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Bayle

Alas-dos na ng madaling araw. Hindi ako makatulog. Dangan naman kasi ay kainitan ng isang bayle sa di kalayuan. Imbes na iduyan ako ng antok ay kinakabog ako ng mga masisigla’t mahaharot na musikang disco.

Ano ba itong bayle? Para sa mga hindi pamilyar, ang bayle ay isang pasayaw. Ito ang disco sa komunidad.  Halos hindi na ito uso sa malalaking lungsod.  Subalit sa mga baryo, ito’y tampok na tampok pa rin.



Sa pagkakatanda ko, una akong nakakita ng bayle sa Mindoro.  Sa sityo Tadlok iyon sa bayan ng Magsaysay.  Grade 4 pa lang ako noon at nagkataong nagbabakasyon sa palaisdaan ng tatay ko.  Tabing dagat ang Tadlok; baybayin, mabuhangin.  Subalit hindi ito naging hadlang para mag-bayle ang mga tao. 

Payak ang baylehan. Mayroon lang isang malaking trompa para sa kanilang sound system at tatlong gaserang Coleman na nakasabit sa paligid ng “dance floor”. Ayos na ang buto-buto. Talaga namang indak at indayog ang mga mananayaw sa bawat tugtog ng matinis na trompa.  Bata, tinedyer, mga dalaga’t binata, pati na matatanda; lahat ay nakikisayaw at nagsasaya.

Animo’y may sampung kabayong naghihilahan ng lubid sa gitna ng buhanginan ang lugar sapagkat pumapaimbulog ang makapal na alikabok.  Pero hindi ito alintana ng mga tao.  Minsan lang sa isang taon ang bayle. Kailangang magsaya. Kailangang malimutan ang problema.

Kaya naman giling dito, giling doon. Bumabaha ang tuba, lambanog, at ang Fighter syoktong.  Maalinsangan nang gabing iyon pero masaya ang paligid.  Nakisayaw rin kami. Kasama ko ang ilang tauhan ng palaisdaan. 

Ganito ang bayle.  Isa itong halos taunang ritwal sa mga sityo at baryo sa bansa.  Isa itong pagtitipon ng mga mamamayan. Isang piging upang makalimutan panandali ang mga pang-araw-araw na suliranin. 

Sa kawalan ng fiesta sa mga liblib na lugar, bayle ang pantapat.  Bahagi na ito ng kultura sa kanayunan.  At isa ito sa mga nagpapatibay ng samahang pangkomunidad.  Marapat ba akong mainis ngayon? Na dahil sa bayle ay hindi ako makatulog at heto’t nagsusulat pa?

Marahil wala akong karapatang magalit ni mainis man lamang.  Bukod sa wala naman talaga akong magagawa, natutuwa na rin ako at nagkakasiya ang mga taga-baryo.  Ito na lamang ang tanging disco na abot kaya ng bulsa.

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