameas ever, about humility, submission, and respect to the clerics,and he, Placido, was humble, submissive, and respectful. So he wasabout to turn away when he remembered that the examinations wereapproaching and his professor had not yet asked him a question norappeared to notice him--this would be a good opportunity to attracthis attention and become known! To be known was to gain a year, forif it cost nothing to suspend one who was not known, it required ahard heart not to be touched by the sight of a youth who by his dailypresence was a reproach over a year of his life wasted.
So Placido went in, not on tiptoe as was his custom, but noisily on hisheels, and only too well did he succeed in his intent! The professorstared at him, knitted his brows, and shook his head, as though to say,"Ah, little impudence, you'll pay for that!"