The Princess Bride (Self-published)

8: Elizar

An urgent knock woke up the thin man in tattered clothes. He blamed his aging bones as he slowly sat up and groped for his walking stick. The knock became louder as the old man limped towards the door.

"Minandro!" A very familiar voice yelled and the old monk hastened his steps.

"Nand'yan na..." Minandro croaked as he pulled at the wooden bar securing the door.

With a grunt he pushed the wooden slat aside and it fell with a loud thud.

No sooner than when he stepped away, the door was forcefully pushed open making the old man drop to his knees when it hit him on the shoulder.

"Walang silbing matanda!" a man in his late twenties spat. He was tall, thin, with a pointy nose and a prominent chin.

"Pasensya ka na, Elizar—"

"Pasensya! Pasensya! Puro ka na lang pasensya! Kaya ka napagbubuhatan ng kamay kasi ang tanda-tanda mo na pero hindi ka pa rin natututo!"

The monk had been the young man's teacher but now that he surpassed him in knowledge and power, Elizar didn't see the need to keep him around. Until he heard about the prophecy.

"Naramdaman mo rin ba kagabi?" Elizar could not keep the excitement off his voice.

"Ang alin?"

Elizar's eyes immediately hardened and he threw his old teacher a look of disdain.

"Wala ka na ba talagang silbi? Nag-aaksaya na lang ba ako ng panahon sa'yo?"

"P-pagpasensyahan mo na, Elizar, pero nagiging makakalimutin na ako gawa ng aking edad—"

"H'wag kang magmaang-maangan d'yan, tanda! pinapainit mo ang ulo ko!" Elizar spat. "Imposibleng hindi mo napansin 'yun ga'yung mas matagal mong pinag-aralan ang tungkol sa propesiya!"

"Hindi ko talaga alam ang tungkol sa sinasabi mo. Bakit, ano bang nangyari kagabi?"

Elizar narrowed his eyes at his teacher. "Nagsasabi ka ba ng totoo?"

Minandro nodded.

The younger man grinned. "Sabagay, sa tanda mong 'yan ay malamang mapurol na ang pakiramdam mo. Pero, ako, hindi pa at dahil sa nangyari kagabi ay napatunayan kong hindi lang isang kathang-isip ang propesiyang sinasabi ng aklat."

Elizar came to the temple where Minandro was serving almost twenty years ago. The boy was only eight years old while he was already in his late fifties. He had taken pity on the child when he learned that he was an orphan.

"Kumain ka lang nang kumain. Maraming pagkain sa kusina. Saan ka ba nanggaling? Liblib itong lugar namin at ilang kilometro mula rito ang pinakamalapit na bayan."

"Naglakad lang po ako nang naglakad at dito po ako napadpad."

"Nilakad mo lang papunta rito? Bakit, nasaan ba ang mga magulang mo—o, bakit ka umiiyak?"

"Ulila na po kasi akong lubos. Pareho pong pinatay sina Nanay at Tatay—"

"Pinatay?"

"Opo."

"Diyos na mahabagin..."

"Pwede po bang dito po muna ako tumira? Marunong naman po akong magtrabaho. Pwede po akong maging tagalinis ng simbahan. Kahit h'wag n'yo na po akong bigyan ng sahod, pakainin n'yo lang po ako."

Minandro had decided to take the young boy under his wing. And although he knew that he was already too old to take care of a child, he just did not have the heart to turn him away.