Elpidio’s eyes were closed up tight. His kumpadre (friend) Maximilian was trying to explain in stutters and stammering, the wheres and whys of how he lost another asparagus knife.
He opens his eyes. It was a long 10 hours working the fields. Elpidio just got home, ready to eat his wife’s sootyang (beef stew).
•Why couldn’t Max just get a new blade come Monday morning? ( he already owed the foreman one he broke last week, he’ll be docked his pay another $15)
•Couldn’t Max just borrow one from someone else? (Nobody on his line trusts him with their equipment or tools)
Being longterm kumpadres with Max, coming from the same village in Bantayan Cebu Philippines. Even fighting side by side in the war, he only trusted Elpidio with his mistake.
10:47 pm Saturday
“Okay, let’s get going, Sige na.”
