The welcome program over and done with, we moved on to the Layag Design Contest. As jurors, we sat under a small nipa shed at the brink of a 100-meter walkway that stood on stilts.
The sun penetrated the nipa roof and the wind caressed our sweaty skin. From afar, Britania’s 24 islands, islets, and sandbars flecked the turquoise water like half-submerged domes of Poseidon. Then suddenly, as the winds shifted, the boats emerged from nowhere. In groups of five, they cruised toward us in boldly painted sails that broke the monotony of a monochromatic sea. To make sure we wouldn’t miss their assigned letter as basis for judging, boatmen tamed the wind and maneuvered their sails, the better to charm us with their creation’s best angle.
The sun grew fiercer and the shed’s shadow began to grow longer on the water. As my stomach growled, I could only hope that Dir. Bulabog didn’t notice. The boatmen began taking their time like we had the whole day to spare. Good thing Dir. Bulabog instructed the guy holding the megaphone to tell the boatmen to move it faster. By the time the Layag Design Contest was through, we were ready to eat the pencil we used for rating the participants.
At my back and reading from a list, a familiar voice was saying who would ride which boat. Her enunciation was excellent and her English, good. The huskiness of her voice was familiar, like that of her father who’s my good friend. When I turned to look at her, she smiled and said, “I told Papa you’re coming.” San Agustin, specifically Britania, could not get a better tour guide than Ms. Baby Darunday-Ladanan!
Together with other judges, I climbed down a stair connected by a wooden plank to the outrigger boat that would bring us to Buslon Island where lunch was served. I didn’t notice the boat was named Ademala, much less realize that it was an anagram of the Mayor’s family name. Hunger has a way of shutting off my brain!
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