Every stroke of Mang Kulas’ hoe on the dry soil of his rice field in the town of San Isidro was heavy. He could feel the intense sunlight burning the back of his neck, but what was more painful was the fact that this might be his last day on the only legacy his ancestors had left.

For six months, he had been harassed by the men of Don Facundo, a wealthy businessman who wanted to build a large subdivision on their farm. He had no way to pay the huge debt imposed on him because of hidden interests in the paper.

As he wiped the sweat from his forehead with an old bimpo, he heard the rumble of three large black vehicles parked on the side of the highway.

Kulas’s heart beat faster.

He saw five burly men dressed in black and with long guns strapped to their chests get off the bus. They walked steadily along the embankment toward where he was.

He swallowed hard, thinking that this might be the very day he would be killed so that his beloved land could be completely taken away without a fight.

The old man’s knees were shaking but he remained standing bravely. He tightly gripped the wooden handle of his hoe, ready to fight even though he knew he was at a disadvantage to the armed foreigners who were constantly approaching.

“Kulas Dimaculangan? Are you Kulas Dimaculangan?!” shouted the leader of the group, a tall man with a large scar on his cheek. He did not smile and seemed ready to plow a person at any time.

Kulas tried to snatch his old keypad cellphone from his pocket to ask for help from the barangay captain.

With his fingers trembling, he accidentally opened the browser where he often loaded his favorite “Page: SAY – Story Around You” to read entertaining stories whenever he rested under the mango tree. 😅

He immediately killed it and put the phone back in his pocket, because he had no time to entertain himself on the brink of death.

“I-I do! What do you want from me? I won’t give up this land even if you walk over my corpse!” Kulas replied bravely but brokenly.

Armed men surrounded him, blocking out the sunlight. The leader looked at him seriously and slowly put his hand inside his black jacket.

Kulas closed his eyes and prayed quickly. He expected the man to pull out a cold gun and his sad life as a struggling farmer would finally end.

However, instead of a bullet hitting his chest, he felt a thick folder placed in his trembling hands.

He slowly opened his eyes.

The scarred man presented a large document with the official government seal.

“Your son Rico is sending this from Dubai,” the man said calmly, now with a slight smile on his lips.

Kulas’ eyes widened.

He hadn’t spoken to his son in five years after he ran away due to a bitter argument they had about the hardships of farming.

“What is this? Is this an eviction notice?!” the old man asked in confusion as he flipped through the pages.

The man shook his head.

Kulas was shocked when he read what was written.

This was a complete land title, not just for his two hectares, but for the entire twenty hectares of Don Facundo’s hacienda.

Rico had bought the entire land from the oppressive businessman using his earnings from inventing a famous agricultural software abroad.

Kulas sat down in the mud, unable to believe what his bulging eyes were seeing.

“My companions are from an armored security agency,” the man continued as he pointed to his armed companions.

“Sir Rico hired us to make sure that the titles and the check worth fifty million pesos for your purchase of new tractors and fertilizer reach you safely. He will also be home tomorrow to be with you.”

Kulas could no longer stop himself from sobbing loudly in the middle of the field.

The intense fear and anger he had felt earlier were quickly replaced by overflowing joy and pride.

They would not kill him; instead, they were the ones who brought safety to his entire life and family.

What he thought would be the tragic end of his simple life as a farmer turned out to be the beginning of his becoming the biggest don in the province.

He hugged the smiling leader of the guards tightly, his expensive uniform soaked in mud and tears, while happily observing the vast land that was now his full possession and without any fear of being taken back.