There was a little barrio near Davao River called Santo Tomas. It is just an ordinary rural area of the province. Rich and famous in livestock, vast rice fields and big fishes caught in the said river.  

     Doroy is one of the good fishhookers in town. Almost everyday he catches kilos and kilos of big fat fish called tilapia. One bright sunny Friday, while Doroy is sitting on the medium sized rock about 1 feet and a half wide and 6 inches thick two of that closely buried in the muddy soil, he fell asleep, in a few minutes he was suddenly awakened by his own fishing rod pulling him down! When Doroy is about to fall to the deep river he feel a grasp into his right shoulder, it was a boy of about the same age as him and a girl a bit younger maybe a couple of years.

“Hey! That was close, thanks for saving me, I’m Doroy and what are you names? He asked.

 “I’m Benito and this is my little sister Angela” The boy replied.

 He was so thankful. Together they played the whole afternoon and Doroy shared his packed lunch to his new friends. He was so happy meeting new friends. Everyday they meet up together at the rock at the river bank. Because he was so glad of his new friends, Doroy even told his father about Benito and Angela. He just wondered why his father seems not so happy of what Doroy told him.

 “Doroy, please promise me not to go back to those rocks beside the river” His father exclaimed and as possible, don’t ever meet your said friends anymore” He sadly added.

Of course, Doroy was curious about his father’s reaction.

“Why is it that you don’t want me to see Benito and Angela anymore?” Doroy cried.

 With no words, his father grabbed his hand and they go to the rocks along the river bank, without saying anything. His father cleared the rocks from weeds, vines and mosses that grew around the two rocks, and then he approached Doroy.

 “Come closer and see this” His father said.

 As he clears out the leaves and dirt at the sides of the rocks. Doroy noticed there is an engraved writing in it. Doroy was surprised and couldn’t even speak of what he just read.

 “Benito Camalig and Angela Gilispe- died October 9, 1981” as Doroy reads as if they are tombstones. “Yes, Benito and Angela are my close friends, they were drowned in this river” his father said with sobbing face. Doroy had no words to speak about what he had just realized…