Mang "Mad Max"

Essay

Mang "Mad Max"

I was watching Dante’s Peak on HBO, I remembered Mang Max when Mount Pinatubo volcano erupted in June 1991. It will be its 25th anniversary this year.

Mang Max went out of the house that afternoon, because it was dark. He even questioned why its dark because it should not be. It’s only early afternoon in Manila

“Bok, umuulan ng yelo, labas ka dito.” He told me.

When I went out it was not snow.  It was dust. Dust from the volcano’s eruption.I opened the radio and the DZRH said, they were wondering what happened because it was dark in Quiapo and other places. Several minutes later they confirmed that the volcano in Central Luzon erupted.

The volcano’s eruption brought into attention the ineptness of the US-Aquino regime then. The only good thing that came out of it was the US bases (Clark and Subic) evacuated even before the eruption of the volcano. That made all Filipinos  mad about the US bases because the Americans left without even telling the nation that the volcano was about to erupt. And it helped boot out the bases in 1992. Only to be restored by the VFA by another puppet president Joseph Estrada.

Mang Max and me were happy. Everybody were in medical mask. No need to wear good clothes. We were able to around the city with no hassle. For the dust is everywhere for several weeks.

He had fun with our daughter May. He sometimes ran out of breath running after my little girl . We were not able to go out for a week because of the eruption of the volcano when the dust clouds where still thick.

My friend Joe, where Max stayed for a long while in LA said: “God dammed Max, he does not know how to cook. When he is left at home we will always eat canned goods.”

I told him: “What can you expect, he is a war veteran.” Said with a hearty laugh. For I know Mang Max knows how to cook. He taught me how to cook some recipes while we were in Manila.

Again Joe remembers: “It’s Max again, he voted for Bush not for Clinton!” Max retorted: “He passed the law ( the naturalization law for the Filipino veterans in 1991) that made it possible for me to go to the US.” And they all laughed!

He also remembered the earthquake of 1994. " When my son and me looked back, Max was not there anymore. He ran as fast as he could and was already downstairs!" Joe recalled.

In birthday bash another friend remembered: “ He voted for Eliseo’s Mural not for Papo, ( Papo De Asis, an artist  friend who died earlier than Mang Max) damn Mang Max.” We smiled, a very sad and not hearty smile over Kimchi and broiled pusit.

In a ride home a friend commented. “That’s Mang Max, nobody can tell what he should do, vote for or what he should do. He is a man of his own.”

Unlike other veterans, who brag about their war records, Max is quiet about it. He is just content on hearing while  other tell  stories in our HQ in Alvarado over a cup of copy. He will just wink at me.

At home, he has his own library and stocks of books. He will always tell me when I pay him a visit: “ Get anything book or VHS you want.” He has also a stock of VHS tapes. While in Manila, he was a constant companion when I watch movies.

I was not able to fulfill my promise to bring him to New York, because he just passed away. He really wants to go the East Coast. We made plans together, but now we cannot do it anymore.

But I was able to give him his certificate from the Philippine Government honoring him as a Filipino World War II veteran. Sadly I was able to give it to him at his bedside at his final moments.

As I went through my album I saw rare photographs with him from 1998 to the latest. He was alive and his eyes sparkled with that ready smile.

We love Mang Max, I salute him!