By: Fr. Joe Panabang, SVD

Killing Ground for Elephants

Among my village treks to which I always look forwards with excitements is the one to far- flung Kunsu. Kunsu means ‘killing ground for elephants.’ More than eighteen miles away from mission center, the road is too much. At the height of the rain only tractors with trailers can go though. During dry season, the big cargo trucks go there to get sacks of charcoal by the hundreds. Atop these open cargo trucks, loaded to overflowing, the passengers find their comfort. I usually join these poor, yet happy people enjoying the ride. Having learnt some Ghanaian popular folk songs from a language school, I would without hesitation intone one of them. In a second, the whole group is singing freely to the swaying a swinging of the car across the labyrinths and greeneries so wild with joy that no one thinks of the real danger lurking behind the wheels. If there is no truck, I would walk with companions carrying my things reminiscent of African explorers in the olden days.

Disaster

As I have said, I usually join people sitting on top of the charcoal. But during my last trip fort the first time the driver upon the request of the catechist, allowed me to sit beside him. Leaving only Kunsu only several miles away but already eight o’ clock in the evening, the driver was trying to negotiate an uphill, muddy incline. Four times he tried; four times he failed. At the fifth time, it look like we were making it when, the truck started to lean over on its right side. Slowly, slowly, gradually, so gently, the truck continued its fall unabated while our heads were already pointing to the earth like astronauts, until it finally touched the ground without a single jerk. By this t time I was already lying over the person at my right side now pinched pitifully between me and the window frame. We were lucky. Between me and the window was a small hole, enough to crawl out. As the man on my right crawled out first, I tried to move the truck in case the fall was not complete. Then I crawled out too.

First to Emerge

As soon as I emerged, I was greeted by my catechist shouting, “Father, Father, I’m alright,” He was the first to escape having  hauled his legs out of the charcoal only to leave his newly bought slippers behind in the rubble.

Shocked but not Hurt

The passengers worked fast to save those buried in the rubble. No one died, no one was hurt; but everyone was shocked. Still blinking in amazement at such a gentle fall, I went around examining closely the truck with all the tires pointing southern sky while the engine oil flooded out on the fatal trailway.

Danger in the Dark

Undaunted and determined to return home, some of us dared to walk the remaining distant though it was already dark. As we walked we also wondered at our extraordinary escape.

Guardian Angel
I was convinced that there must have been a lot of angels sent by God to “left us up lest we dash our foot against a stone” or in this  case to hold backs the truck till it landed so smoothly like a cat, to our astonishment and disbelief . The group turned to me for an explanation. I said “if you don’t believe in God and angels, who else were holding back the truck?” Silence descended on all, broken only by an outburst of praise and thanks in the dark from people who realized they were living a second life.

Who Protects Whom?

By the stroke of luck, another cargo car was coming from behind but more overflowing than the first. Up again all of us climbed but this time it was different. There was more fear and trembling. Phobia if you like. How many decades of the Rosary I prayed on the top of the car, I just can’t remember. Everyone wanted me to take off the native haversack (made in Kalinga – Apayao out of strong rattan) strapped tightly to my back. How could I? The Blessed Sacrament was there inside whose protection is a life and death obligation. I just told Him, “Lord, if I die at least I die with you” and now in hindsight, the Lord must have been telling me “you fool, how long do you pretend to be in control? Rather was it not I who protected you?”