In decades past, my romance with Oryza sativa had been cheerless—even left my arms with itchy nicks and cuts as if rice grass blades found ready whetstone or strop in one’s limbs. Anyway, there’s wee comfort in a line from Amado V. Hernandez, “ang tabak ay tumatalim sa pisngi ng kapwa tabak,” a bolo’s edge is sharpened against another bolo’s edge.
Nang magtahip siya ng kababayong palay, hangos na sumugod ang mga nakagalang manok—tila mga treasure hunters na magkakalkal—at lumutang naman sa pagtatahip ang kakaibang two-tone beat na tahasang naiiba sa pintig ng Jew’s harp, kahit ska o reggae. Agad na sinabihan ang isang kasama, “Grab that beat, get it into your mobile phone. That’s an unheard-of rock and roll beat, believe me! Something very Filipino it is!”