Part II: The Letter

"Dear Compadre," Lito started to write in Tagalog, bending earneslty over a piece of paper which he had torn out of Francisco's school notebook. It was many months ago when, just as now, he had sat down with a writing implement in his hand. That was when he had gone to the municipio in Mansalay to file a homestead application, and he had used a pen, and to his great surprise, filled in the blank forms neatly. Nothing came of the application, although Ka Inse had assured him he had looked into the matter and talked with the officials concerned. Now, with a pencil, instead of a pen to write with, Lito was sure that he could make his letter legible enough for Ka Inse.
"It's about my boy Francisco," he wrote on. "I want him to study this June in Malansay. He's in Sixth Grade now, and since he's quite a poor hand at looking after your carabaos I thought it would be best that he go to school in the town."