BERBER THE GIANT RAIN

At the tropic zone of the equator lies the countries experiencing tropical climate with only two seasons the wet and dry , sunny and rainy season. People in these areas don't wear any thick clothing at all and mostly have brown skin. During the dry season it is of harvest after passing through the wet season, People are in festive mood having gathered so much fruits and vegetables from their orchards and their gardens. This is the only time people in the village can attend festivals when they are invited by a relative to go to town. If they do that they have to bring what they have harvested in their gardens and their orchards much better if they can bring poultry and hogs they have prepared for this festival year. It is also time for farmers to pay what they owed from their landlords, Some farmers if they are not careful and don't make enough harvest to pay their debt they are going to live in what is called the cycle of poverty which they will always be in debt to their landlords calling them the marginal farmers. Sometimes they are taken advantage of. There are instances when a tenant can't pay their debt the landlord will ask the tenant to let their daughter be their househelp and the daughter can't refuse and she will live and stay with landlord's family. This happened to Maymay who is beautiful ,intelligent and talented., When Dr . B. Pardo learned about it he offered Maymay a chance to continue her studies to finish secondary school. Mrs, N. Pardo agreed with the proposition and this can be a big help for her parents. What a great opportunity! Her parents are very thankful to Mr. And Mrs. Pardo. Maymay didn't go home for summer vacation but helps in their pharmaceutical store owned by Mrs N., Pardo , a pharmacist. Dr. B. Pardo has a private doctor clinic aside from being a public physician visiting schools to visit schools and the children's health and administer vaccines. Maymay has a specific job to do at her landlord's household to help the house helpers when it is needed having worked at the pharmacy on weekends. During the week she focuses in her studies , she spends her time at the library to finish all her assignments the only thing she does at her landlord's house is to set the table in the evening when the family are all present They have a son who has the same age like Maymay. He goes to a private school while Maymay goes to a public school. They seldom talk to each other and Maymay looks to herself too shy counting Bingbong is her master. There is a big gap between them financially and socially. Bingbong has friends at his school. Maymay has her own friends too, The rainy season is coming. Farmers are preparing their ricefields to plant rice,. The planting season entails so much hardwork. When rainfall season starts farmers come together to plant the rice plants tied in bundles after uprooting them from the muddy soil. Their backs become sore at the end of the day. These days farmers use machines unlike in the past when the carabao calling him the beast of burden used to till the soil. They are now used for milk and meat production. Only the rich landlords who can afford to buy these machineries and hire the marginal farmers to till their lands. That's what happened to Maymay's parents. Maymay is their only hope if she can finish her studies. They don't know if she will have a chance to continue her studies. It has been two weeks of continues rain. The farmers have finished planting wide areas of land owned by many landlords. Tenants has nothing to do. In the village most of them will look after their chicken or swine. Some may butcher a pig and sells it to their folks. If they have no money they can pay it for the next harvest. How can people survive in this kind of situation when they just live for survival? What does it mean to live in the world? Is there a way to improve at all? The weather is getting worse? Where did all the black clouds came from? Then there is a tv broadcast that a big storm is coming. Except those whose houses in the village made of concrete and with galvanize roofing can stay home but others can go to the schoolhouse as their temporary shelter. Maymay's parents has to go to the schoolhouse fearing their house may be blown away. Up in the sky the clouds can no longer hold the heavy water and when a strong wind blows at the middle of the big heavy cloud it is ripped open and Giant Berber Rain drops down to Earth and the North Wind blows to him and they mixed together . Following the direction of Giant Berber Rain and the North Wind it may touched the ground to sweep an entire community. This is what the people at Maymay's village are afraid of. They nailed plywood boards on the school windows to prevent the strong winds and rain to get inside the school building. There is strong water current flooding the streets and soon the village guard's brought relief goods to the villagers camped inside the schoolhouse. Blankets foam beds are distributed to the affected families, Maymay's parents brought their own tent and assembled it in a corner separated from others, Maymay sent the tent to protect her parents of getting cold. That night villagers tried to warm themselves burning wood on clay stoves warming the campers. A baby is crying who can't withstand to sleep in the middle of a crowd so Maymay's parents offered their tent. The two women sleep together with the baby. Bingbong and his father sleep on a foam bed. Giant Berber Rain and North Wind slowed down their fury knowing the devastation they have done to the area headed to the ocean. Giant Berber Rain leaves with a heavy heart thinking many people's lives are affected, not only that , where will they get their food when their crops are being flooded? The North Wind wherever it comes from has also a heavy heart separating itself from Giant Berber Rain. No one knows why Giant Berber Rain and North Wind left right away. Who knows if they heard the babies cry and the rising floodwaters? Nobody really knows but when the villagers returned to their makeshift houses as if there was no strong storm that passed by. Their animals are safe there is food left to them. The villagers are thankful thinking of ways to recover their loss of their flooded ricefields. The families who didn't leave their houses joined the villagers to replant the rice paddies to catch time for the next harvest. Even the landlords donated fingerlings to replace the fishes of their overflowed fishponds. Nobody knows Bingbong has feelings for Maymay. He is impress why his parents are willing to help her to finish her studies. He knows her parents allowed her to work for them with hopes she can lift them of their hardship. Children can become responsible driven by motivation dreams and ambition. Time has passed when Maymay finished her degree in Nursing. She is hired to work at the Luzon Provincial Hospital where Bingbong is taking his medical internship. With her salary she is able to save money to improve their house into concrete and galvanized iron rooftop. His brother wanted to become a teacher whom she is helping to finish his course When Bingbong is taking his last year of medical internship begins to show his interest to Maymay. Maybe he is thinking that his family serve as her motivation to finish her studies until she topped the licensure examination for nurses. He can't miss to see what is the reaction of Maymay. For him she became his inspiration to strive and reach his dream. How can a young man , a young woman develop their feelings and realize what they really want in their lives? Is there any other way to realize what they really wanted in life? Is it driven by the close supervision of their parents towards them? Maymay doesn't even think if Bingbong is really serious to build a relationship with her. How about the financial and social gap between them? What will people say when they learn about it? Let's say Bingbong is just right for her since they help her to be what she is, While people also say Maymay is a social climber, does she deserve it? Maymay tries to ignore his advances then one day they find themselves to be on vacation. Bingbong ask her if she can visit her in the village. Maymay informed her parents about the visit of Bingbong. Her parents cooked their best recipes to show respect to Bingbong who is also a resident physician at Luzon Provincial Hospital. When Maymay meets Bingbong at their driveway the first drop of rain falls on them ,while holding hands they let the rain soak in themGP.