SA PULA, SA PUTI Francisco "Soc" Rodrigo About the Author

Francisco had a colorful career as politician, poet, playwright, essayist and nationalist. He is popular for his caustic comments on current events, which he writes in both English and Filipino. He is one of the foremost exponents of nationalism and was one of the writers censored and detained during the Marcos regime. He was also one of the youngest to be elected Philippine senator. CHARACTERS Sioning, "riend o" Celing Kulas, an out and out sabungero, or coc!"ighting Castor, a $iddle$an in the coc!%it addict Teban, an old $anser&ant o" Kulas and Celing Celing, #i"e o" Kulas

Kulas !hem" Er. . . nice morning, isn#t it, $eling% How are you% $eling &dryly' (h, fine. ) feel very fine. *han+s for thin+ing of me. Kulas (h, come, $eling, that#s not a nice way to say it. $eling ,ell, you certainly ta+e a lot of interest in me these days. -sually our first thought is for your fighting coc+s and your last one is for your wife. Kulas $ome, come, $eling. .ou have first place in my heart. ) +now to appreciate a wife li+e you. $eling /eally% 0ut when ) see you fondle your coc+s, ) feel envious, ) am 1ealous. Kulas 0ut $eling, you +now that ) only cherish my fighting coc+s for our own good. $eling ,hat good are you tal+ing about% )f it#s stewed chic+en you#re after. ) can get good, fat hens in the mar+et any time. ,e don#t have to get a roster +illed in the coc+pit and lose money in the process. ) can do the +illing myself right here for nothing. Kulas $ome now, $eling, ) don#t expect to lose all the time. 2oo+ at this coc+ for example3 why it is a sure winner 4 its scales are perfect. $eling *hat#s the same thing you said about that unbeatable coc+ you bet ten pesos on last wee+. 5id you li+e the way ) coo+ed it% Kulas (h, but that was an accident. Everybody was betting two to one and that coc+ would win. !nd anyway, )#m getting more experience all the time.) +now how to choose coc+s now. ) assure you, $eling, if only you#ll lend ten pesos now, )#ll get that money bac+. $ome here, $eling, )#ll tell you a secret. 2ast night ) dreamt that ) was being chased by a white carabao4 a white one. $eling ,hat if it was white% Kulas ,hy, that means silver, and it was chasing me 4 that means money is

coming to me. ) can#t lose this time, $eling. ) assure you ) can#t lose. $eling Ha. 6uite interesting. Kulas 2oo+ here, $eling, don#t tell that dream to anybody. .ou +now that if you tell anybody else about your dreams they never come true. $eling 0ut you told me. Kulas (h, well, you are my wife. &!ngrily' ,ho care for dreams anyway% ) want some money, $eling. 5o you hear me% ) want some money. *his coc+ is a sure winner. )t can#t lose. $eling 0ut we have no more money now. *here#s no more silver. Kulas (h yes, we have. )t#s 1ust put away. 7ive me five pesos and we#ll surely4 double it. My dreams cannot fail. $eling 0ut, Kulas, last month you dreamt about a sna+e that coiled itself into a figure eight. *he coc+fight was on the eight of February, and you said you were surely going to win, but instead, you lost eight whole pesos" Kulas ,ell, ) made a mista+e in selecting the match ) should bet in. ) should have bet in the eighth match. $eling !nd did you ma+e a mista+e, too, when you dreamt about the red cat% .ou bet on the red rooster and lost ten pesos. !nd now you tal+ about your white carabaos. Kulas (h, well . . . but this time )#m not ban+ing on dreams alone. )#ve studied the scales and the ears of this coc+. )t#s a sure winner, $eling. ) tell you, we are going to win this time. $eling Kulas, do you remember how sure you were two 8undays ago about that other coc+% !nd what happened% &8houts are heard from the coc+pit. Kulas becomes uneasy.' Kulas $ome on $eling, 1ust this once. )f this coc+ loses, ) will never, never go to the coc+pit again. $eling /eally% Kulas /eally and truly. $ome on, hurry up" *hey have already started the fights. $ome on, ) have a bet in the next match. ) will be disgraced if ) don#t show up.

&$eling sha+es her head, reali9ing the futility of further discussion. 8he ta+es five pesos from her poc+et.' $eling ,ell, here, ta+e this. !fter all, it#s your money. ) am only being careful. 5on#t blame me if we land in the poorhouse some day. Kulas &ta+ing the money' 5on#t worry, $eling. )n a few minutes the money will be doubled. .ou bet your life. 8ee you later. &(n his way out Kulas almost bumps 8ioning, who enters, an empty bas+et on her arm.' 8ioning Hello, Kulas. Kulas &in a hurry' Hello . . . er . . . eh, excuse me, 8ioning. )#m in a hurry. Er,er3

*here#s $eling. $eling" Here#s 8ioning, ,ell so long &Exits'. 8ioning ,hat#s the matter with your husband, $eling% He acts as if his feet are on fire. $eling ,orse than that, 8ioning, our money is on fire 4 he is going to the coc+pit again. 8ioning $eling, again" )s he really 4 $eling :ust a moment, 8ioning. &8houts toward the +itchen' *eban" *eban" *eban" *eban &obedient but slow;witted, entering' .es, ma#am% ,hat is it, ma<am% $eling &ta+ing five pesos from her poc+et and giving it to *eban' Here, *eban. Five pesos. .ou +now what to do. *ebw &-nsure'. -h . . . eh ... % $eling &exasperated at his stupidity= explaining as if to a child' .our master is bac+ in the coc+pit. 6uic+, ma+e a bet with this. Hurry" .ou maybe too late" *eban &as light dawns and $eling pushes him out' .es, ma#am. .es, 8ioning 0etting five pesos" ,hat#s this, $eling% !re you becoming a lighter% $eling &surprised' My dear 8ioning. )#m not a coc+fighter, but when; Kulas goes to the coc+pit, ) bet also. 8ioning !h . . . you are not a coc+fighter, but you 1ust bet in the coc+pit. !re you trying to +id me, $eling% $eling >o, )#ll explain it to you. 0ut promise you won#t tell anyone. 8ioning ) promise. 5on#t worry.

$eling .ou see, 8ioning, ) bet in the coc+fights in order not to lose. 8ioning (h . . . .ou bet in the coc+fights in order not to lose. $eling, you are ma+ing fun of me. $eling. (f course not, 8ioning. .ou +now, we are losing a lot of money on account of Kulas# gambling. )#m sure some day we#ll be eating 1ust rice and salt. ) tried my best to +eep him away from the coc+pit but we 1ust ?uarrel about it. !nd in order to avoid ?uarrel and to prevent our money from melting away entirely, ) thought of a plan. For the last month ) have always sent *eban to the coc+pit to bet on the side opposite Kulas. 8ioning &a little slow, too' ,hy% $eling ,ell, if Kulas# coc+ loses, ) win and if ) lose Kulas wins. 8o, whatever happens, we don#t lose any money. 8ioning (h, ) see. ,hy, yes, of course" $eling, you are clever. &8houts at the coc+pit' $eling. *here they go. *he match is on. 5ear me, the shouts ma+e my head ache. 8ioning ,ell, it is your fault . . . no one told you to choose a near the coc+pit. $eling 5on#t thin+ ) chose it. Kulas did the choosing. ) wanted a house near the church but Kulas wanted one near the coc+pit. &2ouder shouts from the coc+pit.' 8ioning. Have you done your mar+eting yet% How about coming along with me% 2et#s go. &*he shouts grow louder, and suddenly stop.' $eling .es, 8ioning 4 but wait a while ; the match is over. 2et#s wait for *eban. !fter all, the mar+et is near &loo+s out the window',(h, here<s *eban. He#s actually running. &*eban enters out of breath, with two five peso bills, and smiling broadly'. ,e won, we won, ma#am, we won" &7ives $eling the money, which she poc+ets immediately.' $eling. @ery good, *eban. >ow hurry bac+ to the +itchen. Mang Kulas might catch on. &Exit *eban'

8ioning. ,ell, let#s go, $eling. &$eling gets her tapis from a chair, puts its on, and pic+s up her bas+et. Kulas enters, crestfallen.' $eling. ,hat now, Kulas% 5idn#t the white carabao catch up with you% Kulas &sore' 5on#t 1o+e about that now. My, but what rotten luc+ ;$eling, imagine, my coc+ was winning right up to the last minute. .es, up to the last seconds. )t was a frea+ fight that only happens once in a hundred times. ) never saw anyone have such bad luc+ as ) do" $eling. *hat#s the trouble with gambling. Kulas 4 you depend on nothing but luc+. Kulas. $oc+fighting is really no good. $urse it" ) don#t want to see even the shadow of the coc+pit again. ) give up coc+fighting. ) tell you, never again. &*he two women steal amused glances at each other.' .ou won#t see me going over there any more. $eling. Here#s hoping you mean that. Kulas. ) do. ) promise you ) will never gamble again, $eling. ,ell, sit down and cool off. 8ioning and ) are going to mar+et. 8ee you later, Kulas. &Exit $eling and 8ioning. Kulas lights a cigarette, ta+es a puff, throw down on the floor and steps on it. He slumps into a chair, downhearted $astor comes in. He is another sabungero ; a little older than Kulas.' $astor, Kumusta +a, Kulas. Kulas &gloomily' Kumusta. $astor ,hat#s the matter% ,hy do you wear a funeral parlor on your face% 5id your wife ma+e adobo out of your pet rooster% Kulas. (h, $astor. *here#s no one as neglected by luc+ as ) am. )#m through with coc+s and the coc+pit for good.

Kulas .ou bet on . . . the . . . other . . . 0ut suppose your coc+ wins% $astor My coc+ can never win. ) see to that" ) do some tric+s to ma+e it lose. Kulas $ome, come, $astor, stop +idding me. My head is boiling hot. and ) am in no mood for clowning. $astor ,ho#s clowning% )t#s the truth. !nd if you were not my friend ) would not tell you this precious secret.

Kulas. 0ut, $astor, how can you ma+e a rooster lose% $astor. )t#s easy . . . 0ut why should ) tell you% .ou do not appreciate what ) am doing. .ou are even sore at me. Kulas. (h, come on, $astor. 5on#t be touchy. .ou only caught me in a bad mood. $ome on, be a good friend and tell me, ha% $astor, 5o you really want to +now% Kulas. 8ure, sure. 8ige na. $astor. ,ell, get one of your coc+s and )#ll show you. Kulas. !ny one of my coc+s% $astor. 8ure. !ny coc+. )t doesn#t matter. &Kulas exits the +itchen. Hi returns with a coc+.' Kulas &giving $astor the coc+'. Here, $astor, here#s the coc+. $astor. >ow get me a needle. Kulas, ! needle% $astor. .es, a needle. *hat thing that your wife uses for sewing. Kulas, !h . . . yes . . . a needle . . . &7oes to $eling#s sewing box gets a needle.' Here#s a needle. $astor &holding the coc+ in his left hand and the needle in his right >ow come here and observe what )#ll do. Every coc+ has ligament in the leg. (nce you pric+ it, the leg will be wea+. 2oo+ here &$astor pric+s the coc+ leg.' *here. >o one will notice what we did but that leg is wea+ and now coc+ can no longer stri+e with it. Kulas. *hen that coc+ won<t win any more. )t surely is going to lose. $astor >aturally. >ow all you have to do is to go to the coc+pit, ar range a match for that coc+, and bet secretly on the other side. Kulas. 8uperb" *hat certainly is a wonderful tric+" $astor. 8ee% *he trouble with you is you don#t use your coconut. &)ndicating the head.' Kulas &troubled'. 0ut, $astor, )sn#t that cheating% $astor. (f course, it is cheating" 0ut heavens, show me the gambler who ever made money without cheating% !nd besides that, you have already lost plenty of money. .ou will use this tric+ 1ust to get it bac+. ,hat is bad in that% Kulas. .ou are right, $astor. )#ve really lost a great deal. $astor. !nd do not suppose that when you lost, they did not cheat you% Kulas &thin+ing', Er ... uh .. . ,hy, ) do suppose they did. $astor. 8ee% .ou will not be cheating, Kulas. .ou will 1ust be getting bac+ at them.

Kulas. 8ure enough. .ou are right. $astor. ,ell, what are you waiting for% 2et us go. Kulas. ,ell. . . er. )#ll have to wait for $eling, my wife. $astor, ,hy, what for% Kulas. ,ell . . . you see . . . she holds the purse strings in this house. $astor. 7osh, what a man, this Kulas. ! slave to roosters and pec+ed by a hen. ,ell, wait for her, but get plenty of money, huh% ; so we can ma+e more. Kulas. A. K.. . . er . .. $astor. $astor. .es% Kulas. Er . . . $eling is probably on her way home now. .ou see, ) don#t want her to see you here. 8he doesn#t li+e to see me with coc+fighters you +now. 5on#t ta+e offense, please , . , but )#d rather you#d run along now. $astor &laughs'. Follow soon, ha% .ou<)) have a match ready as soon as you get there. Kulas. A. K. )#ll see you there. $astor. 8ee you later. 8?uee9e all you can from the wife, pal. *his cannot miss" &$astor exits. Kulas smiles, fondles his coc+ and admires the tric+ done on its leg. 8ioning and $eling enter'. $eling &upon seeing the coc+'. Kulas, are you at it again% ) thought you had sworn off the coc+pit. Kulas. $eling, 1ust this once. ) am sure we can recover what we lost. $eling. My, my, this Kulas of mine, 1ust li+e the price of sugar changes very minute. Kulas. $eling, really and truly, 1ust this once. )f ) lose now you can butcher all my other coc+s. ) promise. ) swear" $eling. !nother promise to be bro+en. Kulas, ) thin+ you should be a politician. Kulas. $ome now, $eling, ?uit 1o+ing. ) am serious. 2oo+ . . . here is 8ioning. 8he is the witness to my pledge. 8ioning &win+s at $eling'. *hat is right, $eling. ) am the witness. .ou might as well give him what he as+s for. 7o ahead. Kulas. 8ioning is right. *han+ you, 8ioning. $eling. ,hat is this, a conspiracy% A. K. !ll right. 0ut remember, this is the last time. Kulas. 8wear, by all that#s holy. 8tri+e it on a roc+. $eling. ,ell, how much% Kulas. Er .. . 1ust twenty pesos.

$eling. *wenty pesos" 8toning. 8usmariosep" Kulas. .es, $eling. *wenty pesos, so that we will win bac+ our loses. &$eling hesitates.' $eling. 0ut ; 8ioning. 7o ahead, $eling. !fter all this is the last time. 8ige na" $eling. !ll right. *here is no use arguing, ) guess. Here you are. &8he gives Kulas twenty pesos which she gets from the trun+.' Kulas &ta+ing the money'. (h than+ you, $eling. .ou will not regret this. )<ll see you both later. &Kulas exits hurriedly with his coc+.' $eling &follows Kulas with her eyes until he is far'. *eban" *eban"

8ioning. *eban, hurry, *eban" &*eban comes from the +itchen.' *eban, .es, ma#am. $eling. *a+e this money. .our master is in the coc+pit again. 8ioning. Hurry, *eban. 0et that on the other side. *eban &surprised at the amount of money'. *wenty pesos" *his is twenty pesos, ma#am. $eling. .es, twenty pesos, go on, hurry" *eban &not understanding'. 8hall ) bet all of this, ma#am% 8ioning. .es, all of it. *eban. .es, ma#am. ,ow, this is big money" &Exit *eban.' $eling. !nd now, 8ioning, why did you ally yourself with Kulas% &)mitating 8ioning.B ,hat was the idea of your 8ige na" 8ioning. ,ell . . . after all you are sure not to lose. 8o there#s no harm done. $eling. .ou are right.. . but it is not only the money that ) am worried about. 8ioning. ,hat else% $eling. *he other bad conse?uences of gambling. 8ioning dear, you. +now all gambling leads to other evils. )t often leads to cheating, stealing . . and ... well.. . women. 8ioning. 0ut Kulas does not do those things . .. $eling. $ertainly, but shall we wait for the fire to start before we prepare the water% &8houts are heard from the coc+pit.' 8ioning. 0ut Kulas promised this will be his last fight. $eling. )ndeed, he promised. 0ut you may 1ust as well write that on water. &*he shouts grow louder.'

8ioning. ,ell, the trouble with you is you don#t have enough courage li+e me. 2et me tell you what ) did when 8iso, that husband of mine could not be +ept away from Cmonte.C ) went to the club one day and insulted him from head to foot. From that moment on, $eling, he never showed up in the club again. $eling, 0ut, do you remember how, after that, you had to +eep yourself in the house for a wee+, because you had two blac+ eyes% 8ioning. (f course, but that was only temporary. !fter that, everything was all right again. $eling. ) don#t thin+ ) can do that. ) prefer to suffer things as they are. & *he shouts suddenly subside.' 8ioning. *he match must be over. ) wonder who won. $eling. ,e will +now when *eban arrives. He rushes home immediately Kulas won#t see him. 8ioning. $eling, if ) were you, ) wouldn#t trust *eban too much with money. $eling. 5on#t worry about *eban. He can be trusted. 8ioning, Maybe you are right, but you +now how people can succumb to temptation. $eling. 5on#t worry . . . &*eban comes in.' *eban &downhearted'. ,e lost, ma#am. $eling. (h, we lost% ,ell . . . but never mind. !fter all, Kulas won. *eban, better go bac+ to the +itchen before your master returns. &Exit ' 8ioning. .ou really have a clever way of not losing, $eling. $eling &sadly'. (f course. 8ioning. ,hy are you so sad, $eling% $eling. 0ecause Kulas won. 8ioning. !nd what if he did% ,hether he wins or you win, you lose no money. 8o, what#s the difference%C $eling. Plenty. .ou see, now that Kulas has won. he will stic+ to the coc+pit more than ever. &Kulas comes in, sad.' Kulas. *his is really the end. >othing can change my bad luc+. *hey will never see me in the coc+pit again. $eling. ,hat% 8ioning. ,hat did you say% Kulas. ,hy did ) ever listen to that snea+ing $astor% $eling. 0ut, Kulas, didn#t you win% Kulas. >o, ) lost again. !nd the twenty pesos are all gone. $eling &suspiciously'. Kulas, don#t fool me. ) +now that you won. Kulas. ,ho told you that ) won% (h, curses on that $astor.

$eling. Kulas, ) will not fall for any acting. 7ive me your winnings. Kulas. 7ood 2ord" *here aren#t any. >othing is left. !ll gone. $eling &more suspicious'. ,ait, this is getting to be suspicious. !ha . . . Maybe you have a Kulasisi . . . and you gave the money to her" Kulas. (h $eling, what cra9y things are you tal+ing about% ) lost" *here can be no two ways about it. ,hoever gave you the idea that ) won% $eling. *eban said so. He came from the coc+pit. Kulas. *eban . . . % 8ioning. &getting an idea'. !ba . . . ,ait, $eling. ) have a hunch *eban poc+eted the money . . . 1ust as ) thought would happen. Kulas. Ha% ,hat money . $eling. Hey .. . maybe you are right, 8ioning. 8ioning. ) told you not to be too trusting. &$eling goes to the +itchen door.' Kulas. Hey . .. what#s all this. $eling. *eban" *eban" &*eban enters.' *eban. .es, ma#am. $eling. *eban, give me bac+ the money. *eban. ,hat money, ma#am. Kulas. .es, what money% $eling. *he twenty pesos you too+ to the coc+pit a while ago. *eban. 0ut we lost ma#am. Money . . . no more. $eling. 2iar" ,hat do you mean we lost% )f you lost, Kulas must have won. 0ut Kulas lost, so you must have won. *eban &not understanding'. Eh% ,hat#s that, ma#am% )f ) lost... he ... Kulas. ,hat" ,hat" *his is becoming very complicated. *eban, were you in the coc+pit a while ago% *eban. .es, sir. Kulas. ,hat did you do there% *eban. ) bet, sir, Kulas. !h, you bet" ,here did you steal the money% *eban. From !ling $eling, sir. Kulas. ,hat% .ou stole from !ling $eling%

*eban. Er .. . no sir, !ling $eling ordered me to bet, sir. Kulas &to $eling', !h" 8o you are preventing me from coc+fighting but you are betting secretly yourself, eh% 8ioning. >o, Kulas. $eling 1ust bet on your coc+#s opponent. Kulas &to $eling'. !h, and you even go against me, eh% $eling. 5on#t get mad, Kulas. ) 1ust bet on the other coc+ so that even if you lose, we won#t lose anything. 8ioning. .es, Kulas. )t is a wonderful idea. .ou bet on your coc+. $eling bets on the other coc+, )f you lose, $eling wins, and if $eling wins, you lose. 8imple, isn#t it% Kulas. .ou mean, even if my coc+ wins, we really don#t win anything% 8ioning. (f course, and vice versa. @ery clever. Kulas. 8o ) have been wasting gargled water and smo+e and a lot of fondling on my coc+s. ) was li+e a fool who 4 $eling. ,ait a minute. 2et#s find out first what happened to our twenty pesos. *eban, where did you put the money% *eban. ,ell, er .. . Kulas. ,ait a minute, $eling. *eban really lost. $eling. !nd your coc+ won% Kulas. .es. $eling. *hen give me the money" Kulas. >o, $eling. 0ecause ) lost, too. $eling. .ou won, but you lost% Kulas. .es. .ou see ) also bet on the other coc+. 8ioning. 5ear me, what a confusing mess" $eling &to Kulas'. .ou bet on your opponent% Kulas. .es, .ou see, ) lamed my coc+ so it had no chance to win. *hen ) bet on the other rooster. 0ut the moment ) put down my coc+ the other coc+ turned about face and ran away" 8o my coc+ won by default and ) 4 well, Dlost. $eling. !h, so you wanted to cheat, eh% ,ell, you certainly hit your own head with a stone. .. &8he laughs'. Kulas. Hey . . . ,hat#s so funny% 8ioning. /eally, $eling, why are you laughing% $eling. 0ecause ) am very happy. Er . .. 8ioning, ) invite you to eat with us tonight. !nd invite !ling Ki+ay and our other friends. ) am going to give you all a blowout.

$eling. 8ure" *eban, prepare our pots, and borrow !te >ena#s casserole. *eban. .es, ma#am. .es, ma#am. &Exits to +itchen.' Kulas. 0ut how are we going to give a blowout% ,e lost more than forty pesos today% $eling. >ever mind. ) want to celebrate your last farewell to the coc+pit. Kulas. 2ast farewell% $eling. .es, because you promised me and ) have a witness &indicating 8ioning', and besides, we don#t need to buy any meat. Kulas. ,hy% $eling. .ou still have six fighting coc+s in the coop. *hree will be made into adobo and the other three will be coo+ed in broth, &8ioning and $eling laugh. Kulas does not catch on until a little later. 8houts begin in the coc+; pit.' Kulas. !dobo .. . &8tarts with a mirthless laugh' He . . . he" ha . . . ha.. he" &2aughter becomes sincere. He approaches $eling with a loo+ of approval.

Curtain