My Brother-in-law & other stories
By Johnny Novera

Read the Bible

A friend of mine when I was national director in the rural bankers association asked me to see his rural bank located in one of the upland towns near Metro Manila. I found out that there is not much wrong with the bank as it has been operating for almost 50 years. My management diagnosis is mat I think the members of the board should only set directions; they should not think that they are also managers. But that is another story.

I was house guest of my friend. That evening, however, after office hours, he was still in Manila for some business and must have visited his family. He called that he might return late. I had no one to converse as I was waiting for my host to arrive, except Aling Juanita, their elderly housekeeper who doubles as cook.

Aling Juanita must be in her fifties but she must be fairly good looking in her younger days.   I asked her if she has children? She said that she has not married and I was surprised why. What happened to her was sad if not funny, simply because she was not reading the bible. Here is her story:

She came from far-away Samar province in the barrio. One day when she went to a town fiesta, there was a fortune teller who read her cards. The fortune teller advised that she will be lucky if she will marry a man named James.

In her younger days, many came to court her but not one of them was named James, so she did not become serious with them. For example, there is one named Santiago, or "Tiago" for short, who she secretly liked. He would always bring ripe mangoes from his farm and chickens whenever he visits. But she thought she would wait for James who the fortune teller said would come.

Tiago was left with no choice but to marry someone else. Aling Juanita admitted she felt sad about her decision because Tiago was such a good man.

A few years passed but no James came. Instead of being despondent, she turned to God. She was told by their parish priest that there is a chapter on James in the bible. She was curious what could the chapter say about James. So she bought herself a bible.

But how come she did not find James in her bible?

So she came to see Father in the convent to ask why her bible did not have James. What the father told her gave her the shock other life:

“You bought yourself a Pilipino bible so there is no James here. James is Santiago in Pilipino. Buy an English version."

She said that she was never so disappointed in her life that she did not marry anymore!