Catanduanes Forum

Once again, the gladiator came and rose to the challenge. Victorious, the Malay claimed the crown, which he thought was his. He then looked at the clamoring crowd whose thirst for blood seemed insatiable, let alone the fervor and lust that dinned the stadium.

Yet the gladiator's belief in God was unshaken. Not that the Omnipotent one intervened during those incredible jousts; he knew He was there all along, guiding, and compelling to deliver those deadly and crippling blows to a beleaguered but worthy opponent.

There was valor in his action, and valiant as he was, he came to hug the vanquished. Victory was even sweeter and complete.

What prices glory? The adulation of the crowd is but a fleeting moment. Just like a conquering Caesar, he knows the closeness and stark reality of defeat and death. When will it end? Is it all but Pyhrric?

And there is no telling the end of an adventure; the romance it brings; the vision of unmatched prowess and power; and the false sense of immortality. The gladiator alone knows.

Quo vadis MP?

Jun Soriao
This Side of the Hemisphere
Los Angeles, California