Gusting na Vivos
Article by Raphae
Gusting (Agustin) was the son of a farmer. He was nicknamed "vivos” because of the fact that he interpreted commands too literally. One day, he was asked by his father to clean their yard. He did what he was told to do and afterwards piled the dirts which he had swept near the cottage. Then the father saw that the dirts were piled very near their cottage, and so he told Gusting not to pile them there again but instead at the nearby bamboo grove or "Meycawayan".
The other day, Gusting was naked again to clean the yard. After piling the dirt on one side of the yard, he took their cart and put all the wates on it. Then he harnessed the carabao to the dart and then proceeded on his way. For two days Gusting, the card and the carabao were being looked for by his father. But on the third day, Gusting arrived with carabao and the cart. On being naked he had gone, Gusting replied that he had been to Meycawayan ( a town’s name, which means, near the bamboo). Gusting did this foolishness as a joke to his father. And so as a punishment for it he was given a cavan of whip.
Another of Gusting's stories is an incident between him and the priest. One Sunday morning, Gusting went to town riding on his carabao. It happened that day was the town fiesta. And while he was passing near the “patio” of the church, a “verso” was fired. On hearing the verse, the carabao ran wild leaving Gusting behind. The carabao entered the church where a mass was being held. Then Gusting followed it there. The priest noticed the commotion and asked the “Mayor” in a silent way to look into the matter. So the “Mayor” did so and found out the trouble Gusting was causing.
After the mass the priest, who was a cure, scolded the naked Gusting for what he had done. And in punishment he told Gusting to set his feet on any piece of land belonging to the church. The Sunday Gusting was riding on his cart, dream again by his wild carabao. On the floor of his cart were earths dug from their yard. He entered the church on his card and was soon by the “Mayor”, who reported him to the oars after the mass. Then he was called again by the cura,
Gusting was being asked why he was on his domain again, he replied that the earth on whuch he was stepping does not belong to church but theirs. And there upon the cura laughed and asked Gusting to dine with him.