OF FISHES & CRABS (Political Aftershocks)

The past election left on its wake a bunch of clan conflicts and hurt feelings, at least in my town, Kayapa.

First, we're glad that the party endorsed by most of Novo Vizcayanos (don't take this as fact, by saying most Novo Vizcayanos, I meant me and my friends:) have the highest percentage of victory.

Congressman: Carlos M. Padilla (although I wish he landed a senate seat in 2004, he deserves it sana)
Governor: Luisa Lloren Cauresma "Atta Girl"
Vice Governor: Atty. Jose 'Jing' Gambito
South District Board Members: 1. Atty. Edu Balgos, 2. __________ 3. Efren Quiben, 4. Merly Talingdan, and Kayapa's very own, the former mayor 5. Tony Abella Dupiano. Thank you Vizcayanos for voting for him and the rest of his partymates.

The winners have been declared and all yet I and the other members of my clan still do not see eye to eye with the other members of the other clan who have betrayed us. At least, that's how we see it and feel about it. Loyalty and faithfulness is a big deal to our kind. So when this other clan decided to 'blind one eye' of their ballots, we shouted, "Wait a minute!" To us, it is betrayal in the first (like murder in the first degree).

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Once upon a time, there was a he-fish. He has a simple but fulfilled life. He thinks of nothing but eating all the pollution he finds in the little pond where he and his family live so that his family will only find the grains thrown into them by passersby. For him, pleasing his family and meeting their needs (even if they don't know they need it) is always always first.
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One day, a big crab (btw, they share that pond with many other creatures) came to him to request a favor. The crab said, "My father died and I would like to succeed him as the lord of this part of our pond. Will you put out a good word for me at the committee?" "Sure! What are neighbors for!" The Fish replied.

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This crab was nothing but a fiddler. Well, at least he is a fiddler, so okay, he must be something. But in that part of the pond, fiddling does not count. So anyway, the fish sent one of his most trusted assistants to the king of the pond not only to put a good word to the committee but to do the busy work of swimming back and forth until the roots of the dense water hyacinth clear a little so the crab won't get tied as he tries to find his way to the capital. The crab arrived at the capital and the committee accepted his request, even if he is practically unknown, out of respect for the fish.

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Years came and went and the fish and his clan helped the crab keep his part of the pond. His authority was never usurped by any of the poisonous bullfrogs that come to visit the pond every now and then, again, out of respect for the fish. The little fishes made friends with the awkward crabs even to the chagrin of their neighbors, the frogs.

One day, the fish was pushed by his constituents to swim for a seat in the committee so their kind would be represented in the capital. A simple fish that he is, and counting on human goodness, he let himself be pushed with the assurance of support from the whole crab clan.

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What a false assurance. The whole pond, south to north, to the west gave their promised support to the fish. The frogs, the frog-eating snakes, the snails, the leeches, and even the mosquitoes, even the dengue, malaria and hepatitis A-causing ones gave everything they have in support of the fish. They cheered, they cried, they shouted, but the eastern section of the pond, the crab territory was not among the cheerers. They plotted through the time when the fish was making the most difficult swim of his life, the swim to the capital. The expected support from the crab did not arrive. Instead the crab clan made all kinds of raucous to disrupt the concentration of the fish. Some of its kind even masked fish nets and hooks with beautiful water lilies so the fish would be baited and put to shame forever. Luckily, their efforts did not pay off.

The fish is now in the committee. He is happy. He has forgiven....

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... but not this fish. This fish cannot stand the mentality of these crabs and promise to never be fooled again into thinking that any of these crabs will ever push let alone carry any fish to help the fishkind in any way.

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Well, who needs the crabs anyway? Certainly not this fish.