SIR JOHN, HOW TO TELL THE STORY OF THE TAUSUG TO A CHILD?
ANSWER: Wow. I like that question. Very challenging. I hope you would like and SHARE my short childish story.
Once upon a time, there was this lady with so many husbands. The lady's name is Philippines. Her first husband is a foreigner named Spain. She was maltreated by Spain for a long time. Spain left her and come another two foreign husbands who quickly came and go named Dutch and British.
Then came another foreigner named America and he married Philippines too. Because the American was a gambler, he had trouble with another man named Germany, so the right hand man of Germany named Japan came to Philippines and married her for pleasure.
The man named America eventually won the gamble abroad and he returned to Philippines to take her back from Japan. Since then, America dictates upon Philippines and holds her by the neck and rapes her anytime he wants to have recreation.
Philippines have so many children and they look pretty like their fathers, Spain, Japanese, Americans. By the way, before I forget, Philippines also have a "boyfriend who lives next door", his name is China, she's got a lot of kids who are pretty Chinese looking. Among the men and many husbands Philippines had, China is the best provider for her family's table.
Philippines have this one unique child named TAUSUG. He is the eldest of all children and he came in even before her mom was forced into marriage with the foreigners.
Tausug did not get good education because he is emotionally disturbed, rebellious, and angry after he'd seen all those rapes and abuses against her mom.
Tausug have so much battle scars and old wounds because among the many children of Philippines, he is the only one who resented and fought against the abusive husbands of her mom, while all the other children just watch their mom getting raped.
Because Tausug did not get good education, he is just a backyard farmer, and he lives in a shanty right outside the same house with his mom.
Tausug have a different religion, he is Muslim, he got it from his dad, while his mom and all siblings are Christians. Even up to present and her mom gives him left-over food for his everyday need to survive.
By the way, before I forget, Tausug's once helped a fellow Muslim named Brunei, and as a reward for the help, Brunei gave him a huge piece of land called Sabah. There was a time when Tausug had to lease Sabah so he can use the rent to buy some weapons in his fight against the rapists of her mom. Tausug could have been rich if he is just educated enough to discover how to get the highest benefit from that land. At present, another Muslim named Malaysia is occupying the land, that Tausug call that guy "squatter", who would not allow Tausug to come near his own land. Ohh boy, Tausug recently went to his land by surprise and they have a fight with the squatter. Tausug have new wounds and scars again in this fight.
One day, Tausug spoke to his mom and he said, "Mom, I can no longer bear the pain of the abuses against you. What I see is painful to you but more painful to me. I want to have a family of my own and children I call my own and a new life. I want to get out of this house, find my own place".
Philippines would not allow Tausug to leave for independence. Perhaps she loves him too, despite him being "special" compared to the rest. To make it impossible for Tausug to leave, Philippines did everything to keep him poor so he can never keep a savings for the fare that is needed to leave. So now, you can still find Tausug in that shanty right next to the house of Philippines.
Tausug is very old now. I think it is time to give him his freedom. I am son of Philippines, so I am Tausug's brother, but I was born in Mindanao, a place where Tausug calls his homeland. My role in this life before I die is do whatever I can do to raise the money Tausug needs for his fare for his long awaited journey towards independence.
